A Better New York (1937 Original Black & White Film)

Step back to 1937 with this insightful documentary, *A Better New York State*, which highlights the impactful Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects transforming New York during the Great Depression. The film showcases the construction of a reservoir at Albany, illustrating the importance of public works in providing essential infrastructure. It also captures the WPA’s role in supporting relief families, with garments being produced in WPA sewing rooms. In Buffalo, a lively marionette show is presented at a local school, reflecting the WPA’s support for arts and culture. The film takes viewers to West Point Military Academy and the Palisades Interstate Park, showing the diverse range of WPA activities. One particularly dramatic segment focuses on the contributions of WPA crime laboratory technicians, who help capture a safecracker, showcasing the important role WPA workers played in public safety. The documentary also includes views of the restored Fort Niagara and the construction of county and forest roads in the Adirondacks, demonstrating the WPA’s far-reaching efforts in infrastructure development. *A Better New York State* is a powerful testament to how WPA projects helped rebuild and revitalize communities throughout New York.

Source: National Archives. (1937). *A Better New York State*. [Video] Retrieved from the National Archives Catalog, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12337