There's no way like the American way

Iusethistopost · 6 months

Background information:

This photo is of a bread line after a flood of the Ohio River submerged 70% of Louisville in 1937. The photograph's actual title is " At the Time of the Louisville Flood," and a print is in the collection of the Whitney Museum.

The photographer, Margaret Bourke-White, was a pioneer. She was the first female war correspondent. Her photo graced the first cover of Life magazine. The portrait of Ghandi by his spinning wheel? That's hers. She took photos of the Dust Bowl, Germany and Austria under the Nazis, the Soviet Union, the North African theatre in WWII, and the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Some commenters appear to believe the photograph demonstrates ignorance on the part of its creator, that they were unfairly criticizing America in comparison to the status of other nations across the seas. Bourke-White, however, probably held a firmer grasp than nearly anybody on comparisons between various international social issues, like poverty and race.

Brotherhood0fTheWolf · 6 months

Now in color! http://i.imgur.com/9bQB0.jpg

Brave_Ismella · 6 months

Those poor people are dressed better than our poor people.

utnow · 6 months

Is that a line of people waiting for the new iPhone? Looks like one of them already stopped by Abercrombie to pick up some polos, and somebody else is planning on having a picnic in a few hours with her line-waiting buddies.

VoodooTuna · 6 months

Previously on lost:

America

^submitted ² ^months ^ago ^by ^{/u/man_in_the_mirra} ^to ^/r/pics ^| ³⁴ ^points ^| ^100% ^similar

Oh irony.

^submitted ² ^months ^ago ^by ^{/u/jakeman3192} ^to ^/r/pics ^| ⁷³ ^points ^| ^100% ^similar

Life goes on.

^submitted ² ^months ^ago ^by ^/u/Targ ^to ^/r/pics ^| ¹⁶ ^points ^| ^100% ^similar

"The American Way"

^submitted ⁵ ^months ^ago ^by ^{/u/DMO_TheWhale} ^to ^/r/pics ^| ¹³⁴ ^points ^| ^100% ^similar

There's no way like the American way!

^submitted ⁹ ^months ^ago ^by ^/u/onion20 ^to ^/r/pics ^| ¹⁶ ^points ^| ^100% ^similar

Worlds highest standard of living

^submitted ¹⁰ ^months ^ago ^by ^{/u/CommondeNominator} ^to ^/r/pics ^| ⁴⁴⁹ ^points ^| ^100% ^similar

'Merica...

^submitted ⁴ ^months ^ago ^by ^{/u/rolledankle} ^to ^/r/pics ^| ⁴⁸ ^points ^| ^99.75% ^similar

TeaPotCoffee · 6 months

The guy in the very middle looks EXACTLY like Mos Def.

Chaytup · 6 months

This has literally been reposted longer than the internet has existed.

903530986709239856 · 6 months

LET'S POST ONE OF THE WORLDS MOST RECOGNIZABLE, SYMBOLICAL AND WELL KNOWN PICTURES IN THE WORLD TO r/pics

jimflaigle · 6 months

Because minorities had it so easy in Europe during the 30's and 40's.

SimilarImage · 6 months

Age	User	Title	Reddit	Cmnt	Points
10 months	CommondeNominator	Worlds highest standard of living	here	84	449
4 months	rolledankle	'Merica...	here	9	48
5 months	DMO_TheWhale	"The American Way"	here	7	134

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catslyfe · 6 months

Granted, it was not a national dip in the economy, but a nationwide crisis of sorts.

anusdrawings · 6 months

The related Curtis Mayfield record is.... incredible.

Internet_Historian · 6 months

Margaret Bourke-White was an amazing photographer. You should check out her other work.

Self_Hating_Liberal · 6 months

Meanwhile, Russians are dying of starvation and political terror.

DrStevenPoop · 6 months

It's an election year, we gotta get the race/class warfare started.

IloveXanaX · 6 months

Like posting a picture of relief efforts for a 70 year old flood? America is great because we try to feed the needy. Nice try OP, but some of us went to school and opened the textbook.

frodevil · 6 months

This is actually meta-ironic, because these people have just been flooded and were in line for a bread line. So all you yuropeans and self-hating americans are wrong about "hurr hurr murrica is such a terrible place, gov't is evil!1!!"

montse246 · 6 months

how could this have been submitted 75 years ago?

lunchboxg4 · 6 months

Older than the Internet.

jimbo91987 · 6 months

I just started working for a billboard company and our branding materials have bits of nostalgic billboards in them, and the close up of the family in the car is all over my office and folders and other branded items.

herpty_derpty · 6 months

Reminds me of the sign in the movie Brazil.

Hari_Seldon · 6 months

This is the cover of a Curtis Mayfield album from 1975 "There is no Place Like America Today" although it is reversed, the people are facing left.

http://www.halfhearteddude.com/2009/09/great-covers-curtis-mayfield-1975/

MisterTibbs212 · 6 months

uh oh, if those people dont move out of the way, they might get hit!

Newkingdom · 6 months

Even the dogs white.

Ericgzg · 6 months

Was there somewhere else at that time where black people had a higher standard of living?

idkwot · 6 months

I like the guy holding the liquor bottle in public, what better times

logrusmage · 6 months

The irony is that they were still rather well off, making this picture still true at the time.

Rbr_dky · 6 months

They're probably standing outside of a KFC

6 months

[deleted]

i_got_this · 6 months

America has the second highest median household income in the World.

Stair_Car · 6 months

One thing I sometimes forget when looking at pictures like this: the photographer obviously intended us to reach exactly the conclusion that we are coming to now. Someone in that time wanting to show that the American Dream didn't "trickle down." If that photographer lived today, what would they be pointing their camera at? Would we be sympathetic to their vision, or not? Would the police try to stop them? Who was this person, anyway?

quad50 · 6 months

sounds like you are the racist here. 'a line of well dressed black people? so pitiful.'

kuxizza · 6 months

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3ok8wc/

zimvincible · 6 months

People used to stand uncomfortably close to one another in queues.

cdjcon · 6 months

Man. Even then, an iPhone meant standing in line ...

SJJ1960 · 6 months

The woman in the car looks like she is on the edge of insanity while the young boy in the back of car looks like he could do some evil deeds.

crackledencollective · 6 months

This was on the front cover of my Modern History textbook for GCSE.

akubar · 6 months

straight from the American Pageant

Roboposter · 6 months

Hey, what's that dog doing in the car?!

NanoCow · 6 months

interesting how everybody seems to wear hats back then

burritoxman · 6 months

This was honestly the most viewed picture in my AP US History class's power points during the great depression.

sebdef · 6 months

Ain't no party like a bread line party

etchie · 6 months

Irony!

emlgsh · 6 months

OH GOD, THAT CAR FULL OF GIANTS IS GOING TO RUN THEM ALL OVER!

waffleninja · 6 months

We're #4 now. #23 if you consider black people (inequality adjusted).

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index

brooklyncrooklyn · 6 months

Even the dog in the picture is white.

monkey3501 · 6 months

Friggin hipsters with their hats.

Kooterade8 · 6 months

Has anyone brought up the important point that this picture represents the former willingness of the United States to advertise itself as desirable to the average person? Even if this particular image spins it into being false, the poster itself is the interesting part for me.

GiveMeBackMySon · 6 months

"Hangin' in a chow line! Good Times!" ♫ ♬

wolvmatt · 6 months

I saw this in multiple high school textbooks. I'm sure the vast majority of us have already seen it. There is no reason to post it again.

pinkiepiepie · 6 months

Watch out -- That cars going to run you over!

pjflameboy · 6 months

I've seen this picture in my history textbook about a million times, it was their iconic depression image

Sebulbasaur · 6 months

This photograph isn't that powerful to me. The concept looks so forced.

octodat · 6 months

This picture was in one of my history books at school. I always thought that it is quite funny.

[deleted] · 6 months

Textbook memories

willscy · 6 months

They dont look all that poor to me. Theres even a kid with a pretty nice looking leather jacket in the back.

agroundhere · 6 months

All the people in the car are white and all the people on the street are black. Hmmm....

Octopuscabbage · 6 months

Say Hi to Yoda for me.

Captain_Lobotomy · 6 months

Awesome! Welfare lines in the olden days!

ZombieMozart · 6 months

Still rings true, just replace the people in line with unemployed 20- somethings

rumbletom · 6 months

The girl first in line looks hot as fuck. What happened to her plane..

gybryant · 6 months

It's real basic irony, but it's a hoot. It's a fucking hoot.

ys1qsved3 · 6 months

Oh hey, so you're the one that stole our AP US History text books.

franklymyrhett1 · 6 months

Is that Ricky Ricardo?

DroodEdwin · 6 months

A lot of people don't know this but they're waiting for a turn on Dance Dance Revolution

wadall · 6 months

How do you know they aren't shopping?

Ohnoeee · 6 months

Are they in the unemployment line?

hamgina · 6 months

New desktop to remind me that there is always someone worse off than me.

Tylertc13 · 6 months

That picture is in my American History text book. If I remember right, it's from Chicago about half way through the Great Depression.

theresanarrow · 6 months

This reminded me of Soviet bread lines. I googled it and this was the 10th or so picture.

Vakarian_Slut · 6 months

LOLOLOLOL THEY'RE ALL NIGGERS

themanbat · 6 months

It's sad that people assume they are poor simply because they are black and standing in a line. They are dressed essentially identical to the whites in the photo. If you swapped races, people would just assume they were standing in line. And nothing else.

BigBongSmoker · 6 months

Just get a degree in something non retarded and youll have a lifetime of peon-crushing to enjoy.

Fidena · 6 months

They don't look so much /poor/ as low or working class. You'll see the same still in many towns in America, just less dapper.

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