Posted in USA December 12, 2017 by

What These Major U.S. Cities Looked Like In 1935 May Shock You

This nation’s major cities have undergone dramatic transformations over the past century. Slums have turned into desirable neighborhoods, populations have changed and grown, and the skylines of some of the country’s most dynamic metropoles have rocketed towards the sky. Check out these fascinating pictures of a handful of America’s major cities in the mid-1930s.

1. The skyline in Detroit, Michigan.
Library of Congress
2. A riverfront beach in Detroit, Michigan.
Library of Congress
3. A second-hand store in Memphis, Tennessee.
Library of Congress
4. A picket line in New York City.
Yale Photogrammer
5. Garment workers leave the factories for lunch hour on Seventh Avenue and West 28th Street, New York City.
Photogrammer
6. An avenue of laundry between 138th and 139th Street apartments, just east of St. Anne's Avenue, Bronx, New York City.
Photogrammer
7. Mothers talking together while a child plays in the gutter on 139th Street just east of St. Anne's Avenue, Bronx, New York City.
Yale Photogrammer
8. A man lounging in a downtown park in Jacksonville.
Yale Photogrammer
9. Drought refugees in Phoenix. During this time, many farming families were forced to look for work in the cities due to severe droughts.
Yale Photogrammer
10. A slum in San Francisco.
Yale Photogrammer
11. Mission District in San Francisco.
Yale Photogrammer
12. Mission District in San Francisco. Rent in this area averaged around 22 dollars a month for three or four rooms.
Yale Photogrammer
13. A street-side bear performance in New Orleans.
Yale Photogrammar
14. Applicants waiting for jobs in front of employment offices in New Orleans.
Yale Photogrammar
15. Boats bringing in scabs in New Orleans.
Yale Photogrammar
16. A slum street in New Orleans.
Yale Photogrammar
17. A French market sidewalk scene in New Orleans.
Yale Photogrammar
18. A gas station and gospel mission in Cleveland.
Yale Photogrammar
19. A poor area in Washington D.C. The capitol can be seen in the background.
Yale Photogrammar
20. Young boys playing on the sidewalk in Washington, D.C.
Yale Photogrammar
21. A slum neighborhood in Washington D.C.
Yale Photogrammar

Were you surprised by any of these? If you’re interested in more vintage photographs of what life looked like in America in 1935, check out our previous similar article here.

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