Thrifty Threads

Marilyn Monroe was not the first woman to look stylish in a potato sack, only the most famous. By the time Marilyn slipped into one as a publicity stunt in the 1950s, food-sack garments were long synonymous with the Great Depression era, when life in rural America meant frugal fashion practices for many families. By […]

Public Enemy No. 1

One of the nation’s most notorious criminals, John Dillinger rose to infamy during the Gangster Era of the Great Depression. An upcoming auction thrusts the desperado back into the headlines. By Paul Kennedy During the Great Depression, many Americans, nearly helpless against economic forces they didn’t understand, celebrated outlaws who took what they wanted at […]