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Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information (FSA/OWI) Collection: Subject Index Information

Alphabetical Listing: K-O

This subject index presents the categories assigned in the 1940s to make it possible to browse the FSA/OWI photographs by what they depict. The Office of War Information used a decimal number classification scheme to organize the photos. This section of the list is arranged alphabetically by subject words taken from the heading cards in the FSA/OWI photographic print file, with a link that retrieves photos that are filed under the corresponding classification number. The categories and the words used to describe them are products of their era and have not been altered for this presentation.

  • The same classification number may appear multiple times under synonyms, variant words, or inverted headings; for example: .576 is listed under both "Oil Wells" and "Petroleum."
  • Not all numbers retrieve descriptions and images, either because the information has not yet been added to the description, or because the originating agency never applied the number to any photographs.
  • For more information, view the introduction to this list.

Click on the tabs below to explore FSA/OWI subject terms.

Topic Classification Number
Kennels, Dog .54815
Kenny, Elizabeth, Institute .8169
Topic Classification Number
Lab Work and Science .37586
Labor Relations, Unions .66
Labor, Conference International Office .96356
Laboratories .86655
Laborers, Sugar .329187
Lakes, Ponds .1835
Lakeshore and Seashore .19
Lambing and Shearing .5464
Land .14
Land Clearing, Earth Moving .5913
Land Treatment .162
Land Use and Development .68253
Land, A New Start on the .68052
Land, Clearing .5304
Land, Grazing .153
Land, Poor Submarginal .163
Land, Stump .1635
Land, Working Cultivated .53104
Landing Operations .7394
Landscape Architecture .5984
Landscapes, Miscellaneous .1428
Latin Americans .72311
Launching .62665
Laundries .6484
Laundry Units .6836
Laundry, Ironing .457
Law .6743
Lawyers .674
Lead .575
Leather .6093
Leaves .966
Lectures, Speakers .9023
Lettuce .53153
Liberia, Barclay, President, State Visit .962284
Libraries .872
Libraries, Popular .9224
Licenses, Decorations, Details .5104
Lighting Fixture .9662
Liquors, Tobacco, Luxuries, Flowers .641
Livestock .54
Lock and Dams Construction .5934
Locks .5231
Locks, Canals .183
Locomotives .5214
Locomotives, Rolling Stock .6258
Log Cabins, Sod Houses, Adobe, Dugouts .417
Log Cabins .4412
Log Houses, Carpentry .5963
Logs, Hauling .5537
Longshoremen, Stevedores .329164
Louisiana State Fair ( South), Exhibit .946273
Lumber Camps, Lumberjacks .553
Lumbering .552
Lumbering, Forest Products .55
Lumberjacks, Lumber Camps .553
Lumbermen .329166
Lumberyards .63055
Lunch .537406
Lunch Rooms, Diners .9064
Lunch, Eating on the Job .9066
Luxuries, Flowers, Liquors, Tobacco .641
Topic Classification Number
Machine Shop .57254
Machinery, Agricultural .5484
Machinery, Farm .639
Machinery, Farm Maintaining .5485
Machinery, Hardware, Devices . 622
Magnesium .621655
Main Streets in Small Cities .218
Management .58505
Management, Small Business .58507
Maneuvers .732
Manganese .5751
Manganese .62165
Mansions and Plantations .4163
Manual Training and Domestic Skills .3763
Manufacturing and Processing Industry .6
Maple Syrup .5573
Maritime Canada [apparently no class number for this]
Market, Fulton Fish, New York City [and Washington, D.C.] .630714
Marketing .53171
Marketing, Tobacco .537514
Markets, Etc. .6445
Markets, Farmers .6446
Markets, Wholesale Food .63070
Marshes, Swamps .1838
Maryland, Greenbelt [towns and small cities] .25868
Maryland, Greenbelt [government/organized aid] .6822
Maryland, Greenbelt [small house building] .596054
Mascots .73126
Masks, Gas .6244
Masonry .5962
Mattresses, Bedding .61175
Meat .602
Meat, Fish .6375
Mechanical Services .6463
Mechanics, Aviation .685226
Mechanics, Industrial Workers .329157
Medical Services .7581
Medical Supplies, Patent Medicines .61688
Medicine Show, Traveling .9148
Medicine, Health, Safety .8
Medicine, Military .808
Medicine, Patent .8263
Medicine, Veterinary .827
Medicine, Veterinary .54818
Medicines, Medical Supplies, Patent .61688
Meetings (Mass), Citizens' Organizations .67363
Meetings, Administration .6834
Meetings, FSA Representative .6816
Meetings, Red Cross .902362
Meetings, Religious Services .843
Meetings, Revival .85
Meetings, Speakers, Voting .662
Meetings, Town .6736
Meetings, Youth .318
Melons .532
Memorial Services .9016
Men in their Prime .322
Men's Work, Maintenance .46
Men, Men's Heads .32
Men, Middle Aged .323
Men, Old .324
Men, On Leave From the Service .741
Men, Railroad .329177
Men, Work .59344
Mennonites .329167
Merchant Marine Training .52266
Merchant Seamen .5225
Mercury .57515
Mercury .62167
Merrill, Oregon [and other mobile camp units] .68336
Mess Halls .7308
Metal .7631
Meteorology .86248
Mexican Sections .25906
Mexican and Spanish-American Women .339185
Mexicans and Spanish-Americans .329185
Middle-Aged Women .333
Midway, Amusement Park, Carnival .9086
Migrant Children .3675
Migrant Cranberry Pickers .37426
Migrant Workers .329168
Migrants' Cars .5133
Migratory Agricultural Workers .355
Migratory Farm Workers .339168
Migratory Workers' Camps .4407
Migratory Workers, Farm Labor Camps .683
Military Government .7393
Military Medicine .808
Military Operations Under Special Conditions .73939
Military Police, Shore Patrol .7358
Military Training .37635
Militia, State .7234
Milk and Other Dairy Products .6546
Milk, Keeping Good .54157
Milk, More for Victory .54105
Milking, Shipping Milk .5414
Mill Towns .2535
Mill, Coffee .96345
Mill, Grist .6062
Mill, Rice .6061
Mill, Transporting Ore to .57305
Millinery, Hats .61165
Mills, Bread, Flour .6063
Mills, Paper and Paper Products .613
Mills, Steel .62013
Millwork, Furniture, Wood Products .612
Milo .53717
Miners .57273
Miners .32917
Miners' Children .3676
Miners' Families .356
Mines .144
Mines, Abandoned .1444
Mines, Blasting and Drilling .5723
Mines, Loading and Transport .5725
Mines, Oil, Quarries .57
Mines, Quarries, Rocks [General category] .1440-1516
Mines, Safety Operations .57225
Mines, Small Private and Gopher Holes .5721
Mines, Abandoned Gold .57339
Mining Towns .2527
Miscellaneous Buildings .2197
Missionizing, Itinerant .8508
Missions .85073
Mobile Camp Unit .68336
Model Houses and Plans .258
Mohair and Wool Plant .61124
Monuments .231
Monuments .25477
Moss Press .96642
Motion Pictures .915
Motorcycle Troops .7351
Motormen, Conductors .5165
Mountain Farms .1545
Mountains .143
Movements, Organized Society .6728
Movies, Etc. .3876
Moving Household Goods .5138
Mucking, Drilling, Blasting .57303
Mule and Horse Dealers .63998
Mule and Horse Dealers, Itinerant .64557
Mules, Donkeys, Horses .548
Municipal Services .6559
Munitions .6162
Murals, Photo .61484
Museums and Archives .87
Music .916
Music, Children .384
Musicians .73133
Topic Classification Number
Nationalists, Trial of the .6725
Naval Academy .7328
Naval Vessels .7361
Navy .736
Needlework .61167
Negro Church Services .8438
Negroes, Exhibit on .681805
New Jersey, Bridgeton .68333 [Note: Same number used for Calipatria, California and Caldwell, Idaho]
New York .2106
New York City, Fulton Fish Market [and Washington, D.C.] .630714
Newspaper Vendor .6453
Newspaper, School .37624
Newspapers .876
Newsstands .6421
Night Clubs, Bars, Saloons .9067
Noodles, Spaghetti .6069
Notions .96654
Novelties, Souvenirs .6428
Nurseries, Planting Trees .551
Nursery Schools .3755
Nurses, Physicians [General Category] .81 and .811 and .812 (.813?) and .814
Topic Classification Number
Oats .5355
Office Workers .586
Office Workers, Government .5865
Office of War Information .76604
Office, Business, Banks, Stockrooms .585
Officer Training .7325-6
Officers by Name .7215
Ohio, Greenhills .596055
Oil Pipe Line Construction .5938
Oil Wells, Petroleum .576
Oil and Gas Fields .1518
Oil and Gas Tanks .63062
Oil, Cottonseed .60763
Oil, Drilling for .5762
Oil Olive .60766
Oil, Quarries, Mines .57
Olive Oil .60766
One-Room Schools .37565
Onions .53164
Optical Phenomena .96659
Orchards .5339
Orchestra (Dance), Swing Bands .9166
Ore Barges, Loading Operations .52344
Ore Cars .52138
Ore, Transporting to Mill .57305
Oregon, Athena .683322
Oregon, Indians, Celilo Falls .5647
Oregon, Merrill .68336
Organizations .378
Organizations .678
Organizations, Mass Meetings, Citizens' .67363
Organized Gatherings .902
Organized Society, Movements .6728
Oriental Children .36657
Orientals, Japanese .329159
Outdoor Games .929
Outdoor Life .9228
Outfitting .73012
Oven, Outdoor .4527
Oxen .5063
Oysters, Crabs, Etc. .565