Above: Florence O'Brien and the Four Kings of Rhythm, in a WPA theatre production in Los Angeles, ca. 1935-1939. A book about O'Brien was recently written by a family descendant: "Gone, But Not Forgotten: The Florence Lishey O'Brien Story." Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: A WPA Mexican Tipica band, performing in Los Angeles, 1942. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: These actors, students at the University of Washington, are getting ready for their performance on the "Show Boat," ca. 1935-1943. The "Show Boat" was a University theatre building--made to look like a large boat--and constructed on top of a barge by WPA workers. It was demolished in 1994. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: "Chinese Theater Scene #1," a lithograph by Carl Hobby (1886-1964), created while he was in the WPA's art program, ca. 1935-1943. Image courtesy of the General Services Administration and the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Above: Antonia Brico (1902-1989) conducts the WPA's Bay Region Federal Symphony Orchestra (BRFSO), in San Francisco, ca. 1938. As a young adult, Brico worked as a waitress and dishwasher to pay for her college and private music instruction ("Dream Comes True For Bay Musicians," Oakland Tribune, January 8, 1936). Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: Brico conducting the BRFSO in San Francisco, September, 1938. WPA symphonies often attracted large audiences. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: Brico with New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia (left) and San Francisco Mayor Angelo Rossi, May, 1938. Brico "made her way in the male-dominated musical world largely through the force of her personality as well as her unshakable determination and a facility with both the standard orchestral literature and contemporary American works" ("Antonia Brico, 87, a Conductor; Fought Barriers to Women in 30's," New York Times, August 5, 1989). Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: Mary Carr Moore, conducting the WPA's BRFSO, in Oakland, California, April 29, 1938. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: Mary Carr Moore was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1873; but when she was 10 her family moved to Napa, California. Then, moving to various other parts of California, Moore learned how to sing and compose. Unfortunately, financial struggles were an obstacle to her music training and career (see "Moore, Mary Carr (1873-1957)," Harvard Square Library). Her Wikipedia entry states, "If Mary Carr Moore is remembered at all today, it is for her efforts on behalf of the musical life of the West Coast. She was among the first composers to promote opera in Seattle, and would often promote the work of her peers alongside her own. As a teacher, too, she promoted her students' work, even founding a manuscript club for regular performance of their music." Photo courtesy of Harvard Square Library, used here for educational, non-commercial purposes.
Above: "Trapeze Girl," a lithograph by Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1893-1953), created while he was in the WPA's Federal Art Project, 1936. Image courtesy of the General Services Administration and the Weatherspoon Art Museum.
Above: A dog-trick show, part of a WPA vaudeville production in San Francisco, 1936. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: The "Pianodancingers," WPA vaudeville performers, San Francisco, 1936. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: Kay Pickering, WPA vaudeville performer, San Francisco, 1936. Old newspaper articles describe Pickering as a jazz and ballad singer. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: The "Strongest Woman Alive," performing at a WPA circus, New York City, ca. 1935-1939. Don't try this at home. This is probably Katie Sandwina (1884-1952), who also worked with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus (see, e.g., Jan Todd (University of Texas), "Center Ring: Katie Sandwina and the Construction of Celebrity," Iron Game History, Vol. 10, No. 1 (November 2007), pp. 4-13. Photo courtesy of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum.
Above: A WPA poster for a WPA performance of Swing Mikado, a dance production that enjoyed great box office success. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Above: Three actors in the WPA's Los Angeles production of Swing Mikado, ca. 1935-1939. Photo courtesy of George Mason University.
Above: "Music, Theatre and Dance," a mosaic artwork by Monty Lewis (1907-1997), created while he was in the WPA's art program, 1941. Image courtesy of the General Services Administration.
Above: Helen Tamiris (1905-1966) and her dancers, in a WPA performance of How Long Brethren?, New York City, 1937. How Long Brethren?, created, directed, and choreographed by Tamiris, was a highly-acclaimed and successful dance production - one of the high points of her career. Photo courtesy of George Mason University.
Above: A closer look at Tamiris. A powerful and intense dancer, she strove, through her direction and choreography, to highlight injustice - and also spark concern and empathy in her audience. Tamiris's offstage advocacy had influenced the creation of the Federal Dance Project (FDP), an offshoot of the WPA's Federal Theatre Project. By all accounts, she was completely devoted to her work in the FDP. After the New Deal years, Tamiris worked as a dance instructor and became an award-winning Broadway choreographer.
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