Tag Archives: 1930s

Family of Nine Living in Field on U.S. Route 70 Near the Tennessee River During the Depression, 1936

A native of Boston, Carl Mydans (1907–2004) was born into a family of second-generation Russian immigrants. He studied journalism at Boston University, where he first learned how to take and develop photographs. After he graduated in 1930, he found work as a reporter for American Banker, but eventually bought a 35-millimeter Contax camera. The ContaxContinue reading “Family of Nine Living in Field on U.S. Route 70 Near the Tennessee River During the Depression, 1936”

30 Amazing Snapshots Capture Street Life in New York City From the Mid-1930s to the End of the 1940s

In the late 1930s, photographer Helen Levitt rode the New York City subway system, first as an apprentice to photographer Walker Evans, then snapping photos of aloof passengers wearing fur coats, flat-brim hats, and antique brooches. Yet for the majority of Levitt’s illustrious career (lasting until the 1990s), she ventured out of the underground toContinue reading “30 Amazing Snapshots Capture Street Life in New York City From the Mid-1930s to the End of the 1940s”

Life in Germany in the Late 1930s

Life in Nazi Germany, 1933-1939Alongside control and suppression, the Nazis tried to influence every part of German life. The economyHitler claimed that he had dramatically reduced unemployment figures under the Nazis. Certainly, rearmament created jobs. But National Service meant young men were not counted as being unemployed any longer. Women and Jews were left outContinue reading “Life in Germany in the Late 1930s”

40 Incredible Colorized Photos Show What Life in America Looked Like during the 1930s and 1940s

Street kids at play, Georgetown, Washington D.C., Summer 1935 The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. It began after the stock market crash of October 29, 1929, the “Black Tuesday”, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions ofContinue reading “40 Incredible Colorized Photos Show What Life in America Looked Like during the 1930s and 1940s”

27 Beautiful Photos of Norma Shearer During the 1920s and 1930s

Edith Norma Shearer (August 10, 1902 – June 12, 1983) was a Canadian actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O’Neill, and William Shakespeare, and was the first five-time Academy Award acting nominee, winning Best Actress forContinue reading “27 Beautiful Photos of Norma Shearer During the 1920s and 1930s”

27 Amazing Photos Showing Life in France during the 1930s

France is a transcontinental country spanning Western Europe and overseas regions and territories in South America and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Including all of its territories, France has twelve time zones, the most of any country. Its metropolitan area extends from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Mediterranean Sea toContinue reading “27 Amazing Photos Showing Life in France during the 1930s”

40 Photos of Actor Robert Montgomery in the 1930s and 1940s

Robert Montgomery (born Henry Montgomery Jr.; May 21, 1904 – September 27, 1981) was an American actor, director, and producer. He began his acting career on the stage, but was soon hired by MGM. Initially assigned roles in comedies, he soon proved he was able to handle dramatic ones, as well. He appeared in aContinue reading “40 Photos of Actor Robert Montgomery in the 1930s and 1940s”

45 Beautiful Photos of Actress Mae West in the 1930s

Born 1893 in Kings County, New York, American actress, singer, playwright, screenwriter, comedian, and sex symbol Mae West had her entertainment career spanned seven decades. She was known for her lighthearted, bawdy double entendres and breezy sexual independence. West was active in vaudeville and on the stage in New York City before moving to HollywoodContinue reading “45 Beautiful Photos of Actress Mae West in the 1930s”