Children’s Booklet about Appalachia and Coal production
Title
Children’s Booklet about Appalachia and Coal production
Description
Marketed as a children's book about coal and Appalachia, warnings about the environmental costs rang through. This photo, taken from the children's book, highlights the deteriorating air quality in “Hillbilly Land,” which is said to be in West Virginia. Using the word "hillbilly" to describe the individuals in Appalachia, more specifically West Virginia, the author highlights how drastic the air quality is, noting how it is impossible to breathe, asserting the need for a gas mask to be able to breathe effectively. Here, we see two Appalachians wearing masks, seemingly as an everyday occurrence, with the casualness of their clothes and hair—this highlights how drastic the air quality difference is due to coal, and the measures needed for clean air.