Notes on Sheltering Transient Men at Seattle, Washington September 30, 1931 to March 31, 1932.
(Seattle, WA: 1932). 16mo. (44)ff. First edition. Bound in brown paper over boards, with upper cover showing the alternate title, "Seattle's Plan for Homeless Men." Throughout the text-likely a report published for distribution to a small number of political advocates and/or social workers-are tipped-in photographs and ephemera, and directly interleaved are illustrations and charts. The photographs show the city of Seattle as it was experienced by the homeless during the worst of the Great Depression, including the exteriors and interiors of shelters and dormitories, houses of worship, and worksites, and the upper-level committee members working for various community organizations to offer assistance. A powerful portrait at the text's outset shows John Lyle, himself homeless, which immediately puts a human face on the situation. The ephemera are mainly cards, printed by the Salvation Army, to be handed out as references for various services, among them healthcare, housing, and food. The illustrations, likely mimeographs, visualize the data, reproduce forms to be filled out, and, in one instance, add levity to the text by way of a cartoon. Ellison's robust, factual, and generally sympathetic reportage makes sure to note that most of the homeless were military veterans, a reality that remains despairingly familiar today. General rubbing to exterior, tipped-in material has caused text block to bow, else a near fine and altogether informative view of the housing crisis in the early twentieth century. Item #32225
Price: $1,750.00