Great Depression

This photograph shows a woman living in a tent during the Great Depression. The woman is the daughter of a migrant Tennessee Coal Miner. The picture was taken in the American River Migrant Camp near Sacramento California.

It was on this day, July 8, in the year 1932 that the Dow Jones Industrial Average bottomed out at a low of 41. It was not until the 1950's that the stock market fully recovered from the crash of '29. It is amazing what level of suffering occurred in the 30's as a result of the excesses of the '20's. Lets hope that our present financial challenges only lead to a "recession".

Old Black Man

This picture was taken on the porch of a general store near Jeanerette, Louisiana. It was taken in 1938 by Russell Lee. During the Great Depression, the government wanted to document the suffering going on across the country, and hired a group of photographers to travel the rural areas of the Nation, taking pictures of everyday people. This work was done through the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Russell Lee was one of the photographers doing this work. Another was Dorothea Lange, who took the famous picture of the woman holding the baby.

Abandoned Farm

This photograph shows an abandoned farmhouse near Quincy, Washington. It was taken in 1939 by Dorothea Lange. The picture shows the hard times on Farms in the United States during the Great Depression.

Drought Farmers

This photograph was taken in 1936 during the dust bowl. It shows farmers in town discussing the situation. Lack of rain prevented planting or harvesting of crops. The picture was taken by Dorothea Lange, who took many captivating pictures of the dust bowl while working for the FSA.

Poor Child

This photograph shows a poor girl living in a "shacktown" near Oklahoma City. The picture was taken in 1936, and shows the poverty of the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma. When I started this blog, I was planning on featuring a lot of old happy or funny pictures. It turns out that there are many more sad pictures than happy pictures in history. I think we sometimes forget how good we have it today.

Boll Weevils

Today's picture features a boy in a cotton field picking Boll Weevils off the cotton plants. The picture was taken in 1937 in Macon County, Georgia. Boll Weevils are a severe problem for cotton farmers. If a field of cotton is infested, the crop is lost. Trying to pick them off by hand would be a desperate, and in the end, pretty much useless exercise. I guess they were doing all they could to try to save some of the cotton crop. I grew up on a cotton farm in the 1960's and can remember how much fear there was about losing a crop to Boll Weevils, even in the 60's. Today I think that they have pesticides that will take care of the problem, but Weevils are probably still a concern for farmers.

Street Vendor

This picture was taken in 1939, and shows a street vendor selling combs and candy from a small cigar box. One has to wonder how hard it must have been scratching out a living from such a small box. The picture was taken in Waco, Texas.

Dusty Road

This picture was taken near Los Angelas in 1937. I like the sign.

General Store

This is a photograph from 1936. It shows a General Store in Moundville, Alabama. It is fascinating to look at a picture like this and then think about a Wal-mart. My how things have changed.

Country Road

This is another great Dorothea Lange photograph from the Great Depression. It shows men sitting on the porch of a country store in Gordonton, North Carolina. The photograph was taken in 1939.

Woman of the Dust Bowl

I really love the photographs from the Dust Bowl and Depression era. It is just amazing how terrible conditions were back then. This is a photograph of a woman from Oklahoma in 1937. Her and her husband are migrant workers. She lost a baby the previous winter. The child died from exposure. The photograph was by Dorothea Lange.

Women's Fashions, 1930's

I am always surprised at the stark contrast between the photographs from the 1920's and 1930's. There was such abundance, and yes, such excess in the 1920's. When you look at the pictures from that era, you just have to look at the people and think that they had no idea what was about to hit them. I find it interesting to compare a typical picture from the 20's (posted yesterday), and a typical picture from the 30's (posted today). My how things had changed.

My father grew up during the depression, and it affected his entire life. He was a successful businessman, but he never forgot the days of the Great Depression. I can remember growing up he had a rule in our house that you never tore off a complete paper towel. He would say "That's what they want you to do. Don't tear it off at the perforation, just tear off the amount you need." He also insisted that lights not be left on when not in use, that food never be wasted, and that you should never pay someone to do a job that you could do yourself. So, we never had a maid or yard man or anything like that. At the time I was growing up with all these rules, I just thought he was cheap, and a hard man. Today, I see that he loved us, and never wanted us to face a situation like he did as a child. Today, I can appreciate his love, and his wisdom. By the way, today is my Dad's birthday. He just turned 88. He still does not use complete paper towels, and when I visit, still asks me to turn the lights out if they are not needed. Happy Birthday Dad. Thank you for your love, and the lessons you taught me.

Family in the Great Depression

I am really fascinated by these pictures of people in the Great Depression. It is hard to believe the level of poverty people endured. I often reflect on the things that annoy me, and ruin my day, and ponder how small those things are compared to what this family had to endure. My Dad grew up in the Great Depression, and it affected him his whole life. The generation that lived through the depression is fading away, and soon will be gone. Sometimes I fear that there are important lessons that our generation is not learning. We should cherish each day for the abundance we enjoy. The photograph was taken by Dorothea Lange.

Sharecroppers

Sharecroppers in North Carolina. The picture is from 1939.

Spring Plowing

Today's picture shows spring plowing. The picture was taken in 1939 near Marshall Texas.

The Crash

On this day, October 29, in the year 1929 the stock market crashed, and ushered in the Great Depression. This Dorothea Lange photograph captures the human cost of this tragedy. The crash followed the roaring 20's, a time of exuberant excess in the United States. Shortly before the crash several pundits predicted a new era of prosperity, in which the market could continue to appreciate indefinitely.

I some times wonder if such a tragedy could happen again. What do you think? Could we ever see this magnitude of poverty in the United States again?

Texas Farmer

Today we feature a photograph of a Texas farmer. The picture was taken in 1939 in Weatherford, Texas. The picture was taken near the end of the Great Depression, which was a very tough time for everyone, especially farmers.

Vegetable Pickers

Today's picture shows migrant workers during the Great Depression. This group is waiting to load onto a truck, to be taken to the fields. The picture was taken in 1939 near Homestead Florida.

Company Town

This is a photograph of Kempton, West Virginia, a Company Coal Town. The picture was taken in 1939. An old broken down Model T is shown in the foreground.

Child Berry Picker

This is a great image of a child Cranberry picker. It was taken in 1938 in a Cranberry bog in New Jersey. It is amazing to look at these pictures from the 1930's and see very young children doing an adult's work to try and help support the family.