Rare And Vintage Photos Of The Great Depression You’ve Probably Never Seen Before
Although it took place nearly a century ago, the Great Depression still looms large in any discussion of American history.
Starting in 1929 and dragging on through most of the 1930s, the Great Depression had profound effects on Americans from all walks of life.
Al Capone started a soup kitchen.
Notorious gangster Al Capone started up “Big Al’s Kitchen for the Needy” in Chicago during the Depression.
While the gesture provided hungry Chicagoans with food, it was done more to rehabilitate Capone’s image than as a genuine gesture of goodwill.
Banks collapsed in an instant.
The Great Depression was more than just a bad day on Wall Street — it was a full-blown economic disaster.
For many unfortunate Americans who failed to withdraw their savings before banks collapsed, personal fortunes disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Families sought better fortunes elsewhere.
Iconic photographs like this one taken by Dorothea Lange help capture the anguish and despair of the era.
The Depression had wide-ranging migratory impacts, from “Okies” who left the Dust Bowl to seek their fortune in California, to African-Americans who left the south to settle in northern cities.
People sold whatever they had.
The Depression affected nearly everyone, but the first people to feel the impact were the speculators who worked on Wall Street.
This photo shows a Wall Street speculator who’s desperately trying to sell his car — his only possession of value — after losing all of his money in the stock market crash.
Bread lines and soup lines were commonplace.
The stock market crash caused ripple effects throughout the entire country, and left millions of Americans hungry and desperate.
Bread lines, soup lines, and charitable endeavors helped provide destitute Americans with food to eat and shelter to stay in.
The economy was already shaky.
While the 1929 stock market crash officially kicked off the Great Depression, it’s likely that some sort of recession would have happened either way.
The economy was already in rough shape, with struggling farmers, overproduction in the industrial sector, and a severe wealth gap.
There just weren’t any jobs.
One major downside of a free market is that when the market crashes, it can’t afford to pay people to do their jobs.
Signs like the one worn by this man were typical of the era, where skilled people found themselves not just jobless but unemployable in the blink of an eye.
Buying on margin was a bad idea.
Much of the stock market was supported by investors and speculators who bought on margin, which means they borrowed money to invest.
Of course, when prices tanked, this meant that investors couldn’t pay back what they owed, which caused the entire system to crumble.
Unemployment was rampant.
At the peak of the Great Depression, around one in four Americans were out of work, meaning that a full quarter of Americans had no means to feed their families.
This level of mass unemployment led to huge lineups at bread lines and soup kitchens as desperate people sought out nourishment.
The Dust Bowl made things worse.
Owing to poor farming practices and a series of devastating droughts, the Dust Bowl turned the Great Plains into an arid desert, replete with dust storms that blacked out the sun.
John Steinbeck’s depictions of “Okies” leaving the Plains for California stems from these dark days.
Even the rich weren’t totally safe.
Wealthy Americans were largely insulated from the worst effects of the Great Depression, but they still took a hit.
While the richest of the rich were able to maintain their fortunes, many people with slightly less money lost their entire fortunes and were forced to start over.
The president encountered a lot of criticism.
Herbert Hoover, the president during the worst days of the Great Depression, became a magnet for criticism.
Believing that the economy would fix itself without significant government intervention, Hoover was slow to act, which made him enormously unpopular.
“Hooverville” became part of the vernacular.
Homeless encampments sprung up across the nation, as people forced out of their homes were forced to live in shacks and tents.
These encampments were known derisively as “Hoovervilles,” named after the unpopular president.
The New Deal started to change things.
After Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president, he proposed a series of sweeping reformations to get the country back on track.
Chief among these was the New Deal, which included programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps. These programs created work for unemployed Americans.
It was a transformative change.
Another new deal initiative, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), created major infrastructure like roads, bridges, and schools — many of which still exist to this day.
The program even allotted a budget for artists and writers to document American history.
Social security stems from the Great Depression.
Before 1935, people didn’t have Social Security numbers. But after FDR signed it into law in 1935, it became a safety net for Americans.
The original purpose of social security was to provide financial help for the elderly, unemployed, and disabled — and it still strives to meet these goals today.
Banks needed an overhaul.
After banks collapsed and left people with their savings wiped out, it was clear that things needed to change.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was created as a response to the Depression, and ensures that money is insured (up to a certain amount) if a bank fails.
Folk heroes became popular.
In times of great inequality like the Great Depression, Robin Hood-esque folk heroes invariably come to the forefront.
During these years, bank robbers like Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, and others captured the public imagination with their daring exploits.
Prohibition ended in 1933.
This came about at an opportune time for some people, as their financial situation all but demanded a stiff drink.
This thirst led to a quick bounce-back for the alcohol industry, as brewers and distillers were quick to scale their operations up to meet the demand.
Breadwinners were out of work.
American culture was still built around men being the breadwinners for their family, and would remain this way for decades to come.
Regardless, with so many men out of work, women were forced to pick up the slack by taking odd jobs as seamstresses, secretaries, or teachers.
Racism was a massive barrier.
Racism and bigotry still loomed large during this era, with many southern states officially practicing segregation.
While the Depression affected millions of Americans from all walks of life, it his African Americans particularly hard. In many cases, they were the first to lose their jobs.
“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
The song, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” became an unofficial anthem and catchphrase of the Great Depression.
The lyrics depicted a man who had worked hard and fought for his country, only to be left with nothing. Needless to say, the message hit home for a lot of people.
It affected fashion as well.
The 1920s were full of avant-garde designs, ranging from art deco flourishes in architecture to daring flapper styles for women’s clothing.
The Great Depression put a temporary halt to this, as people could no longer afford such luxuries. Clothes were increasingly homemade, while new construction projects were generally utilitarian in nature.
Kids felt the pinch as well.
The onset of the Depression left many families with too many mouths to feed. This increased pressure on older children to either drop out of school and find a job, or leave home entirely.
Many of these runaways chose to ride the rails to better fortunes, giving rise to the culture of hoboes along rail routes.
Bartering made a comeback.
With money in short supply, combined with the volatility of inflation, many people found it easier to just go back to the old ways of bartering.
Trading goods such as eggs, bread, and firewood, or services like sewing, made a big comeback during this time.
Families became more crowded.
Conditions made it increasingly untenable for families to afford much living space, and this led to many people moving in with relatives to save money.
In some cases, three or four generations of the same family would crowd into the same house.
For entertainment, listen to the radio.
Radio was still a relatively new and novel technology during the era, and the Depression saw an explosion of radio comedies, dramas, and news hit the airwaves.
Going to the movies cost money, but listening to the radio was effectively free, which helps explain the phenomenon.
Divorce rates dropped.
There’s little doubt that the Great Depression caused significant marital strain across the country, but despite this, divorce rates actually dropped.
This owes more to the fact that people simply couldn’t afford to split up than it does to marital harmony, of course.
Route 66 was the road of hope.
The song “(Get your kicks on) Route 66” had not been written yet, but Route 66 was still top of mind for Americans seeking a better life.
The highway became the main route for people leaving the eastern and central portions of the country as they headed west.
It didn’t really end until World War II.
While the worst effects of the Depression eased over time, it wasn’t until World War II that the Great Depression was truly over.
The war created jobs as factories needed workers and the military needed supplies, which kick-started the economy.
