Popular culture in the 1930s (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
Popular culture in the 1930s
Understanding popular culture during the Depression
The 1930s marked a significant shift in American popular culture as the nation grappled with the economic hardships of the Great Depression. While the Roaring Twenties had been characterised by rapid cultural changes, the Depression years brought both continuity and transformation to how Americans entertained themselves and found meaning during difficult times.
Popular culture encompasses the entertainment, activities, and interests that appeal to ordinary people rather than specialists or intellectuals. During the 1930s, it was increasingly shaped and distributed through mass media such as radio, cinema, and printed materials.
This period saw Americans seeking both escapism from their economic troubles and ways to make sense of their changing world. Historians pay close attention to popular culture because it reveals how people thought and behaved during specific periods. It provides insights into social attitudes towards religion, politics, and society, offering a window into the everyday experiences of ordinary Americans during the Depression.
Government support for the arts
President Franklin D. Roosevelt recognised that artists and cultural workers were suffering alongside other Americans during the Depression. In response, he established the Works Progress Administration (WPA) as part of the New Deal, which included specific programmes to support cultural activities.
Critical New Deal Cultural Support:
The WPA employed artists in several important ways:
- Writers were hired to document the history and traditions of each state, creating valuable historical records
- Artists painted murals in public buildings, bringing art to communities across the nation
- Actors performed in free theatre productions, making live entertainment accessible to all social classes
While some critics argued the WPA was an unnecessary government expense, these programmes helped preserve American cultural traditions and made arts more accessible to ordinary citizens. The initiative demonstrated how the federal government could play a role in supporting culture during national crises.
Music and radio's golden age
Jazz music continued to thrive during the Depression, building on its popularity from the 1920s. Renowned performers like Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington maintained their appeal, performing in concerts and clubs despite economic challenges. However, the most significant change was how people accessed music.
Radio's Revolutionary Impact
Radio became the dominant medium for music consumption during the 1930s. As fewer people could afford concert tickets, families gathered around their radio sets to hear live performances and recorded music. This shift democratised music access and helped create a shared national musical culture.
Record sales also became an important part of the music industry, allowing people to own and replay their favourite songs.
Cinema as escapism
The movie industry experienced remarkable growth during the Depression, with approximately 60 million Americans attending cinemas weekly by the mid-1930s. Films provided affordable entertainment and, crucially, temporary escape from the harsh realities of economic hardship.
Several genres dominated Depression-era cinema:
- Musicals like 42nd Street and The Wizard of Oz offered colourful, optimistic entertainment
- Comedies featuring stars like Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy provided much-needed laughter
- Historical dramas such as Gone with the Wind and Robin Hood transported audiences to different times and places
- Horror films like King Kong and Dracula offered thrilling escapism
Cinema owners recognised that people desperately needed affordable entertainment, so they kept ticket prices low and offered special promotions to maintain attendance during the economic crisis. This accessibility made cinema a truly democratic form of entertainment.
Literature's golden age
The 1930s proved to be a remarkable decade for American literature, with many authors directly addressing the experiences and challenges of the Depression. This period produced some of the most enduring works in American literary history.
John Steinbeck emerged as perhaps the most important Depression-era novelist. His The Grapes of Wrath (1939) told the powerful story of an Oklahoma farming family forced to leave their home due to severe drought and economic hardship. Of Mice and Men (1937) explored the lives of migrant ranch workers in California, highlighting themes of friendship and broken dreams during difficult times.
Key Depression Literature Examples:
- Erskine Caldwell's Tobacco Road (1932) - depicted the extreme poverty experienced by a Southern tenant farming family
- Henry Roth's Call It Sleep (1934) - followed an immigrant boy's experiences growing up in New York City slums
- Horace McCoy's They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1935) - set during a marathon dance competition that served as a metaphor for the desperation of Depression-era life
These novels provided both entertainment and social commentary, helping Americans understand and process their shared experiences of economic hardship.
The birth of the superhero comic
Comic books, or "comics," had existed since 1933 but achieved widespread popularity in 1938 with the introduction of Superman by Action Comics. This marked the beginning of the superhero genre that would become a defining feature of American popular culture.
Comics appealed to Depression-era audiences because they were inexpensive, cheerful, and provided easy escapism. For young people especially, who were particularly affected by the economic crisis, comics offered hope and fantasy. The popularity of Superman during this period reflected Americans' desire for a powerful figure who could overcome seemingly impossible challenges.
Sports and the radio revolution
The Depression significantly impacted American sports attendance, as many people could no longer afford tickets to football and baseball games. However, this challenge led to an important innovation that would transform sports culture forever.
As ticket sales declined, promoters and athletes discovered new revenue streams through sponsorship and advertising. More importantly, radio broadcasting of sports events became increasingly popular. This allowed people to follow their favourite teams and athletes from their homes, creating a new form of shared national experience.
Technological Transformation in Sports
The rise of radio sports broadcasting meant that more Americans could participate in sports culture even when they couldn't attend games in person. This technological shift helped maintain sports' role in American popular culture despite economic constraints.
Timeline of key cultural developments
- 1932: Erskine Caldwell publishes Tobacco Road
- 1934: Henry Roth publishes Call It Sleep
- 1935: Horace McCoy publishes They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
- 1937: John Steinbeck publishes Of Mice and Men
- 1938: Superman debuts in Action Comics
- 1939: John Steinbeck publishes The Grapes of Wrath; The Wizard of Oz premieres in cinemas
Key Points to Remember:
- Popular culture during the 1930s served dual purposes: providing escapism from Depression hardships while also helping Americans process their experiences through literature and film
- The federal government actively supported arts and culture through WPA programmes, employing writers, artists, and performers across the nation
- Radio emerged as the dominant medium for both music and sports, democratising access to entertainment and creating shared national experiences
- Depression-era literature, particularly works by John Steinbeck, captured the struggles of ordinary Americans and became lasting classics of American literature
- The introduction of Superman in 1938 marked the beginning of the superhero comic genre, offering hope and fantasy during difficult times