Test – Greeting Cards for the Depression (1931) [CA v1.1] •
Collier, Nate, “Greeting Cards for the Depression” (Cartoon), Life, April 17, 1931 [source].
Introduction During the Great Depression of the 1930s, in a spirit of "rugged individualism", U.S. cartoonists still flung jibes at stupidity. We have here eleven well-wishing greeting cards which are subtly and mockingly reworded, revealing how the Great Depression affected the lives of those who experienced it firsthand. 1931 was a year of deepening economic and social crisis.
1. The Great Depression in 1931: An Economic Crisis 1.1.
The End of Prosperity
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The "Roaring Twenties" (1920-29) had been an era of expansion: the stock market surged, and the belief took firmly hold that the economy had moved into a new era of continuous growth and prosperity that would eventually "eliminate poverty".
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Begat by the New York Stock Exchange (Wall Street) financial crash (29 October 1929), the Great Depression was a cataclysm of unparalleled magnitude: the U.S. banking system collapsed (1616 banks had gone the way of the dodo) and industrial production plummeted.
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In 1931, the gross domestic product (GDP) was still in free fall (-6.4%) [graphic], the prospects were gloomy: two cards are joking about the situation ("They are telling... around the corner", "It takes... to make it come") and the government helpless optimism. In fact, one card cites a sentence ("prosperity is... corner") often - and wrongly - attributed to U.S. president Herbert Hoover (Republican party) in radio addresses as early as 1929. Eventually, the phrase became an ironic joke 1, used mockingly as a political attack phrase by the Democrats.
1.2.
Out of business...
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As the credit crunch worsened, investment fell. As people were fired (see later) and international trade contracted, sales collapsed.
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Thousands of business began to fold up, resulting in:
- Downsizings ("your department's...") - Bankruptcies (two cards on eleven: "Bankruptcy proceedings", "your business is a goner"): 20,000 companies had gone bankrupt. - Fire sales: selling assets at heavily discounted prices: "ten cents on the dollar" (i.e. only 10% of nominal investment value). We are even told it's a friendly offer! ("you're lucky").
1
In the movie My Man Godfrey (1936), cynical referrals are made to this catch-phrase. See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkNn4WUwtCA.
2. The Great Depression: A Deep Social Crisis 2.1.
The End of the American Dream?
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Widespread unemployment: it rose from 3.2 percent of the labor force in 1929 to 16 percent in 1931 [graphic]. Nearly one third of our cards are alluding to this dire situation (three cards on eleven: "Happy vacation", "I've joined", "Out you go"). There was nearly no benefit system for people on the dole.
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No one is safe: even business owners, mostly belonging to the upper class, were going from riches to rags ("your business is a goner", "Bankruptcy") .
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American Dream Mockery: the self-made-man icon (the hard working WASP making a killing and proud owner of his business) was turned upside down: destitute and desperate people were turning to informal and petty jobs, peddling apples on the street with a cart ("Success... every evening"). This was an overused cliché in 1931 (cartoons).
2.2.
A Poverty-Stricken America
According to official statistics, 60% of population was dirty poor. Most people could ill afford housing and feeding themselves: •
The Poorhouses: they ("Bon Voyage... poorhouse") were county- or town-run residences where paupers were supported at public expense. Often they were situated on the grounds of a poor farm (it seems to be the case depicted here) on which able-bodied residents were required to work; such poor farms were common in the United States in the 19 th and early 20th centuries. Rules were strict and accommodations minimal.
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Homelessness and pennilessness: we see a beggar receiving a "Hand-out" (something given freely or distributed free to those in need). During the 1930s there was a lot of people on U.S. roads: "tramps"—who worked only when they were forced to, "bums"—who did not work at all, "hobos" itinerant workers... Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling.
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Hungriness: to feed his family was no more a given: the coming of a newborn child, usually a situation to rejoice, became a burden ("Another mouth to feed").
Conclusion The depression continued in 1932 (GDP -13%). In the November 1932 presidential election, Hoover was heavily defeated by the Democrat candidate, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This man had promised the American public a "New Deal". Thirteen years of Republican rule had come to an end.
