U.S. National Archives photos from the 1930s
160 photos, in date order; 1–60 on this page. Photos taken by federal employees as part of their duties are US government works and not under copyright. About the collection
Harlingen Army Air Field, Texas--Elizabeth L. Gardner of Rockford, Illinois, WASP (Women's Airforce Service Pilot) pilot, takes a look around before sending her plane streaking down the runway at the air base.
1930–1975
The Panama Canal Thatcher Highway Station 247+50 Looking towards Arraijan Sept 15, 1930
1930-09-15
Franklin D. Roosevelt in Albany, New York
1931-01-01
Wright (AV1). Aircraft tender. Aerial, starboard side, underway
1931-10-15
Relief (AH1). Hospital ship, Aerial, starboard side, underway
1931-10-15
Wright (AV1). Aircraft tender. Aerial, starboard side, underway, 10/15/1931
1931-10-15
Unemployed men queued outside a depression soup kitchen opened in Chicago by Al Capone
1931-02
Unemployed men queued outside a depression soup kitchen opened in Chicago by Al Capone, 02/1931
1931-02
Unemployed men queued outside a depression soup kitchen opened in Chicago by Al Capone.
1931-02
The Panama Canal Thatcher Highway - Power Drag Scrapers making fill near Station 315 April 23, 1931
1931-04-23
Melville (AD2). Destroyer tender. Aerial, port bow, with destroyers alongside, 11/10/1932
1932-11-10
The Panama Canal Thatcher Highway Paving operations Station 60, looking west March 15, 1932
1932-03-15
The Panama Canal Madden Dam Project View of left abutment from point 3-A at crest of flood of November 28, 1932
1932-11-28
The Panama Canal Madden Dam Project Flood of November 28-29, 1932 Aggregate loading station Showing 30 ft of East end of Tramway Terminal damaged and partly washed away, and drift deposited by high water November 29, 1932
1932-11-29
The Panama Canal Thatcher Highway - View along Road
1932
Lexington (CV2). Aerial, starboard beam. aircraft on deck. Diamond Head in background
1933-02-02
WWII: Europe: Germany; "Nazi Hierarchy: Hitler, Goering, Goebbels, Hess"; The Desperate Years p143
1933–1934
Marblehead (light CL12). Aerial, starboard side, underway, 01/10/1933
1933-01-10
Lexington (CV2). Aerial, starboard beam. aircraft on deck. Diamond Head in background, 02/02/1933
1933-02-02
"Farm land in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Note the rolling nature of the land."
1933-10-22
"Farm land in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Note the cleared patch on the wooded hill. Areas of hillside land so situated are usually arable for a few years only. The top soil soon washes away."
1933-10-22
"Farm land in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Observe the broken surface and the erosion."
1933-10-22
"Farm land on main highway near Sevierville, Tennessee. The pasture in the foreground has apparently been overgrazed."
1933-10-22
"Interior view of Oakdale School near Loyston, Tennessee. From 30 to 40 pupils usually attend."
1933-10-23
"Curtis Stiner, an example of the mountain farmer of East Tennessee. `I love my mountains, and I want to stay right here the rest of my life if I can.' The flooding of the reservoir area will take his home."
1933-10-26
"Hanging bridge over a small stream near Coal Creek, Tenn. The steep hillside is characteristic of all the country in the vicinity."
1933-10-28
"Oscar Cloud and family, living in the Norris townsite area. Cloud has been a quarryman and farmer. His oldest son is with the CCC. The other will likely have a job with the TVA."
1933-11-06
"Head tower, hoist house, and anchorage of permanent 150-ton cableway at Boulder Dam. View from upper end of Hi-mix gulch."
1933-06-22
"Looking across canyon along cables from top of 150-ton permanent cableway head tower. Boulder Dam."
1933-06-22
"Looking upstream toward Boulder dam site showing outlet portals of all four diversion tunnels. Flow of Colorado River is approximately 70,000 cubic feet per second."
1933-06-20
"Nevada anchorages of permanent 150-ton cableway at Boulder Dam."
1933-06-22
"Aerial view of country in vicinity of Boulder Dam. Boulder City in distance, Babcock and Wilcox mill at right."
1933-02-11
"Boulder Dam, tail tower installation for Six Companies' cableway installations Nos. 5 and 6."
1933-06-21
"Detail of carriage of permanent 150-ton cableway at Boulder Dam."
1933-06-22
"First 8-cubic yard batch of concrete being placed in Boulder Dam."
1933-06-06
"Group of visitors viewing Boulder Dam construction operations from Lookout Point on Nevada rim of Black Canyon."
1933-06-05
"Boulder Dam, detail of panel construction in overflow weir of Nevada spillway."
1933-06-23
"Placing concrete in panel forms near downstream toe in Boulder Dam foundation. An 8-cubic yard bottom-dump bucket handled over cableway is in use."
1933-06-26
"A 2x6 inch sawed plank imbedded under the river fill gravel over the edge of the bench on the Nevada side of the middle gorge - Boulder Dam."
1933-04-29
"Looking upstream through Boulder Dam foundation excavation showing middle gorge and side benches."
1933-06-03
"The first bucket of concrete grout is placed in Boulder Dam proper at 11:20 A.M. June 6, 1933. This 8-cubic batch was placed in panel J-3 at elevation 530."
1933-06-06
"Trench at upstream toe of Boulder Dam foundation, looking toward Nevada side from top of Arizona bench nearly on center line. Elevation of bottom of trench, 503, marking lowest point in dam structure and fixing extreme height of dam at 729 feet."
1933-06-28
"Boulder Dam, looking into upstream end of Arizona spillway from point off river of center line."
1933-06-21
"Boulder Dam, looking upstream through Nevada sillway. At left are seen two panels of the overflow weir under construction."
1933-06-10
"Boulder Dam, looking upstream through Nevada spillway channel from point on center line."
1933-06-23
"Placing concrete in Boulder Dam foundation, looking upstream through middle gorge."
1933-06-26
"Placing concrete in panel or column forms near downstream toe in Boulder Dam foundation. An 8-cubic yard bucket handled over cableway is in use."
1933-06-26
"Placing concrete in sidewall forms of Nevada spillway of Boulder Dam. Concrete is being handled by crane in 2-cubic yard bottom-dump bucket supplied from truck-mounted agitators operated from high level concrete mixing plant."
1933-06-10
"Evaporation tower for Boulder Dam precooling system located on downstream cofferdam. View from Nevada outlet valve house bench."
1933-06-26
The Panama Canal Madden Dam Project Contractor's Cableway Tailtower June 19, 1933
1933-06-19
The Panama Canal 1933 Overhaul East forebay Miraflores Locks showing accumulation of silt April 18, 1933
1933-04-18
The Panama Canal Madden Dam Project South end of Clay Blanket June 26, 1933
1933-06-26
The Panama Canal City of Panama, RP from Ancon Hill February, 1933
1933-02
The Panama Canal Madden Dam Project Saddle Dam II from the Northeast to show the wet slope 4-10-33
1933-04-10
Portland (heavy CA33). Aerial, starboard how, underway
1934-05-31
Saratoga (CV3). Aerial, port bow, underway, launching aircraft, 05/31/1934
1934-05-31
Dust Storms; "One of South Dakota's Black Blizzards, 1934"
c. 1934
The Panama Canal Madden Dam Project Close-up of Power Plant from top of head tower forms being stripped from East wall following topping out pour August 3, 1934
1934-08-03
New York (BB34). Starboard side, underway
1935-08
Northampton (heavy CA26). Aerial, starboard beam, underway, 08/23/1935
1935-08-23