1930's

THE 1930S is yet another enormously enjoyable volume in what has come to be one of my favorite series of books in American publishing. Editor Nick Yapp has been plundering the Hutton Getty Picture Collection to produce a visual portrait of each of the decades of the 20th century. No one country is the exclusive focus of the photographs, though for some reason about 95% of them are from England, Germany, and the United States. Many of the photos in each collection are by notable photographers, though the bulk in each one is by uncredited photographers. The photographs are arranged in rough topical categories, focusing both on celebrities and everyday folk.I am currently reading THE DARK VALLEY by Piers Brendon, which is a history of the 1930s. I am finding this collection of photographs to be a perfect companion to that history. All the major figures of the decade, and most of the social and political changes, are documented in these photos.The greatest thing about this series is that it is just a whole lot of fun. I have ended up littering my apartment with various volumes in this series. I have THE 1920S in the kitchen, the THE 1930S in the living room, THE 1970S on my bedstand, and THE AMERICAN MILLENIUM (a similar volume edited by Nick Yapp from the Hutton Getty Collection) in my bathroom. I find myself allowing myself to become immersed in the various books each day for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. What is especially fun is showing one of the books to a friend, and watching them to the same. Just a great series, and an incredible bargain for the price.