Cost Of Living, News and Events, Popular Culture, Sports, Technology, Money and Inflation 1930's

1930's Food and Groceries prices

Imagine you could go shopping for food and groceries in the 1930's these are some of the foods you may have bought to feed a family

These are some of the things you may have seen advertised Below and how much food and groceries cost in the 30's

Shoulder of Ohio Spring lamb 17 cents per pound Ohio 1932
Sliced Baked Ham 39 cents per pound Ohio 1932
Dozen Eggs 18 Cents Ohio 1932
Coconut Macaroons 27 cents per pound Ohio 1932
Bananas 19 cents for 4 Pounds Ohio 1932
Peanut Butter 23 cents QT Ohio 1932
Bran Flakes 10 cents Maryland 1939
Jumbo Sliced Loaf of Bread 5 cents Maryland 1939
Spinach 5 cents a pound Maryland 1939
Clifton Toilet Tissue 9 cents for 2 rolls Ohio 1932
Camay Soap 6 cents bar Ohio 1932
Cod Liver Oil 44 cents pint Wisconsin 1933
Tooth paste 27 cents Wisconsin 1933
Lux Laundry Soap 22 cents Indiana 1935
Suntan Oil 25 cents Pennsylvania 1938
Talcum Powder 13 cents Maryland 1939
Noxzema Medicated Cream for Pimples 49 cents Texas 1935
Applesauce 20 cents for 3 cans New Jersey
Bacon, 38 cents per pound New Jersey
Bread, white, 8 cents per loaf New Jersey
Ham, 27 cents can New Jersey
Ketchup, 9 cents New Jersey
Lettuce, iceberg, 7 cents head New Jersey
Potatoes, 18 cents for 10 pounds New Jersey
Sugar, 49 cents for 10 pounds New Jersey
Soap, Lifebuoy, 17 cents for 3 bars New Jersey
Sugar $1.25 per 25LB Sack Ohio 1932
Pork and Beans 5 cents can Ohio 1932
Oranges 14 for 25 cents Ohio 1932
Chuck Roast 15 cents per pound Ohio 1932
White Potatoes 19 cents for 10LBs Ohio 1932
Heinz Beans 13 cents for 25oz can Ohio 1932
Spring Chickens 20 cents per pound Ohio 1932
Wieners 8 cents per pound Ohio 1932
Best Steak 22 cents per pound Ohio 1935
Pure lard 15 cents per pound Wisconsin 1935
Hot Cross Buns 16 Cents per dozen Texas 1939
Campbells Tomato Soup 4 cans for 25 cents Indiana 1937
Oranges 2 dozen 25 cents Indiana 1937
Kellogs Corn Flakes 3 Pkgs 25 cents Indiana 1937
Mixed Nuts 19 Cents per pound Indiana 1937
Pork Loin Roast 15 cents per pound Indiana 1937
Channel Cat Fish 28 cents per pound Missouri 1938
Fresh Peas 4 cents per pound Maryland 1939
Cabbage 3 cents per pound Maryland 1939
Sharp Wisconsin Cheese 23 cents per pound Maryland 1939

Cost Of Living, News and Events, Popular Culture, Sports, Technology,

Money and Inflation 1930's

To provide an estimate of inflation we have given a guide to the value of $100 US Dollars for the first year in the decade to the equivalent in today's money
If you have $100 Converted from 1930 to 2005 it would be equivalent to $1204.42 today "If You Had 1 billion dollars then it would now be worth 12 billion dollars."
In 1930 average new house cost $7,145.00 and by 1939 was $3,800.00 More House Prices
In 1930 the average income per year was $1,970.00 and by 1939 was $1,730.00
In 1930 a gallon of gas was 10 cents and by 1939 was 10 cents
In 1930 the average cost of new car was $640.00 and by 1939 was $700.00 More Cars and Car Prices
Food Prices Clothes Prices Electrical Prices Furniture Prices
A few more prices from the 30's and how much things cost
Firestone Tyre 1932 from $3.69
Single Vision Glasses 1938 $3.85
Complete Modern 10 piece bedroom Suite $79.85
Steak 1938 1LB 20 cents
New Emerson Bedroom Radio 1938 $9.95
History of Radio
Shaefer Pens 1933 from $3.35
Plymouth Roadking Car 1938 $685
Emmerson 5 tube bedroom radio $9.95
Howard Deluxe Quality silk lined hat $2.85
Cotton Chiffon Volle Girls Frock $2.98

Toys 1930s
Check out the new toys pages where you can see some of the children's toys that could be found during the Depression Years including Balsa Wood Toy Kits, Flossy Flirt Doll, Electric Train Sets and more
From Our 1930s 30stoys Page
Price: $11.98
1930s Lionel Electric Train Set


Chevrolet 1935 Master Deluxe
New Master De luxe Chevrolet with improved master blue flame engine, pressure steam oiling , cable brakes and shock proof steering $560

Example of a house for sale
1934 Stucco Bungalow Oakland
California . 5 room stucco bungalow , breakfast room , separate garage, delightful location $3,750


Events 1930's

Shantytowns form consisting of wood and cardboard in the United States. They are often referred to in history as Hoovertowns after President Hoover

The 30's were a time when the depression caused by the wall street crash in late 1929 caused the world to undergo a fundamental change in lifestyles , and as part of the change some new radical politics became popular as seen in the rise of Fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism

The 30's also provided a strange phenomenon never repeated where bank robbers and murderers were thought of as celebrities ( a sort of modern Robin Hood ) which in truthfulness they did not rob from the rich to give to the poor just to rob and murder any who got in their way.

More About Wall Street Crash


The wearing of Sunglasses became popular in the 30's
Music 1930s

Big band or swing music becomes popular (from 1935 onward)
Popular Culture

The Film Wizard of OZ
Gone with the Wind
Action Comics continued to grow and Superman is seen in a comic for the first time
Some of the Most Well Known Movie Stars of the Thirties
Clark Gable couple of his films from the 30's
Gone with the Wind and Mutiny on the Bounty
Shirley Temple couple of her films from the 30's
Stand Up and Cheer! and Bright Eyes
Joan Crawford couple of her films from the 30's
Forsaking All Others and Possessed
Will Rogers couple of his films from the 30's
Judge Priest and Life Begins At Forty
Fred Astaire couple of his films from the 30's
Swing Time and Follow the Fleet
Ginger Rogers couple of her films from the 30's
42nd Street and Flying Down to Rio





Sporting Changes In The 30's
Baseball
National Baseball Hall of Fame starts with the first players to be chosen Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Babe Ruth
Joe DiMaggio starts his career at the New York Yankees taking the crown over from Babe Ruth who retires.
To help with falling attendance due to the depression, night games are started.
Live Radio broadcasts of baseball games begin to encourage fans to help sell tickets
Basketball
National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA holds first championship tourney in 1939 which Oregon won.
Association Football (Soccer)
As it's popularity grew, teams in Britain and later the rest of the world bought in managers who instituted a greater degree of Professionalism, tactics and stricter Training regimes taking the game to new levels.
The first world cup is played in Uruguay in 1930 which the home team won.
American Football
Goalposts were moved from the back of the end zone to the front of the Endzone
NFL Championship game Introduced Between Eastern and Western divisions
The NFL Draft Introduced
Ice Hockey
Toronto Maple Leafs Win Stanley Cup
Great 30's Depression Hits Ice Hockey Teams
For More Sporting history, Origins, Events and Changes, Please Check Out Our New Sports History Section.

Technology 30's

After the fast pace of technology change in the 20's the 30's did still see some advances including
The Jet Engine
Tea Bags Are introduced and sold Commercially
The First Photocopier Invented but not commercial available till 1948
The BBC broadcasts a wider range of Television Programmes until the Outbreak of War in 1939 and TV History of TV stays off the air until 1946 , many of the technical staff are used during for the development of Radar for the war effort
The continued increase in use of Radio for entertainment and the refinement of the Airplane for travel
1930's when the airships LZ127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ129 Hindenburg operated regular transatlantic passenger flights between Germany and both North and South America.

Inventions The Year Invented Inventors and Country ( or attributed to First Use )

Ballpoint Pen ----- 1938 Hungary by Laszlo Biró - also called a biro (UK)
BBC Television ----- 1932 England first regular TV broadcasts (London)
Catseyes ----- 1934 England by Percy Shaw - for lighting roads
Electric Razor ----- 1931 USA by Jacob Schick
Electron Microscope ----- 1933 Germany by Ernst Ruska
Frequency Modulation FM ----- 1939 USA by Edwin H Armstrong - sound by radio waves
Helicopter ----- 1936 Germany by Heinrich Focke
Jet Engine ----- 1930 England by Frank Whittle
Nylon ----- 1931 USA by Wallace Corothers - artificial silk
Magnetic Recording ----- 1936 USA audio tapes
Photocopier ----- 1938 USA by Chester Carlson
Polaroid ----- 1932 USA by Edwin Herbert Land
Radar (for Aircraft) ----- 1935 Scotland by Robert Watson-Watt
Radio Telescope ----- 1932 USA by Karl Jansky
Sticky Tape ----- 1930 USA

What was a home like in the 1930's and how much did they cost
Homes in the 1930s

In the 1930s, home building was a practice that required careful planning. This practice was at least in part regulated by the Federal Housing Administration (F.H.A.). This particular federal organization is one that provided insured loan funding for home builders starting in the year 1934.
Even though home building was regulated during this time, it did not take away from the ability of home builders to plan and design one-of-a-kind homes. The general rule of thumb regarding home building during this time was that the homes could be designed how a person wanted them to be designed.

The major stipulation was that each home had to be built in a way that it would blend in with the rest of the homes in the surrounding neighborhood. The following is an example of the types of homes that were built during this decade:

Two 1937 Homes in California including 1937 English-Style Home
California Home 30's English style home 30's

1939 Home in Helena, Montana

cottage home montanna Consideration for Home Purchasing Financing
If a person, family, or investor were to receiving financing to buy a home the condition of the home itself would be a major consideration. This could also affect the likelihood that the home would sell as well.

The following are some of the criteria for selling or buying a home in the year 1939:

Sleeping rooms were to be designed to provide considerable amount of privacy for each household member. For example, each room might be required to have a door on it that closes.

Rooms during this time were required to be well-lit and properly ventilated.
Bathrooms should be easily accessible to all members of the household.
Kitchens of home should be designed in a way that makes eating, cooking, food storage, and dish washing easy.

During this time there was to be adequate storage for blankets and linen, cleaning supplies and equipment, as well as space for clothes drying and/or laundry duties (and laundry facilities).

Home Furnishings

These homes included all the right furnishings, such as a foot stool appropriate for the corresponding chair that it would be used for. Other chairs in a home that stands during this decade would usually contain sitting chairs that are just the right height for a person to be comfortable.

Additionally, new trends for making home living more convenient included making sure end tables, lamps, and other furniture would be place in the most convenient location possible. This principle of making living simpler and easier could also be applied to the placing of bedroom furniture as well.

There is a good chance that people in the 1930s considered the proper positioning of bedroom furniture. Likewise, they shopped very carefully and planned the building of their homes very strategically in order to make sure that optimal placement of furniture and conveniences had their own place.
Proving convenient and comfortable living was becoming more important during this time. Furthermore, interior design was essential to making a home look more attractive, especially if it was being entered into a contest to win a prize.

A Typical Kitchen or Living Room Space

In case you are wondering what the interior of a kitchen or living room space would have possibly looked like in the early 1930s you can view these photos below:
living room The above pictures represent concepts of photos taken from a 1931 Wisconsin Rapids Newspaper. Note however that F.H.A. involvement would have not taken place until the year 1934.

Note: Weather or not the F.H.A. has a positive effect on home improvement is a matter of personal opinion. The above picture is simply meant to display the difference between living room settings from early to late 1930s.
Over the years, home designs and furnishing displays have changed. Tastes in home decorating as well as popularity of home conveniences are continually evolving.

Structure and Conveniences

Those who were building or remodeling their homes in the 1930s would plan for making living easier. For instance, enclosed linen shelves were made to give families a place to store folded and/or pressed linen. In order for clothes sitting in linen shelves to be dust-proof these shelves were usually built with matched or beaded lumber, usually v-shaped.

Houses were made complete with the most up-to-date light fixtures of the times. If a home did not have these already, they could usually be made up-to-date fairly quickly.

For example, hanging shelves were also used during this time period, on which knick-knacks, decorative pottery, or books would sit.

Appliances

Homes were created to help those-usually women during that time-to do house chores easier. Electric ranges (or gas ones) and electric washers were very popular and built with most homes during these times.

In the 1930s, an electric fan was advertised in a Wisconsin Rapids, WI Newspaper. This was an item that was used quite often to cool homes in warmer weather. Apparently in the year 1931 electric appliances such as this or a coffee or tea pot could be set for a specific time to work while household members are out.

Picture of an Electric Fan Advertisement:

1931 Electric Fan Sometimes a system called “forced air conditioning” also was installed in homes during this decade, especially in the late 1930s.

Photos of other Electrical Appliances from 1931: some old 30s appliances more 1930s appliances

Other electrical appliances that were made for the kitchen in the 1930s include electric ranges (instead of gas), electric washers, and electric ironers. You m ay want to pay particular attention to the vast improvements in cooking ranges and/or ovens from the early to late 1930s.

Comparison of 1931 and 1939 Ranges 1931 and 1939 ranges photo Other
Miscellaneous Electrical Appliances:

Additional Home Conveniences, Such as Running Water or Light
If homes in the 1930s were not always built with the latest in technology they soon would be. Professionals were regularly installing plumbing or light fixtures, water heaters, as well as new kitchen sinks.

The Telephone

Telephone extensions were also advertised quite a bit starting from the 1930s so that people could answer the phone in the kitchen instead of running to the other room to answer it. By the way, this is what telephones looked like back then. Take a look below.
Picture of a 1930s Telephone:

1930s Telephone Home Security

Take a look at this “Good Finish Hardware” such as this piece below, which appears to be a doorknob and/or lock system for an outside door (most likely a front door). You will learn more about the character of homes when you view the photo of it.

Picture of 1939 Door Knob Fixture

1939 doorknob What Else you Might Want to Know

Asbestos was used during this time until there was knowledge of its dangerously potential fatal affects. On a lighter note, some of the same brand names of paints that are used today have also been used back then, and linoleum tile floor coverings were a hit.

PHOTOS

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/30s-homes.html

Truly a bargain basenent era for those with disposeable incomes. Take Uncle Sam, for example.
Nonunion labor - built courthouses stand as monuments today to Roosevelt's WPA. Just one example I see daily.

cont'd...

A fine example of New Deal architecture is this courthouse
in Indianapolis.