Series 1864: Malaria Control Files & Photos - Div. Malaria Cont. 1920-1939.
Health, Dept. of (RG 51)

Series 1864: Malaria Control Files & Photos - Div. Malaria Cont. 1920-1939.
Health, Dept. of (RG 51)

      Files, primarily of the Division of Malaria Control, which contain reports, surveys, and photographs of work done throughout Mississippi to control malaria and its effects. Working in conjunction with the Federal Malaria Agency, the state began intensive anti-malaria campaigns around 1920. There were two main goals:

1. attaining proper drainage and water control of public and private areas to inhibit mosquito breeding; and
2. protection of the state’s inhabitants - through education (publicizing the warning signs of malaria, for example), treatment of the disease, and implementation of malaria control measures (use of screens for doors and windows, increasing awareness and avoidance of likely mosquito infestations).

      Files in this series generally contain periodic reports (both on a statewide and county level) which contain narrative and statistical summaries of activities as well as brochure handouts, sample forms, and other such materials. Also included are a small amount of correspondence and several surveys.

      Photographs in this series are all black and white images (ranging in size from 3x5 to 8x10) with some photographs affixed in a WPA scrapbook, some included in reports, and some comprising a loose collection. The photographs in the second section of the scrapbook appear to be duplicates of those in the first section (first section dates - typographical error?). A list of photographs begins on page 4.

      For the most part, the photographs contain images of drainage projects: the building of proper ditches with substantial brick linings, retaining walls, or concrete sides, with correctly angled and sodded slopes; and areas to be improved (swamps, sloughs, lakes, ponds, roadsides and home sites). There are some photographs showing men at work surveying, clearing brush and digging; also, there are a few photographs of screen door factories in Jones Co., and examples of screen door and window installations.

The columns in the table listing photographs which begins on page 4 are as follows:

Photo #
Series number for this collection which is always "1864" with an additional identifying number (as in "1864-01")

Description:
A brief description of the photograph (supplied by archivist where not otherwise identified, in brackets)

Date:
Date of photograph (again supplied in brackets if not clearly discernible)

Co:
County (where action of photo occurred).. Abbreviations are as follows:

Location:
Community or city if known; otherwise county is repeated

Box #:
Box in which the photo can be found

Folder #:
Folder # within box in which the photo can be found