Photographs of the Phelps Vocational High School in Washington, D.C., 1945–1955

Washington, D.C., 1955. Forty-five 8 x 10 inch photographs. Some slight damage to edges and slightly curled; excellent.. The Phelps Vocational High School was founded in 1912 as a trade school for African American boys, located in the historically Black neighborhood of Carver Langston. In the tradition of African American industrial education, the school initially specialized in printing, bricklaying, and carpentry. During World War II the school trained students in airplane and auto mechanics and building construction, funded by the Works Progress Administration. It began accepting girls in 1942 or 1943. Phelps is still open, now as the Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School.

Offered here is a collection of forty-five photographs from Phelps, dating from around 1945 to 1955. The collection captures school life, pageants, sports, and the school’s ROTC program. Many of the photos show students in plays, dancing, and participating in gymnastic cheerleading. D.C. schools would begin to integrate in 1954, the year that both Brown and the D.C.-specific Bolling v Sharpe were decided by the US Supreme Court.