I thought these photos from the Smithsonian collection were very moving.
Photographs of the Great Depression
Seeing kids without shoes, families living in shanties, and driving across country with all of their possessions piled on top of a car is humbling. After listening to the talking heads on TV going bananas over our current state of the economy images like these really put things into perspective.
January 16th, 2009 at 06:01 pm 1232128861
January 16th, 2009 at 06:03 pm 1232129035
I have a friend who is 92 and who lived through the depression as a teenager. I would say living (trying to survive) during the Great Depression has impacted they way she thinks about money to this day. She is exceedingly frugal but I understand why. Thanks for sharing.
January 16th, 2009 at 06:26 pm 1232130400
One of my fave books is Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck which follows a family of "Oakies" ad they move west during the depression in the dust bowl.
January 16th, 2009 at 08:19 pm 1232137175
January 17th, 2009 at 01:32 am 1232155947
That said, I was talking with my father in law this past summer regarding when he was a young boy growing up in family of meat packers/butchers from Poland.
Although everyone was effected in some way by the events of the depression, I was shocked to hear that he and his family never went without food. In fact, they ate the meats and sausages that they butchered, packed and set for sale in their store that did not sell.
Although fruits and other luxuries were nill, they sure did eat good. God bless.
January 17th, 2009 at 02:10 am 1232158226