Comments on: Researching NYC in the early 1930s http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/04/07/researching-nyc-in-the-early-1930s/ writing, reading, eating, drinking, sport Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:12:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Sara Ryan http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/04/07/researching-nyc-in-the-early-1930s/comment-page-1/#comment-77627 Sara Ryan Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:06:43 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/?p=3136#comment-77627 This isn't a source per se, but it's an interesting historical detail: I recently bought a group photo of the 1923 annual meeting of the National Association of Chiropodists, which took place in NYC. (TIME wrote about it in a short but hilarious article: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,716397,00.html -- in it we find, among other things, that "New York City is credited with having the smallest and poorest-shaped feet in the country.") Anyway, judging from the group photo, the association's membership included white women, black women, and black men as well as white men, and I'd bet this was still true in the 1930s. Not sure why chiropody would have been more progressive than other branches of medicine, but apparently it was. This isn’t a source per se, but it’s an interesting historical detail: I recently bought a group photo of the 1923 annual meeting of the National Association of Chiropodists, which took place in NYC. (TIME wrote about it in a short but hilarious article: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,716397,00.html — in it we find, among other things, that “New York City is credited with having the smallest and poorest-shaped feet in the country.”)

Anyway, judging from the group photo, the association’s membership included white women, black women, and black men as well as white men, and I’d bet this was still true in the 1930s. Not sure why chiropody would have been more progressive than other branches of medicine, but apparently it was.

]]> By: marty http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/04/07/researching-nyc-in-the-early-1930s/comment-page-1/#comment-77623 marty Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:56:21 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/?p=3136#comment-77623 Justine There might be something in Gangs of New York you could use. I don't mean the movie, I'm referring to Herbert Asbury's book, written in 1928. Although the majority of the book covered earlier history in New York, there are some references to "current day" criminal activities that may be interesting (criminals in Asbury's day were still claiming some form of descent from the legendary gangs of the 1800s). Of course, have fun finding the book, although I think it was reprinted due to the movie. Justine
There might be something in Gangs of New York you could use. I don’t mean the movie, I’m referring to Herbert Asbury’s book, written in 1928. Although the majority of the book covered earlier history in New York, there are some references to “current day” criminal activities that may be interesting (criminals in Asbury’s day were still claiming some form of descent from the legendary gangs of the 1800s). Of course, have fun finding the book, although I think it was reprinted due to the movie.

]]> By: cristina http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/04/07/researching-nyc-in-the-early-1930s/comment-page-1/#comment-77622 cristina Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:29:20 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/?p=3136#comment-77622 "I like having crazy, unattainable writing goals". Awesome! Go Justine! *puts face paint, waves pom poms* I totally agree with Rebecca, I want this book! :D “I like having crazy, unattainable writing goals”.

Awesome! Go Justine! *puts face paint, waves pom poms*
I totally agree with Rebecca, I want this book!

:D

]]> By: veejane http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/04/07/researching-nyc-in-the-early-1930s/comment-page-1/#comment-77621 veejane Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:59:15 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/?p=3136#comment-77621 FWIW, they're not all written letters, but the Library of Congress has some great recordings collections from the middle of the Depression -- WPA, Federal Writers' Project, and several other employment initiatives designed to also capture US history as it was lived rather than as chronicled from on high. Have you had the chance to noodle through the "Hard Times in the City" exhibit? It's here: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/city.html There are 417 entries from New York City! (Not all of them necessarily online.) http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/nycat.html FWIW, they’re not all written letters, but the Library of Congress has some great recordings collections from the middle of the Depression — WPA, Federal Writers’ Project, and several other employment initiatives designed to also capture US history as it was lived rather than as chronicled from on high. Have you had the chance to noodle through the “Hard Times in the City” exhibit? It’s here:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/city.html

There are 417 entries from New York City! (Not all of them necessarily online.)

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/nycat.html

]]> By: Rebecca http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/04/07/researching-nyc-in-the-early-1930s/comment-page-1/#comment-77618 Rebecca Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:51:34 +0000 http://justinelarbalestier.com/?p=3136#comment-77618 I don't think I can even convey how much I'm looking forward to this book already. I don’t think I can even convey how much I’m looking forward to this book already.

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