CELEBRATE THE CENTURY 1930s STAMPS

Depression, Dust Bowl and a New Deal

By 1933 the average wage was 60 percent less than in 1929 and unemployment had skyrocketed to 25 percent. Dust storms forced many farmers to give up their land.

Americans escaped harsh realties by playing Monopoly, reading the adventures of "Buck Rogers" and "Flash Gordon," and listening to Hoagy Carmichael’s "Stardust." Popular films included King Kong and It Happened One Night. For the first time, African-American athletes became national idols; Joe Louis in boxing and Jesse Owens in track and field.

Prohibition was repealed in 1933. President Franklin Roosevelt fought the Great Depression with his New Deal programs. The "Star-Spangled Banner" was chosen as the national anthem. The Empire State Building rose above the Manhattan skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge spanned the San Francisco Bay. Back on the ground, the parking meter made its first appearance in 1935.

As the decade closed, many Americans were anxious about the growing war in Europe.

New words: all-star, oops, pizza, racism.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Eight days after taking office, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made the first of his radio "fireside chats." As if speaking directly to each listener, he explained complex issues and the measures being taken to deal with them.

Empire State Building
Completed in 1931, New York City’s Empire State Building has 102 stories and rises 1,250 feet above the ground. For more than 40 years it was the tallest building in the world.

First Issue 1936
Established in November 1936, LIFE magazine opened a new era of photojournalism. With limited text and photographs on almost every page, it expanded our awareness of current events and the human race.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was an extremely vocal, active, and influential First Lady. During press conferences for women reporters and in her syndicated column, she championed the rights of women, youths, minorities, and the disadvantaged.

FDR’s New Deal
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs tried to pull the U.S. out of the Great Depression. They provided some relief and addressed the idea of a government-regulated economy.

Superman Arrives 1938
Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Supermanä first appeared in 1938. The Man of Steel was the world’s first comic book super hero. His sensational powers and dynamic deeds changed forever the content and style of the comic book.

Household Conveniences
Showing faith in new technology, household purchases focused on electric mixers, refrigerators, pop-up toasters, vacuum cleaners, and irons. The 1930s also saw the spread of sliced bread and packaged frozen foods.

Walt Disney’ s Snow White Debuts
In December 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered as this country’s first feature-length animated film. The movie classic was comprised of 250,000 separate drawings and won a special Academy Award@ for Walt Disney.

1936 Bestseller
Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel, Gone With the Wind, portrayed the Old South during the Civil War and Reconstruction. It was a number one bestseller for two years and continues to be sold throughout the world.

Jesse Owens, Six World Records
On the afternoon of May 25, 1935, Ohio State University’s track star Jesse Owens@ was credited with setting 5 world records and tying another. The following year he earned 4 gold medals in international competition at Berlin.

Streamline Design
Stressing efficiency and speed, streamlined designs were used for cars, planes, trains, buildings, and even appliances. The New 20th Century Limited, shown on this poster at the Albany Institute, was an example of the aerodynamic style.

Golden Gate Bridge
After more than four years of construction, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to vehicular traffic May 28, 1937. Boasting a 4,200-foot-long main span, the "International Orange" bridge carried the moderate price tag of $35,000,000.

America Survives the Depression
Dorothea Lange’s 1936 photograph of Native American Florence Owens Thompson symbolizes the courage of Americans as they tried to survive the hard times of the Great Depression.

Bobby Jones Wins Grand Slam 1930
In 1930, amateur Bobby Jones became the first-and-only person to win the Grand Slam of golf. The same year, at the age of 28, he retired from competition.

The Monopoly Game
Produced commercially for the first time in 1933, the Monopoly@ game became the world’s most famous board game. In a period of economic depression, players enjoyed amassing fortunes and driving opponents bankrupt.