We have all learned about America’s history at some point during our time at school, and one of the most important times in U.S. history occurred during the time when this issue of Time Magazine was written. The Great Depression was just beginning in the U.S., which is interesting to keep in mind while reading this specific issue. Surprisingly, none of the articles in this specific magazine touched on this topic, but some of the ads did.
One of the first ads I found in this issue was one for Hamilton watches. The caption at the top said, “I’m buying again these days, and FIRST, I’M GETTING A HAMILTION.” At first, I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant by “I’m buying again these days.” As I continued browsing through the magazine though, I noticed all of the car ads and how much every one emphasized the low prices and price cuts they had been making. It then registered to me that this was due to the current economical crisis going on in America. Then I started thinking about our economic crisis today and how it has affected our economy. I know the current crisis isn’t nearly as bad as the Great Depression, but it still is the worst economic crisis we have experienced since then. I wonder what students seventy years from now will be learning about our economy now. Will they look back and talk about the extent of how horrible our economy has reached? Will they be able to go back and look at old magazines and tell a difference in our advertisements? It was an interesting notion that was triggered from this magazine.
Another advertisement that caught my eye was one that would never be seen today. It was an advertisement for a kind of whitening toothpaste. The main picture was of a beautiful, wealthy looking woman with a bright, white smile on her face. The other, smaller picture was one of a little black boy who had a snarling look with pointed teeth. The caption said, “Contrast the attitude of the savage below (referring to the little boy) who files his teeth with that of the modern young woman who keeps her teeth white and beautiful through daily use of Pepsodent.” This ad shocked me with how racist it was! However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this would not be seen as shocking during this time period. Although racism was not nearly as bad as it used to be, it was still extremely prevalent during this time period. This was the only ad that did reference this issue, however.
There were many other advertisements for things like cigarettes and beer, and surprisingly, there were plenty of shaving cream/razor ads. Besides the ads, one other thing caught my eye. In the International News articles, many had to do with Hitler. Although WWII doesn’t being for another six years, it is obvious that Hitler is already making a name for himself in 1933. Even in the few things these articles addressed, they still mention how he is already discriminating against Jews. Hitler created a Winter Relief Fund of 500,000,000 marks to prevent starvation in the winter, only, Jews do not receive any of the aid. It is interesting to see the foreshadowing evident in even American magazines in the early 1930s. Having the opportunity to go through these magazines from a different time period was like stepping into a time machine. It is one thing to learn about American history through classes, but looking at these magazines was more like experiencing it for myself!
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