John Walker

Music

Admission Price for a Dance

In 1942, a wedding dance at the Burke Auditorium in South Dakota charged admission of ten to twenty cents.

Daily life

Mass-produced suburban housing developments

Post-war developers built mass-produced suburban houses, such as those in Levittown, which were assembled quickly from prefabricated parts. These homes were priced to be affordable for the majority of American families.

What it cost

Factory worker wages and hours in 1940

In 1940, factory wage earners in the United States earned an average of 67 cents per hour, while average weekly earnings were $26.11. By 1940, average weekly hours had settled at 38.1 per week for factory employees.

What people wore

Depression-era clothing and household costs

During the Great Depression, a typical practical dress for women cost $4.50, and mothers often managed to feed a family of six on just five dollars a week.

Getting around

Cars offered safety for Black travelers

During the 1930s, Black Americans frequently used cars to travel to avoid the discrimination and humiliation encountered on public transportation. To help plan these trips, they used the Negro Motorist Green Book, starting in 1936, to find safe places to stop for food and lodging.

At the table

Sugar and coffee rationing during wartime

During World War II, sugar rationing began in 1942, and by 1945, the individual ration was as low as 4.5 ounces per week. People also used coffee ration stamps to obtain one pound of coffee every five or six weeks.