by Mircy Coca Soriano
"Power & Light: Russell Lee's Coal Survey" is a photography exhibition at the National Archives museum in Washington, DC that captures the harsh reality of American coal mining communities in the mid-20th century. This exhibition displays around 200 of Russell Lee's poignant photographs from a 1946 federal survey of coal mining communities in 13 states, including Kentucky, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania.
From the moment I entered the exhibition, the photographs immediately captured my attention with their raw realism and emotional power. They vividly portrayed the harsh conditions many miners and their families endured. I was especially struck by the images of the miners’ homes, dilapidated structures with dirt floors, some barely standing, the dangers of the house structures, and the way they obtain water that can cause illness. The families depicted in these photographs were equally heartbreaking: many children were barefoot, dressed in worn clothing, and clearly undernourished.
One image that deeply moved me showed a young girl holding a baby. The caption explained that the Lawson Mayo family had ten children, and the older siblings often had to care for the younger ones, likely because both parents were working to support the household.
Lee offers a deeply humanizing glimpse into the lives of the miners and their families, documenting not only their work but also their homes, schools, and daily struggles. The images undoubtedly captivated me because they project two feelings, the first being their suffering, their needs, and their desires for something better since the situation was dire, while the other feeling is that despite the harsh working conditions, Lee's images radiate a deep sense of pride, community, and resilience. The miners are not depicted as victims, but as people united by solidarity and perseverance.
The 1946 coal strike and Russell Lee's photographic study are deeply interconnected, as both emerge from the same urgent national reflection on the harsh realities of coal miners' lives. The strike, led by John L. Lewis and the United Mine Workers of America union, exposed the dangerous conditions, low wages, and lack of medical care endured by the miners, conditions so severe that they triggered one of the largest work stoppages in American history. Lee's photographs functioned as both documentation and persuasion. They provided lawmakers and the public with a visceral understanding of what statistics and reports often failed to convey: families living in overcrowded and dilapidated company housing; miners suffering from black lung disease; children without shoes or adequate sanitary facilities. These images reflected the demands of the striking miners and lent moral weight to their cause.
by Mircy Coca Soriano, LHF intern
"Power & Light: Russell Lee's Coal Survey" is on view at the National Archives Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery, 701 Constitution Avenue NW, WDC, through December 7, 2025.