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.
-
Browse
Historical Materials
-
Investigate a topic with
Discovery Sets
-
Find related items by clicking on
Item Tags
Featured Exhibit
Featured Items
Americans Do Not Practice What They Preach [1963 Farmville, Va. protests]

Protestor outside Safeway, Farmville Shopping Center, August 1963.Demonstrators carry signs opposing racial segregation, and encouraging shoppers to…
“Open-air” classroom at Moore Street School, 1113 W. Moore Street, Richmond, Va.

In the early-20th century, Europe and the U.S. saw the rise of “open air” schools intended to create healthy environments to combat tuberculosis using…
The Ray of Hope [editorial cartoon by Edgar F. Schilder]

Editorial cartoon by Edgar F. Schilder. A hooded figure of Death, carrying a scythe and labelled "The White Plague" flies over a graveyard. In the…