CCC Exhibit
The planning of this exhibition began in the fall of 2021 when Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) agreed to temporarily house a collection of ~450 lantern slides created by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1933 and 1942. These slides were previously in the possession of the State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
A CCSU Graduate student had been scanning these pre-pandemic in preparation for their transfer to the State Archive. Karen Keeler ('22) and I scanned what was left and used this digitization project as the basis of my Janick Fellowship research project. Through this exhibition, in addition to the scanning, we wanted to identify the purpose of these lantern slides, demonstrate the need for digital preservation, and show how these slides relate to Connecticut during the Great Depression. Though few know it, the impact of the C.C.C. work in this State is still evident today in many of our State Parks and Forests.
Credits
Ava Westervelt - 2022 Janick Fellow