"The Worlds Highest Standard of Living"

I have selected this image as it is one of the most commonly viewed images of the period, used in textbooks as well as being one of the go to images people look at when viewing this period. However I have selected it because it is one that hasn't been fully explained. There is much that can be deduced from this image.

For starters, note the difference between the image in the back, and those queuing at the front for bread. The family in the car all appear to be white, and to own a car they must have had a reasonable financial security. Note how they are dressed, they are all appearing to be wearing their finest clothes. As are those queuing for food at the front. The one key difference I have spotted, is that those at the front are all black. Not one white American is to be seen in the image. Maybe due to the location, but it is easily deducible that during the 1930s, different races tended to look after themselves differently. There is an aspect of togetherness in this image, all of those queuing are there for the same thing. Supporting each other. Whereas white families during this time would have been more self sufficient as it was how they were brought up. I find it quite interesting how there are no images like the advertisement that feature a black family, or a Hispanic family.

The image itself is interesting. It features a typical white American family; two kids, a boy and a girl, a dog, a somewhat luxurious pet during this time. Especially one of that breed. They are all in a car surrounded by rolling hills. Possibly heading for their suburban home outside of the city, not a care in the world, all smiling and happy. It couldn't be a bigger contrast to the image below. It is unknown where this image was taken, what is known is that it is most likely in the middle of a city district, possibly New York or Chicago, and it is disproving the fact the USA had the highest standard of living. Which actually can be argued started before the Wall Street Crash even happened. Economists were predicting the Crash to occur years before it happened. This image could have been taken months maybe years before the Crash.