American Guides

The American Guide Series of books was produced by the Federal Writers Project between 1935 and 1943. The Federal Writers Project was one of the many programs under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a Depression-era government program that assisted the millions of unemployed. The series is said to have originated from a casual cocktail party conversation between writer Katharine Kellock and WPA administrator Arthur Goldsmith. These wonderful travel guides cover the 48 states (Alaska and Hawaii were not yet states) and the District of Columbia and employed over 6,000 writers. Each volume covers a state’s history, geography, and culture, and includes photographs, maps, and drawings.

The American Guide Series is a highly collectible set of books; many people search the shelves of antiquarian book shops in an attempt to bring together the entire series. The Guide Series’ value continues to increase, with some titles now worth several hundred dollars. Two of the more desirable titles include the first edition Idaho volume, most of which were destroyed in a warehouse fire, and the Dakota volumes, which had very limited printings. The recent popularity of the series has also prompted publishing houses to reissue selected titles in attractive and affordable paperback editions.

In addition to the popular state series, the Writers Project also produced over 1,200 books and pamphlets, including guides to major cities and interstate roadways, folklore collections, oral histories, and even song recordings. The project enlisted the talents of such well-known writers as John Cheever, Saul Bellow, Richard Wright, and Ralph Ellison.

Text copied from www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/WPAStateGuides.pdf