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Category Archives: 1930s
Learning from the Facebook Group “Mid Century in Color”
Sometimes I wonder just who Facebook thinks I am, sending me links to sites about farms and baby animals. But recently the mysterious algorithm provided something I treasure—a link to the wonderful resource Mid Century in Color: Amateur Photographic Slides … Continue reading
Unruly Seamstresses in the 1930s
The Works Project Administration (or WPA) is best known for funding murals and highways in the Great Depression. However, it also started programs aimed specifically at women. One was the WPA sewing project, which employed thousands women creating garments for … Continue reading
Posted in 1930s
Tagged African American, California, generations, Great Depression, hats/headcoverings, sewing, shoes
1 Comment
Portrait of a Woman with Butterfly
In honor of Black History Month, I’ve been searching for collections of photographs of African Americans that might include older women. One rich source I discovered is the private collection of Mike Cochran, given to the Portal of Texas History. … Continue reading
Sewing for the Works Progress Administration, 1936
In the US, most of us have probably come across a bridge or a trail that was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Depression Era government sponsored employment agency. Not only did the program build bridges and sponsor … Continue reading
Sewing Baseballs, 1938
Of course I know that baseball covers have stitches, but until I saw this photo I didn’t realize that the covers were stitched together by hand. Even today most covers are hand stitched, although the process is done in a … Continue reading
The Fourth of July in South Carolina, 1939
The Library of Congress has a series of photographs of an African American Fourth of July celebration on St. Helena Island off of South Carolina in 1939. They were taken by Marian Post Wolcott, a photographer working for the Farm … Continue reading
Posted in 1930s
Tagged African American, hats/headcoverings, South Carolina, special occasion
1 Comment
Cat Lady with Sandals, 1930s
These days, wearing socks and sandals is often considered a fashion faux pas for women, but this wasn’t always the case. The older woman above is happily wearing the combination while playing with (or torturing?) her cat. Using the wisdom … Continue reading
On the Go, 1938
What trips have you given up this summer? I had two planned, one to see my daughter in the Boston area and another to visit an old friend in England. As a financially stable woman nearing 70, I am in … Continue reading
Cassie and Jennie, 1932
A handwritten message on the back of this photo gives me names and dates, and I know that it comes from my stepfather’s family. Unfortunately, there is no one left to tell me who Cassie and Jennie were. I do … Continue reading
Summer Outfit, Mid 1930s
When I found this photo on eBay, I originally thought the pattern was dots—and I was about to launch into an essay on the love of dotted fabric in the 1930s. However, once I enlarged it the pattern looked more … Continue reading