In contrast to the sleek and modern 1938 Gropius kitchen, here is a June 1938 country kitchen that must have been an even greater joy to its new owners. This photo was taken as part of a U.S. Farms Services Administration project and is now housed in the Library of Congress. Their documentation identifies the photo as, “Resettled farmer’s wife and daughter in kitchen of new home. Wabash Farms, Indiana.” This can only mean — resettlement from the Dust Bowl droughts of the Great Depression. John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939. And the photographer, meanwhile, was Arthur Rothstein. When I google him, I find that he has been called, “simply the definitive photographer of the Dust Bowl.” Later, he went on to be the photo director for Look Magazine from 1946-1971, then Parade. He has a book – which I’ve added to Pamazon. Finally, here’s a link to a Library of Congress learning lab about that era. (Photo info: LC-USF34- 026361-D.)
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I love these historical posts! You can really see the evolution in both the Gropius kitchen as well as this one towards mid-century kitchen design.
My grandparents kitchen did not have door either. But rather, had cloth curtains. I remember in the 1970’s my sister & mom making new curtains- I sure miss that kitchen/house.