The prosperity of the 1920s ended with an economic catastrophe of unequaled length and severity - the Great Depression. By 1933 industrial production had fallen to one-third its pre-Depression levels, thousands of banks were closed, and almost 13 million Americans were jobless.

There are 11 images in this gallery, click on image to enlarge.

	"Bonus Marchers" and police battle in Washington, DC. The marchers came to Washington, DC, to demand their veterans "bonus" payment early from Congress. After several months of camping near the Anacostia River and after several confrontations with police, federal troops drove the marchers from the city. By an unknown Associated Press photographer, July 1932 National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer (111-SC-97560) [VENDOR # 68]
	"One-third of a Nation" By Arnold Eagle and David Robbins, 1938 National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Work Projects Administration (69-ANP-1-2329-214) [VENDOR # 66]
	"The Pickwick Dam powerhouse contains four generators with a capacity of 144,000 kilowatts. Two additional units are scheduled for the plant which will bring the total to 216,000 kw. All T[ennessee] V[alley] A[uthority] installations are linked into a single system through a network of transmission lines" By an unknown photographer, Tennessee, not dated National Archives and Records Administration-Southeast Region, Records of the Tennessee Valley Authority (142-RS-2J-2) [VENDOR # 71]
	"2603 Co. Civilian Conservation Corps Camp Vermilion, Danville, Ill[inois]. Boxing team. Mr. Taylor, trainer." By an unknown photographer, 1936-39 National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Civilian Conservation Corps (35-GC-VI-219-D3) [VENDOR # 69]
	"Street corner next to Federal Building where U.S. Dept. of Labor handles naturalization of immigrants" By an unknown photographer, New York City, New York, 1939 National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the National Youth Administration (119-G-81-M-3) [VENDOR # 73]
	"Children and Sugar Beets" By L.C. Harmon, Hall County, Nebraska, October 17, 1940 National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture (16-G-Box 159-AAA-6437W) [VENDOR # 75]
	"Abandoned house, Haskell County, Kansas" By Irving Rusinow, April 1941 National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics (83-G-41906) [VENDOR # 76]
	"On the freights. He said he quit high school after two years, hung around home for a couple of years, and then got work as general kitchen help in a hotel. He had just been fired from a job of this kind in Los Angeles where he had 'blown up' and 'told the cook off.' He carried a clean white shirt and was prepared to look for work when his money was completely gone. 'I don't know where I'll go. Huntin' for a job I guess. I didn't go home - I'm on the bum. These agency jobs; you gotta buy them and I ain' got the dough.' He talked about going to Redding, to Eugene, and to Seattle. He had $1.80. Yuba County, California." By Rondal Partridge, April 13, 1940 National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the National Youth Administration (119-CAL-13) [VENDOR # 74]
	"Commercialized entertainment in the village is confined to the movie house, which has films only once every two weeks, and the pool hall, which is looked down upon by many of the community's most substantial citizens. Nevertheless, there are generally a few players to be seen here in the evenings and a particularly large group on Saturday night." By Irving Rusinow, Shelby County, Iowa, May 2-7, 1941 National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics (83-G-44220) [VENDOR # 70]
	"This man is descended from one of the oldest families in the village, and his house is also one of the oldest there." By Irving Rusinow, El Cerrito, San Miguel County, New Mexico, April 10-16, 1941 National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics (83-G-37828) [VENDOR # 72]
	"Gerald Nailor, Navajo Artist" By Milton Snow, Window Rock, Arizona, August 1943 National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (75-NG-4NC-2-14) [VENDOR # 80]
	Back to Top