Photos of the Great Recession

[inflationhawk]

This may be obscure or even a bit macabre, but I've often wondered about what some of the worst sights of today's Great Recession would look like in black and white photos. What made many of the depression photos look so darn depressing was the black and white images and lack of color to bring life to them. I wonder what the tent cities of California or the blighted neighborhoods of foreclosures or unemployment lines of today would look like in black and white. If it would in someway make the Great Recession seem more like a Depression. Anyone have any "Great Recession" photos to post that are in black and white?

[henrysmedford]

I Goggled food line and got this --
Hundreds of people in Washington Heights wait for hours to receive free groceries from a food pantry run by the Community League of the Heights. When the food runs out, many are turned away.


And a click in Iphoto you get--



You are right B&W is grim!

[inflationhawk]

Good example! It helps that many are also wearing the same type of outerwear. It always seems like in Great Depression photos they were all wearing long overcoats.

[inflationhawk]

Here's another unemployment line with the link to the source of the photo:


http://www.demoso.org/?tag=unemployment

[misteroman]

The only difference between then and now is people don't want to work now and I believe back then they did. I've been laid off for over 3 yrs now and have been offered or found many decent jobs without really looking numerous with really no education to speak of. Almost took one as it was a PT customs job(ICE) and started at $27 with benies. If I knew I would be off this long I might have but it wouldve been a 40 min drive.
My point is there are so many jobs out there but people just don't want to look or think the new job is not good enough for them. At least in this area.

[natsb88]

Agreed.

There are jobs here too. I know a construction company that was trying to hire 20 people at $14/hr for general labor and couldn't get any takers. The cannery always hires extras for the summer, in the fields and in the plant, but nobody wants a minimum wage physical labor job so they use migrant workers. There are almost always a couple gas stations with signs up ~$9/hr to start.

Granted a lot of higher-paying manufacturing jobs with benefits are gone, but there is work out there. Unemployment is a disincentive IMO. Why work for near-minimum wage when you can collect a check for nothing?

About an hour north there are a lot of natural gas jobs popping up. You can make great money, but have to be willing to work 60 - 80 hours a week. A lot of people aren't. Talked with a temp agency in that same area about possibly getting somebody to run a machine at our shop for a few weeks. She said they have lots of people available...unless you require them to pass a drug test, then they hardly have anybody.

[mnymgr1]

well, 9 bucks an hour, after subtracting all the freebies the govt. gives you for being poor, and your take home pay Net Net is way below $9.

the thing I noticed about that photo in op's first post.....all the coats looked brand new. Nothing torn, shredded, ripped.

[Delawhere Jack]

well, 9 bucks an hour, after subtracting all the freebies the govt. gives you for being poor, and your take home pay Net Net is way below $9.

the thing I noticed about that photo in op's first post.....all the coats looked brand new. Nothing torn, shredded, ripped.

And all made in......... China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia etc.

[Bluegill]

the thing I noticed about that photo in op's first post.....all the coats looked brand new. Nothing torn, shredded, ripped.

Sadly, most of them probably have the latest smart phones with $100/month talk-text-data plans in their pockets. With flat screen TV's with surround sound/TIVO and a satellite antennae on their section 8 houses.

[Double3]

the thing I noticed about that photo in op's first post.....all the coats looked brand new. Nothing torn, shredded, ripped.

Sadly, most of them probably have the latest smart phones with $100/month talk-text-data plans in their pockets. With flat screen TV's with surround sound/TIVO and a satellite antennae on their section 8 houses.

Guaranteed

[Delawhere Jack]

the thing I noticed about that photo in op's first post.....all the coats looked brand new. Nothing torn, shredded, ripped.

Sadly, most of them probably have the latest smart phones with $100/month talk-text-data plans in their pockets. With flat screen TV's with surround sound/TIVO and a satellite antennae on their section 8 houses.

You forgot to mention the thermostats in those houses set to 80-85 deg F. in the middle of winter. I've seen it over and over and over again. Thanks LIHEAP!