Langsdale Lends a Hand with 'Rat Film' Research

Inspection by Health Department, courtesy of the CPHA Collection, via flickr

Next week, Langsdale Special Collections is hosting a colloquium where three fellows are going to give presentations on their research into structural inequality, sharing the information they unearthed in Special Collections over the summer. I say this not only to mention that it’s happening (September 28th at 4 p.m., Learning Commons Town Hall-- see you there!), but because whenever we’re promoting the fellowship, I have go-to collections I use to illustrate the concept, and The Citizens Planning and Housing Association (CPHA) records is one of the best to draw upon. Most of the digitized photos in the CPHA flickr album perfectly portray urban blight and how society has failed its most vulnerable citizens-- scenes of trash-strewn alleys, decaying structures, toppling fences, lean-to shacks, and children playing in the rubble circa the 1940s and ‘50s.  Contextually, many of these photos were taken during inspections by the Health Department, who were surveying the area’s cleanliness and overall habitability for its citizenry.