I know that often people on this forum ask where to get period photographs for reference. I was in the bookstore tonight looking at a book about crime in Minnesota in the 20s and 30s (we had a pretty active bootleg community here then) and noticed one of the books referenced that most of the photos were courtesy of the MN Historical Society Photograph collection, and a web address. I went and discovered a treasure trove of photographs of everyday life from all of my state's history. One of the added benefits for this group is that you can limit the results by year. Given that many of the photos used as a reference for "how things were" are either Hollywood images or from places like the New York financial district, I think an added dimension to these photos is their depiction of "regular" folks leading regular lives.
http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresources/
I, of course, have the added benefit of being able to see photos of places right in my neighborhood and places I recognize directly.
I also have noticed something that I also notice today about dressing according to "rules". I hear about the appropriateness of a particular garment, when the rules seem to be taken into account by those in Manhatten, etc. After looking at these pictures, it's clear to me that the rules have *never* been taken as seriously here in Minnesota as they were elsewhere. There are lots of photos with half of the men hatless, many in suits with no ties, those in shirt and tie with no jacket, shirt with no tie or jacket, etc.
I've always wondered when hearing things like, "A man without a hat would be considered a degenerate in the 30s" or "No man would take off his jacket in public", etc. I now see that, like today, the rules aren't hard and fast.
http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresources/
I, of course, have the added benefit of being able to see photos of places right in my neighborhood and places I recognize directly.
I also have noticed something that I also notice today about dressing according to "rules". I hear about the appropriateness of a particular garment, when the rules seem to be taken into account by those in Manhatten, etc. After looking at these pictures, it's clear to me that the rules have *never* been taken as seriously here in Minnesota as they were elsewhere. There are lots of photos with half of the men hatless, many in suits with no ties, those in shirt and tie with no jacket, shirt with no tie or jacket, etc.
I've always wondered when hearing things like, "A man without a hat would be considered a degenerate in the 30s" or "No man would take off his jacket in public", etc. I now see that, like today, the rules aren't hard and fast.
I'm going to have to spend some time surfing.
