Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

MS 179
United States. Soil Conservation Service
Photograph Collection, 1917-1949, undated


Descriptive summary

creator:

United States. Soil Conservation Service
title:

Photograph Collection
dates:

1917-1949, undated
extent:

4.62 linear feet (11 document boxes)
collection number:

MS 179
repository:

Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

United States Soil Conservation Service Photograph Collection, MS 179, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Abstract

The United States Soil Conservation Service was established as an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture on April 27, 1935. The agency conducted surveys of the land, developed conservation practices, and devised flood control plans. Congress renamed the Soil Conservation Service the Natural Resources Conservation Service in 1994. The agency continues to provide technical assistance to farmers and other landowners. The collection contains photographs and educational artwork relating to soil conservation work. The educational art work explains conservation practices and how soil conservation works.

 

Historical note

The United States Soil Conservation Service was established as an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture on April 27, 1935 when Congress passed Public Law 74-46. Hugh Hammond Bennett served as its first Director until he retired in 1952. The Soil Conservation Service was established in part to prevent the horrible conditions of the Dust Bowl of the 1920s and 1930s, and to raise awareness of the problem of soil erosion. The agency conducted surveys of the land, developed conservation practices, and devised flood control plans. Congress renamed the Soil Conservation Service the Natural Resources Conservation Service in 1994. The agency continues to provide technical assistance to farmers and other landowners.

 

Collection description

This collection (1917-1949, undated) contains photographs and educational artwork relating to soil conservation work. The bulk of the collection consists of the 212 negatives and 309 prints, taken in the 1930s and 1940s. They are arranged by the subject numbers originally assigned to them, and by project and date within each subject. Case Farm Equipment is used throughout. There is also educational art work explaining conservation practices and how soil conservation works. Some of the educational materials are photographs and others are drawings or reproductions of a machine or natural process, such as erosion, showing how the machine or process works.

The collection was originally part of the Hugh H. Bennett Papers, a collection that had suffered water damage with subsequent mold development. Some of the photographs and negatives were unusable and were discarded. Some that remain are badly damaged, but still serve to illustrate the soil conservation practice depicted.

 

Related materials

The Special Collections Department holds a number of collections related to soil conservation including;

  • Hugh H. Bennett Papers (MS-164)
  • National Association of Conservation Districts (MS-460)
  • United States Soil Conservation Service Oral History Collection (MS-198)
  • Iowa Soil Conservation Districts (MS-264)
  • Iowa State Soil Conservation Committee Newspaper Scrapbooks (MS-497)
  • Wallis R. Tonsfeld Papers (MS-558)

 

Organization

The collection is organized topically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Farm pond construction: John Fearheiley farm

1944

1

2-26

Farm pond construction: Charles Piper and son farm

1944

2

1-13

Farm pond construction: Charles Piper and son farm

1944

2

14

Farm pond construction: Elmer Weaver farm

1944

2

15-20

Farm pond construction: Leslie Miles farm

1945

2

21-22

Case model "VC" tractor: L.F. Knopp farm

1943

3

1-20

Moldboard plow terraces: A.N. Bane farm

1942

3

21-22

Moldboard plow terraces: O.M. Rice farm

1943

4

1

Moldboard plow terraces: procedure chart

1943

4

2-3

Moldboard plow terraces: Frank Ginsbach farm

1943

4

4-7

Moldboard plow terraces: Eugene Doering farm

1943

4

8

Moldboard plow terraces: contour pasture drawing

1944

4

9-11

Moldboard plow terraces: C.O. Koller farm

1944

4

12

Moldboard plow terraces: correspondence

1944

4

13

Moldboard plow terraces: Glenn Lane farm

1945

4

14

Moldboard plow terraces: three-bottom plow drawing

1946

4

15-18

Moldboard plow terraces: Lawrence Elsinger

1947

4

19

Disk plow terraces: soil erosion

1930

4

20

Disk plow terraces: construction of broad base terrace

1931

4

21-23

Disk plow terraces: A.H. Tubb farm

1931

4

24

Disk plow terraces: Hollendale farm

1931 circa

5

1-22

Disk plow terraces: C.S. Dencen farm demonstration

1932

5

23

Disk plow terraces: C.S. Dencen farm demonstration notes and plans

1932

5

24

Farm Bureau Convention: poster

1933

5

25-26

Disk plow terraces: Model CC Motor Lift tractor

1935

6

1-3

Disk plow terraces: Model CC Motor Lift tractor

1935

6

4-10

Disk plow terraces: Piedmont Experiment Station

1942

6

11-21

Disk plow terraces: Muhl farm

1942

7

1-9

Disk plow terraces: Muhl farm

1942

7

10-18

Disk plow terraces: untitled

1942

7

19-24

Disk plow terraces: Piedmont Experiment Station

1942

8

1-9

Disk plow terraces: Piedmont Experiment Station

1942

8

10

Disk plow terraces: power control disk

1942

8

11

Disk plow terraces: broad base terrace drawing

1943

8

12-14

Disk plow terraces: W.C. Bishop farm

1943

8

15

Disk plow terraces: Muhl farm

1942-1943

8

16

Disk plow terraces: Frank Kalina farm

1943

8

17

Disk harrows: Frank Ginsbach farm

1947

8

18

Grain drill: Ben Beethe farm

1943

8

19

Case Model "A" Combine: Otto Hill and son farm

1947

8

20

Case Model "A" Combine: J. H. Johnson farm

1949

8

21-23

Case Model "G" Combine: Otto Hill and son farm

1944-1946

9

1

Farm Human Interest: Charles Piper farm

1944

9

2

Farm Human Interest: Elmer Weaver farm

1944

9

3-4

Present Farming Methods: irrigated cotton fields

1917

9

5

Present Farming Methods: western threshing setting

1929

9

6

Present Farming Methods: hand cotton chopper

1931

9

7-8

Present Farming Methods: broom grass and stubble mulch

1946

9

9

Educational material: soil conservation exhibit

1943

9

10

Educational material: farm layout drawing

1944

9

11-14

Educational material: contour plowing models

1944

9

15

Educational material: case system drawing

1944

9

16-17

Educational material: fiber board models

1944

9

18

Educational material: strip cropping drawing

1947

9

19

Educational material: falling raindrop drawing

1947

9

20

Educational material: rain striking bare soil drawing

1947

9

21

Educational material: mud laden splash striking bare soil drawing

1947

9

22

Educational material: flowing muddy water carrying away soil surface drawing

1947

9

23

Educational material: ridges and furrows reduce erosion drawing

1947

10

1

Educational material: wind striking bare soil drawing

1947

10

2

Educational material: dust storm drawing

1947

10

3

Educational material: ridges and furrows deflect wind upward drawing

1947

10

4

Educational material: level terraces retain flood waters drawing

1947

10

5

Educational material: vegetative covers

1947

10

6

Educational material: alternate land strips

1947

10

7

Educational material: alternate land strips

1947

10

8

Educational material: rolling land

1947

10

9

Educational material: The One Crop System

1947

10

10

Educational material: crop diversification drawings

1947

10

11

Educational material: all grain

1947

10

12

Educational material: ridges and furrows

1947

10

13

Educational material: broad base terrace cross section

1947

10

14

Educational material: ridges and furrows

1947

10

15

Educational material: wind erosion

1947

10

16

Educational material: strip farm field

1947

10

17

Educational material: water retention

1947

10

18

Educational material: raindrop splash illustration

1947

10

19

Educational material: falling raindrop illustration

1947

10

20

Educational material: broad base terrace

1947

10

21

Educational material: water erosion

1947

10

22

Educational material: dust storm drawing

1947

11

1

Educational material: animation from High Yield Harvesting

1948

11

2

Educational material: photograph of Level Farming on Sloping Fields

1948

11

3

Educational material: photograph of Handling Manure for Extra Benefits

1948

11

4

Educational material: photograph of Strips and Curves

1948

11

5

Educational material: photograph of Moldboard Plow Terraces

1948

11

6

Educational material: photograph of More Food From Fewer Acres

1948

11

7

Educational material: photograph of Build a Pond

1948

11

8

Educational material: photograph

1949

11

9-12

Educational material: drawings from Water Spreading

1949

11

13

Stubble mulch tillage: N.L. Kahl Farm

1945

11

14

Unidentified photographs: terracing

undated

11

15

Unidentified photographs: Hugh H. Bennett

undated

11

16

Unidentified photographs: Hugh H. Bennett

undated

11

17

Unidentified photographs: terracing

1942

11

18

Unidentified photographs: terracing

1943

11

19

Unidentified photographs: building a farm pond

1944

11

20

Unidentified photographs: case tractor (neg. 44276)

1944

11

21

Unidentified photographs: boy with cow

1945

11

22

Unidentified photographs: terracing on strip cropping

1945