Madeline Frick ’24
Diet Culture During the Great Depression: The Struggle For Survival
Madeline Frick ’24, Marketing major, Studio Art (Digital Imaging) minor
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Darra Mulderry, Center for Engaged Learning
In her National Cookbook, renowned recipe maker Sheila Hibben wrote, “Mink coats and period furniture are not always possible, (…) but at least we can have omelets that are soft and melting, and soups that are savory, and even beans that are succulent and satisfying.” However, she later wrote that the Great Depression “may be changing this, may be ending a ‘marshmallow era.’”
Between 1930 and 1933, the United States experienced a detrimental shift in living conditions, primarily for the average household of five. Incomes became a struggle even for those who were previously well off; therefore, housewives raised their families on tight budgets and made sacrifices for the sake of their growing children. Families in the United States refined their diets to simple and inexpensive foods during the Great Depression to stick with comfort and affordability during an unprecedented era. Editorials and critics at the time perceived this new lifestyle in different ways, both positively and negatively, to emphasize the divide and confusion of an ever-changing country during the Great Depression.
Poster Presentation: Thursday, April 27, 2 – 4 p.m.
