35 Amazing Black and White Photographs That Capture Street Scenes of the U.S in the 1930s

   

John Gutmann (1905–1998) was one of America’s most distinctive photographers. Born in Germany where he trained as an artist and art teacher, he fled the Nazis in 1933 and settled in San Francisco, reinventing himself as a photo-journalist.

In the America of the 1930s, Mr. Gutmann found an exuberant car culture, a dizzying array of billboards and graffiti, a racially diverse citizenry, music and dancing in the streets and young women galore. He photographed them all.

 
Early drive-in restaurant, Hollywood, 1935

 

Artillery on Market Street, San Francisco, 1934

 

Street Musicians, New Orleans, 1937

 

Man Walking by Clown and Lady Graffiti, San Francisco, 1939

 

High ride, 1937

 

Mobile, Alabama, 1937

 

Texas Women, Texas, 1937

 

Selling Apples: No. 1 Broadway, New York, 1936

 

Kids Reading Comics, San Francisco, 1938

 

Automobiles Parked at the beach, Oregon, 1934

 

Death stalks the Filmore, 1939

 

First Drive-in theatre, Los Angeles, 1935

 

Pop Advertising, San Francisco, 1939

 

Bicycle of a Mexican Barber, San Antonio, 1937

 

A portrait of Count Basie, San Francisco, 1939

 

“Cash for your car”, San Francisco, 1939

 

National Guard tanks, San Francisco, 1934

 

Elevator Garage, Chicago, 1936

 

Out of the Pool, San Francisco, 1934

 

Cord in Harlem, NY, 1936

 

Bare Back, San Francisco, 1939

 

Reach, San Francisco, 1938

 

Warriors, Harlem, 1936

 

The Lesson, Central Park, New York, 1936

 

Tee-Peeing the Vieux Carré, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, 1937

 

Lunch hour, San Francisco, 1934

 

The Cry, 1939

 

National Guard on the truck, San Francisco, 1934

 

Man in a hurry, New Orleans, 1937

 

The Fleet is In, San Francisco, 1934

 

“Yes, Culumbus did discover America”, San Francisco, 1938

 

Omen, 1934

 

 
Wyoming car, 1936

 

Majorettes in Parade, California, 1939

 

 
Class (Olympic High diving champion Marjorie Gestring), San Francisco, 1936