Civilian Conservation Corps

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a Depression era program that enlisted young men 

to work on government soil conservation, park construction, and other outdoor projects.  

Google it for details/  We start the series with a 1938 promotional poster.

 

Idaho Swimmers

More than half of today's CCC photos come from a collection in an Idaho archive.  

For our purposes, the swimming pictures will feature prominently, and several

 of the young men here are looking nonchalantly into the camera.

 

Diving board

I think this photo from the Idaho CCC shows two guys on the diving board at a pool 

the CCC men built in a hot springs area.  The idea was to use the hot water from the 

spring to fill the pool without disrupting the natural flow.  Even though the men

are (unusually) in trucks, at least a nice bulge is visible.

 

Lineup

This lineup was no doubt an amateur shot probably taken by another CCC man.

 

Blurry derrieres

Too bad the image is so blurry in another Idaho photo.

 

Buddies and a truck

The numbers at lower right may indicate an official catalog.

Meanwhile, I'm liking the camaraderie.

 

Some bashful, some not

These are more Idaho men, some of whom

 seem a bit bashful, while others do not.

 

Foggy

This CCC photo is badly fogged, but something still comes through.

 

Disc?

I can't tell if this guy is really throwing a discus or just pretending to.

 

Rock lifters

OK, some of  you will disagree, but I think there's something

 exceptional about the young men in this photo.

 

More Idaho Swimmers

We get some nice views in this Idaho CCC photo,

both up close and far away.

 

The CCC or Civilian Conservation Corps was a make-work project for young men.

This handsome group was the a camp boxing team from California.

 

Carl Mydans Double Feature, Part 2 - More Men

The non-nude portion of Carl Mydans day kicks off with two young men who were photographed early in Mydans' career when he worked for the government.  As Civilian Conservation Corps workers, they built parks, land reclamation projects, and trails through National Parks.

Note to history buffs:  I have gone back and retagged some previously posted Mydans works,

so if your interested in seeing them all, just click on the "Carl Mydans" tag below this image.

Civilian Conservation Corps Day, Part 2

Our G-rated CCC photos are of better quality than the R group, and some of them appear to have been taken by professional photographers.  I think this was a snapshot, though.

I think the expression was "Put your back into it!"

Too bad the pants are so baggy.

This is a Civilian Conservation Corps camp boxing team from California in 1933.

Our only solo G-rated CCC shot shows a smiling young worker with his sledge hammer.

These four CCC men were photographed in some scrubby woods in 1936.

Civilian Conservation Corps Day, Part 1

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a New Deal program in the 1930's that took unemployed American youth and sent them to camps and construction sites across the country to learn skills.  As you will see from our nude images from Mr. Scumbeast's collection, photography was not one of those skills.  We start with three friendly campers.

There's something going on here, but I can't tell exactly what.