The 1930s... Glam v Grim

As promised, here is my follow up Inter War feature... continuing from my 1930s fashion item, I look at the drastic differnces between the good and bad times of the 1930s.

Glamour

"The word, originally Scottish, was brought into general literary use by Walter Scott around 1830.

An alteration of the word 'gramarye' meaning 'occult learning, magic, necromancy', it passed into standard English and meant 'a delusive or alluring charm'; nearly a century later, in the 1930s, it acquired its current meaning, relating to the charm or physical allure of a person."
(Quote: Fowler's Modern English)

With our current day concept of the 1930s, Glamour well and truely casts a spell over the truth of this harsh decade, the glitter shrouds a bleaker picture... The Great Depression of 1929, a severe worldwide economic depression that lasted well into the mid to late '30s.

The problems began in the U.S in 1929 as stock prices fell on September 4th, eventually crashing on Tuesday October 29th. The day was labelled as "Black Tuesday" and effects rapidly spread throughout the world.

Rich and poor alike were hit, with personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropping, international trade plummeted by 50% and unemployment rose to 25% in the US, whilst in other countries it rocketed as high as 33%. Areas that relied upon heavy industry and farming severely felt the blow; with crop prices falling and construction halted, a bleak picture was painted for all.

The USA

We tend to link the Great Depression mainly with the States and during this time many quirks synonymous with 'vintage' and the '30s were born; such as cocktails. There had been a strong Temperance movement in the US throughout the 19th century, ever keen to banish the evils of liquor, fuel was added to their fire during The First World War as belief spread that the brewing and distilling industries were wasting precious grain, molasses and labor... beer was the biggest victim due to anti-German sentiment (with names such as Pabst, Schlitz and Blatz the beverage struggled to make sales). What made matters worse was the spread of saloons across the States (there was, on average, a bar for every 150 people). Most were disrespectful establishments, with owners luring in patrons by offering free lunches, gambling, cockfighting and prostitution. In 1920 the Prohibition act came into effect and continued for 14 years. In order to get around the bans, gangsters distilled bootleg liquor, concealed in petrol cans and other peculiar receptacles, 'cocktails' became a cunning way to hide the foul taste of the alcohol (they had been about since 1803 but became heavily relied upon during the US's dry spell).

The Prohibition may have ended in 1933, but it's my belief that during the depression, temperancy didn't help with morale so, in order to drown their sorrows, people frequented speakeasies in order to sup upon cocktails, this in turn became fashionable; to the extent there is a mass of Art Deco cocktail shakers on the market and we frequently  see Hollywood stars sipping a cocktail or two in the most glamorous surroundings... a far cry from the slightly seedier image the tipple once had.

In the Thin Man Nick and Nora Charles invariably indulge in "Cocktails for two"...knocking back martinis in the most decadent of surroundings!



Another economic reaction in the USA was the feedsack dress. Those wonderfully patterned, pretty, airy frocks we all covet were conceived in rural communities during the '20s and '30s, as living on a farm meant living frugally. Anything that could be recycled or reused was, thus the feedsack dress was born. Women turned thriftiness into creativity by transforming old feed and flour bags into dresses, underwear, towels, curtains and quilts.

By the 1940s, bag manufacturers cashed in on this habit by producing bags in various designs, believing  this would boost sales as woman would opt for a brand with an attractive fabric. By WWII there was a shortage of cotton fabric so recycling of bags became a necessity and was encouraged by the government. So much so that the habit of reusing these little bags of wonder led to national sewing contests so women could show off their skills and manufacturers their designs.

"Mummy, this flour sack is copying our style!"

The UK

Over in Blighty things were pretty tough too. It is said that the UK suffered a twenty-year great depression beginning after WWI in 1918. The largest material loss during the war was in the British Merchant Navy, which lost 40% of its merchant fleet to the U-boat. As well as this, the war had destroyed Britain's trading position in the world market through losses of shipping. As overseas customers looked elsewhere for formerly British produce (such as textiles, steel and coal) The UK was left stretched.

The depression in Britain was a geographical affair. Totally rocking particular areas of the nation, whilst gently shaking others. This was to do with how the various industries were dispersed about the country... Heavy industries such as coal mining, ship building and steel were mainly concentrated in Northern England, South Wales and central Scotland, and these places felt the hardest blow with the effects largely visible during the '30s where mass unemployment and poverty hit an all time high. One of the worst hit areas during this time was the north east, a major centre for shipbuilding. With no demand, ship production declined and in turn affected all the supply industries such as steel and coal. Unemployment reached as high as 70%. Among the worst affected towns was Jarrow, where instability led to the famous Jarrow March, in which protesters marched 300 miles to London to protest against unemployment.

In comparison 1930s life in southern England thrived due to the new and growing electrical industry and a suburban house building boom. As the geography of London spread into the Home Counties residents in the south could invest in some of the new mass produced items on the market such as cookers, washing machines and radios. This added to the south's strength as nearly half of all new factories producing such items were based in the Greater London area.

"Hearts are lighter, eyes are Brighter, in Metro Land, Metro Land!"
As southern England enjoyed economic prosperity the suburb was born.
Railway lines were built and homes were built at the end of them. All for the London worker who wished for a healthier life in the "country" (in the 1930s the country included places such as Kingston, Merton, Golders Green and Ruislip)

The Hoover Building, just off the A40 in Perivale.
Designed by Wallis Gilbert and Partners and built in 1932. In my opinion the prime example a '30s factory that was built that excelled during London's  industrial boom.

The Coty Factory. Another Wallis Gilbert masterpiece built in 1932.
It is situated on the A4 in Brentwood/Chiswick. the stretch of road is known as "The Golden Mile" due to the high concentration of '20s and '30s industry that excelled along the road. You can still see many of the factories there today

Another industry that prospered during the 1930s was the British motor industry and the Midlands experienced a boom time too, with motor plants in Birmingham, Coventry and Oxford manufacturing Austin, Morris and Ford the number of cars on British roads doubled within the decade, and more roads were built to house them .



Made in Oxfordshire!
The Morris plant excelled in Cowley during the 1930s.


However, where there's riches there's rags; there were still vast pockets of poverty scattered in the southern regions (For instance in London there was Lambeth and the East End) and slums were still a feature within towns and cities across the UK. Although an act was passed in the '30s, where architects and housing reformers began a campaign to encourage large-scale building by local aauthorities, in order to alleviate these dreadful conditions, many areas were not completely addressed until the 1950s. An eye opening fact when you consider how short a time ago that is.

Before:
A slum in Nisbet Street, Homerton, London, in the 1930s

After:
The slums were demolished to provide better housing. This is Nisbet steet in 1939

It is no wonder that, in this time of instability, people looked to Hollywood in order for a moment's escapism. And this is probably why the "Golden Age" is now viewed in retrospect with a rosy tint.

With mass produced clothing, cosmetics and household goods, all at reasonable prices and easily to hand, those who could afford a small luxury from time to time could indulge, and those who had very little still visited their local Odeon or Capitol. Even when times were at their hardest and Hollywood waited for the effects of the economy to affect them, cinema goers remained true, paying their weekly penny,  for their own private dose of...

Glamour.

Thats all for the '30s folks... hope you enjoyed it! I'll be working on a '40s and '50s feature soon. I've been blogging for a year today, and I really appreciate all of your comments and visits... I have lots lined up for you in the coming months (it's all swimming about in my head waiting to expell through my digits!) So please do swing by again, it'd be lovely to see you :)

G xx