TIME TERMINAL
1930's: some of the major events that characterized this decade may not necessarily sound particularly funny, and even worse if they may somehow seem familiar (or at least cautionary) to us: the great depression, rise of totalitarianism in different countries. The 1930's were also a period of cultural flourishing, particularly in literature, music, and film. The era saw the rise of influential artists, writers, and musicians such as Ernest Hemingway, George Gershwin, and Charlie Chaplin, who left a lasting impact.
If you could travel back to any point of the 1930's, outside of the very obvious political aspects, how would you try to make your mark (or otherwise have a unique experience)?
1) By becoming a pioneer of flight with an extraordinary undertaking.
2) If this seems too risky to you (and honestly with good reason), then perhaps by becoming a pioneer in the world of car racing.
3) And if even that seems too risky for you (and even that with good reason), then perhaps trying to sneak into a Charlie Chaplin movie to get a cameo, and brag about it with your friends, once you return to the present.
...More ideas? Enter the community.
Maybe you've ever wondered what it is like to be a shoeshiner in 1930's New York, and maybe you've even dreamed of becoming one ... but more likely not. And you know what? You're missing out on a lot of interesting things.
First of all: how does one become a shoeshiner, particularly in a competitive market like New York, and moreover in a competitive era like the 1930's? In my case, by first becoming a banker. That was in fact my profession until 1929, then no more, so I had to reinvent myself. In fact, I had asked my old bank to rehire me. They said: "Absolutely not, you were one of the main causes of the crisis, so we're not going to hire you again." "Then... ...I'll just stand outside here and do something else, OK?"
This is how my new career began. Initially I positioned myself in front of the bank out of pure nostalgia, but from time to time I look for the most interesting locations in town. And you know what, now that I have been in this profession for some time? It was a really good choice. …Sure, the pay is not exactly the same, but my conversations with clients are no longer based solely on money (...obviously). Here I come in contact with the most diverse and authentic glimpses of everyday life. It often starts with a trivial small talk, but after a few sentences, I always come to know the most genuine soul of the city. …At least of that part of town that can afford a shoeshiner. And as you can imagine, here in 1930's New York every workday is different from the next, none is boring, and in almost all of them something special happens, that you only know from the movies, but which is a reality for me.
One morning I was at my usual spot in front of the bank. I had no suspicion that anything strange was happening, not even when a car stopped abruptly from which four men suddenly got out, who seemed to be in a great hurry to get into the bank to run their errands. They all covered their faces before entering the bank, with very fashionable headscarves, so I did not want to come to any hazardous conclusions. Nor did I suspect anything when the car stayed with the engine running exactly in front of the bank entrance, instead of parking conveniently in the customer parking lot. Nor when I recognized one of the gangster Frankie Starnutazzo's men behind the wheel (who took a selfie and posted it on his profile).
And all in all not even when not quite two minutes later three of the four men came running out of the bank with full sacks, which I don't recall them having when they went in. At that moment I thought, "So fast? After the crisis, in the bank they must have drastically improved the efficiency of their services to win back the trust of their customers."And I still didn't suspect anything when the alarm went off immediately afterwards ( it probably serves to confirm that the transaction was successfully completed).
I began to suspect something unusual when the fourth of the men came out bleeding, holding a 1928 Thompson.
Frankie Starnutazzo's other men who had already jumped into the car dragged the last of them inside and then drove off again with great haste. A few seconds passed, that first one, then another police patrol rushed in the same direction. I don't know exactly how it turned out, but one of Frankie's men posted a picturetaken during the chase.
If you have any suggestions on where I should stand to witness interesting things, join the community. These are my most frequently attended places:
- The financial district. - The fashion district. - The circus district.
THE 1930's - TRENDING TOPICS
Amelia Earhart: in 1932, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Walt Disney: Disney rose to prominence in the 1930's with the creation of iconic animated characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. He also released the first full-length animated feature film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," in 1937, revolutionizing the animation industry.
John D. Rockefeller Jr.: As one of the wealthiest individuals of his time, Rockefeller played a significant role in philanthropy and business during the 1930's.
Louis Armstrong: As a pioneering jazz musician and trumpeter, he rose to prominence during the 1930's with his distinctive style and improvisational skills.
The Hindenburg disaster: The 1930's have certainly been a decade of evolution for planes. Not so for zeppelin, as the Hindenburg disaster reminds us.
Ernest Hemingway, J.R.R. Tolkien (The Hobbit) & John Steinbeck: These are some of the most relevant names in the literature of the 1930's, with a great influence on the following decades, up to our present time.
Some of the most iconic car brands founded in the 1930's:
• Jaguar (1935)
• Ferrari (1939)
• Nissan (1933)
• Toyota (1937)
• Volkswagen (1937)
• Porsche (1931)
(To be part of the conversation, enter the community).
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