Explore the history of American social reform and social services 

The Social Welfare History Image Portal brings together photographs, pamphlets, artifacts and documents chronicling the history of the nation's response to human need. This history includes the work of volunteer organizations, reform movements, social workers, and government legislation and systems.

Featured Items

Annual Report of the Refuge in the City of Boston and the Bethesda Society, 1912 [selected pages]

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This document details information regarding the Refuge's and the Bethesda Society’s yearly financial expenses, donations, and membership, while also…

Neighborhood House Sabbath School Class, 1921

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Photograph of children ages 8 - 9 in the Neighborhood House Sabbath School, Richmond, VA. Taken in 1921.In the early 1900’s, non-resident settlement…

“V is for Virginia” [broadside]

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In 1944, military leaders struggled to maintain troop levels as casualties mounted in World War II. The Navy Women’s Reserve Act, signed into law in…