Popular Culture

Although the 1930s was a time of great hardship, people still found ways to have fun. For many during these years, having fun didn't have to cost much. Everything was homemade – the food, the games, the music – there were even homemade portable dance floors. But traditional organized activities – like rodeo and football – were popular as well.

Neighbors got together to play cards and other games and to talk. Church socials and school programs gave people a chance to visit and maybe meet someone new. Soda fountains and local dances gave young people a chance to enjoy themselves and to go on dates.

Popular culture was alive and well at the movies and in music and dancing. Children read about Superman in Action Comics and followed the adventures of Flash Gordon, Dick Tracy, and Terry and the Pirates in newspaper comic strips. Adults loved to read about the exciting lives of rich people in big cities. Newspapers ran stories and pictures about high society events.

http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/life_14.html

Cotton Club

http://www.stjohns.edu/media/1/dedd872717b9466892a3b29eec1fa209.jpg

This vibrant club opened in December of 1923 for white New Yorkers in the city of Harlem. Black artist performed jazz music for a large white audience. The club was a major resource for blacks to convey their feelings for the need of equality, communication was enabled and allowed a cultural change in Harlem through the power of music. This cultural change provided optimistic thoughts to both blacks and whites during the harsh times of the Great Depression. Many black artist, like Duke Ellington, became famous by performing their powerful jazz music to the large Cotton Club's white audience. These artist sprouted from this venue and made a better living from there stardom in the Cotton Club. 

The Cotton Club has evolved over the years and inspired many young artist both black and white. Many clubs are now present in many cities. Some clubs are very similar to the cotton club but the audience is of all races and not just white, and more races are now performing music. The cotton club left a powerful legacy during the 1930s providing a relief to daily struggles during the Great Depression. Creativity, happiness, and good times were produced through the vibrant Harlem city club.