Browse Items (105 total)

Significant dances

The Dance Marathon was a phenomenon in the lower classes. In a test of endurance, couples competed and winners received cash prizes. In the 1930s, the dance marathon evolved from its original focus on endurance records to a…

E. Y. (Yip) Harburg (1896-1981), in a career spanning over fifty years, was known as “Broadway’s social conscience.” A master lyricist, poet and book writer, Yip was always dedicated to social justice. He wrote the words to over 600 songs, most…

Combine outrageous scenarios with slapstick humor, then add witty, fast-paced dialogue and light romantic situations and you have that wonderful cinematic treasure called the screwball comedy — or as film critic Andrew Sarris describes it, “a sex…

Although the 1930s was a time of great hardship, people still found ways to have fun. For many during these years, having fun didn't have to cost much. Everything was homemade – the food, the games, the music – there were even homemade portable dance…

The tendency for spending on cosmetics and other small luxuries to increase during times of economic hardship.

This phenomenon is brought to life when one recalls the used jalopy dealership inter-chapter of "Grapes of Wrath." While the Lipstick…

"During the big depression of the 1930's, people looked desperately for inexpensive leisure pursuits, as their spendable income decreased dramatically. Parlor and board games, as well as stamp collecting became popular hobbies. When Parker Brothers…

During the 1930s, Maybelline produced mascara which was extremely popular (enough so to allow the company not only to survive but to expand to Canada and Europe) and extremely affordable.

It's interesting to note that in this advertisement, the…

During the depression of which Grapes of Wrath is set the popular music of the time were what was leftover from the 20's which glorified the upper class "American Dream." The popular songs of the 1930's were from Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Cole…

"In the 1930s, the American Dream had become a nightmare, and I think comic books and superheroes in particular provided an escapist form of entertainment that allowed the American public to go into a fantasy world where all the ills of the world…