Newsweek has published an article that shows, even in an economic downturn there’s money to be made. In this case, (ironically) it’s all about the Great Depression. They note that Depression era fashions have come back into style, and that people are running with this idea by having Depression themed parties. Demand for media about the time period has grown as well. Interesting data, but what does it all mean? Are people finding the image of being incredibly poor somehow romantic? It’s more likely that they’re mining history for tips on how to survive in lean times.
They report:
There’s also a spurt in demand for Depression-era art and literature. Netflix rentals of The Grapes of Wrath, the 1940 film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel, are up. John Kenneth Galbraith’s 1955 best-seller, The Great Crash 1929, recently climbed to No. 87 on BarnesandNoble.com’s sales rankings, up about 20,000 spots from a year ago. And in an otherwise disappointing auction of photo prints at Sotheby’s on Oct. 14, Dorothea Lange’s White Angel Breadline sold for $134,500, well above the presale estimate. While reluctant to ascribe the high bid to an emerging Depression art market, Christopher Mahoney, senior vicepresident of Sotheby’s photographs department, says there was immense interest in the piece, in part because its subject matter makes it “a key image in the 20th century.”
Newsweek: “What’s Selling? The Great Depression”
[via NYT Ideas Blog]
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