Pennsylvanians are undeniably tough – and they always have been. We really can’t argue with that sentiment, can we? Even though we may face once-in-a-generation challenges, we can look back to those Pennsylvanians who came before us, struggled, and overcame adversity.
These 11 photos from the Great Depression show Pennsylvanians’ great spirit in the face of adversity. Beginning with the stock market crash in 1929, the Great Depression lingered until the late 1930s.
- The Great Depression hit everyone hard, including this Calumet miner and his wife. After working in the mines for more than 30 years, he found himself unemployed and unable to find work at 63 years of age in 1935.
Yale/Ben Shahn
- Music has always helped us through the hard times. Here, several Musgrove family members gather to play music in Westmoreland County in 1935.
Yale/Ben Shahn
- Kids will be kids. Even during the darkest years of the Great Depression, kids found a way to have fun. These kids smile for a photo before sledding in Mount Pleasant in 1936.
Yale/Carl Mydans
- A group of Pennsylvanian women gather together for a dressmaking class in 1936.
Yale/Carl Mydans
- Homeschooling: Two children, under the guidance of an adult, work on their schoolwork in 1936.
Yale/Carl Mydans
- Pennsylvanians have always been self-sufficient, too. Here’s a shot of a chicken range in Western Pennsylvania in late 1936.
Yale/Edwin Locke
- Truckers have always played an important role in Pennsylvania. This photo shows truck drivers relaxing after a long haul in Dauphin in 1937.
Yale/Edwin Locke
- Even when times get tough, family is still the top priority. Several members of the Valentine family of Bedford enjoy a meal together in 1937.
Yale/Arthur Rothstein
- Residents gather in the courtyard of a “slum” in Pittsburgh. This photo was captured by Arthur Rothstein in the summer of 1938.
Yale/Arthur Rothstein
- Someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure. Kids go treasure hunting in the local dump in Ambridge in this photo from 1938.
Yale/Arthur Rothstein
- A group of kids, in Beaver, built their very own swimming pool in the summer of 1938.
Yale/Arthur Rothstein
What do you think of these photos of the Great Depression in Pennsylvania? Do you agree that Pennsylvanians are undeniably tough? Join the conversation in the comments! For more proof that Pennsylvanians are undeniably tough, check out these 15 Rare Coal Mining Photos in Pennsylvania.
Yale/Ben Shahn
Yale/Carl Mydans
Yale/Edwin Locke
Yale/Arthur Rothstein
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