THE DIRTY 30'S

(THE LADY ON THE LEFT IS JOAN HARLOW) BY THE 1930’S MONEY WAS SCARCE BECAUSE OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION, SO PEOPLE DID WHAT THEY COULD TO MAKE THEMSELVES HAPPY. MOVIES WERE HOT, POLAR GAMES AND BOARD GAMES WERE POPULAR. YOUNG PEOPLE DANCED TO THE BIG BANDS. THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE MYSTERY NOVEL CONTINUED AS PEOPLE ESCAPED INTO BOOKS, READING WRITERS SUCH AS AGATHA CHRISTIE, DASHIELLE HAMMETT AND RAYMOND CHANDLER.

FACTS ABOUT THIS DECADE:

POPULATION: 123,188,OOO IN 48 STATES.

LIFE EXPETANCY: MEN 58.1 WOMEN 61.6

AVERAGE SALERY: $1,368

UNEMPLOYMENT RISES: 25%

CAR SALES: 2,787,400

FOOD PRICES: MILD 14 CENTS A QUART, BREAD 9 CENTS A LOAF, ROUND STEAK 48 CENTS A POUND

PLYMOUTH ROADKING CAR IN 1938 COST $685

COMPLETE MODERN BEDROOM SUIT COST $79.85

“DUST BOWL” WAS A TERM WAS BORN IN THE HARD TIMES FROM THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THE DROUGH STRIKEN REIGON DURING THE DEPRESSION. THE TERM WAS FIRST USED IN A DISPACH FROM ROBERT GEIGER, A AP CORRESPONDANT IN GUYMON WITH A FEW SHOT HOURS THE TERM WAS USED ALL OVER THE NATION. THE THIRTIES WAS ALSO KNOWN AS THE “DIRTY THIRTIES”.

POP CULTURE IN THE 1930’S

THE MOVIES THE WIZARD OF OZ AND GONE WITH THE WIND CAME OUT

ACTION COMICS CONTINUED TO GROW AND SUPERMAN FIRST APPEARED.

CELEBRITIES IN THE THIRTIES: CLARK GABLE, SHIRLEY TEMPLE, JOAN CRAWFORD, WILL ROGERS, FRED ASTAIRE, AND GINGER ROGERS.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE THIRTIES:

THE JET ENGINE

TEA BAGS

THE FIRST PHOTOCOPIER

BALL POINT PEN

BBC TELEVISION

CATSYEYS

ELECTRIC RAZOR

ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

FREQUENCY MODULATION

HELICOPTER

JET ENGINE

NYLON

MAGNETIC RECORDING

POLAROID

RADAR FOR AIRCRAFT

RADIO TELESCOPE

STICKY TAPE

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XOXO,

LINDSEY