Last Updated on July 27, 2025 by Matt Staff
1931 was a year that was defined by striking contrasts. It was an era that was marked by profoundly deep economic despair and also an unshakable human spirit. As the Great Depression tightened its grip, everyday Americans found resilience in community, creativity, and hard work. This collection of 20 vintage photos captures the mood, style, and the grit of 1931 with a newfound level of haunting beauty.
1. Cleaning the clock at Liverpool St. Station, 1931
2. A vending machine that dispenses already lit cigarettes, circa 1931
3. A used car lot in 1931
4. Percy and Mona Jones with their family in New Zealand’s West Coast region
5. An office building in Amsterdam in 1931
6. Harlem in 1931
7. Pig Stand Drive-In, Hollywood, California
8. Chinatown, NYC, 1931
9. Storytime, Connecticut, 1931
10. Lennox Avenue out in Harlem
11. Toy train society, Berlin, 1931
12. The west side of Broadway from 7th Ave, Gary, Indiana
13. Someone’s family is fresh in from Italy
14. Someone’s great grandfather coming in from Norway, 1931
15. Christmas party on the SS Columbus, 1931
16. Gaithersburg, Maryland, 1931
17. Some friends kicking it back in the day, 1931
18. Elephant rides at Benson’s Zoo, New Hampshire
19. A boy hanging tough with his butterfly net, 1931
20. A circus performer Cilly Hetterich holding a tiger on her shoulders at Circus Krone. Munich, Germany, 1931
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1931 was a year of resilience and reinvention, and these photos offer a window into a world on the cusp of change. From fashion to industry, each image tells a story of determination amid uncertainty. If you enjoyed this, look at 1931, explore more in 35 Vintage Photos of the Early 1930s or dive into 20 Colorized Photos of the Early to the Mid-1930s.