The Untied States of America was caught in an uproar with the floodgates of culture and vibrant life now open. February 18, 1929 found America in a clash between the harsh contrast of the impoverished lower class and the flamboyant and younger upper class. Scientist Albert Einstein graced the cover of the weekly magazine for his Field Theory featured in the science section. A reader from 2011 may wonder if this is magazine is even the same as the Time Magazine that is mass distributed today. The 1929 version of the magazine had simple concise articles opposed to the few headline articles that we have today paired with the numerous other stories. The striking amount of advertisement was not only distracting and visually impairing to the magazine but it showed the pulse of the nation. The ads showed a world with new machines, ideas, and products in every facet of life. It was the picture Time painted of the American people and what the future holds for this nation.
There was an advertisement in particular that captured the ideal of the American business man in the late 1920’s. “The Man who discovered his Son,” was the title of the two page ad that discussed the state of the American business man and his life. It tells a story of endless hours “shackled to his desk by fetters stronger than steel,” and the father too busy to see the image of himself growing in his son. The son goes through neglected until by accident the father finds a friend in his son and is transformed by this into a father once again. The advertisement continues to talk about the men of business world and their time being minted in currency; the idea that they are the engines of the United States of America. But just when men feel they are on the edge of the cliff they are caught. They are caught by Remington Rand and their business services. The Remington Rand business service is the way out and the way into the future. It is the filing cabinet, the typewriters, and the accounting machines. The machines are the way out of the despair. Time magazine makes no hesitation to state that the best of what the world has to offer is on the counter, who is going to take it though?
Remington Rand is one example of the magazines design and concept. Time is depicting a society on the verge of greatness beyond anything the world has ever witnessed or imagined. The different sections tell how the government is moving forward beyond the setbacks of corruption and failure and into a truly progressive state of pure democracy. That art is so transcendental and innovative that the world is on the cusp of a “modern revolution,” that music, theatre, and art will forever change. Sports are now returned to the times of the Greeks, full of mythical beings like the “Murders Row,” Yankees lineup that redefined baseball and what it takes to win. Einstein will be the man of the century and will not only reshape the world we see and hear around us but will conceptualize what we cannot see. Milestones occur daily. Lives are constantly in a change of flux but always in the process of betterment. The most striking feature was the way the country was confident beyond belief. Secure and confident were not words thrown around like today, it was something that was almost tangible; it was a mindset.
February 18th, 1929 the world was on the verge of a downturn that was so unseen previous to it that nations crumbled and great nations found their breaking point. The stock market would crash later that year and the economy would nose dive into a seemingly endless hole that seemed insurmountable. The irony and really the worst part of it is that the Time’s portrayal of the American life was so fleeting in the months and years to come following this publication. The idea that men could redefine their future and rediscover themselves through this product or through this initiative and that life was on the verge of emerging as a modern display of culture and society. The issue brought to life the incredible hope and faith in the future through its colorful and masterful diction, often not found today, Time brought to the forefront the concept of something that American had always felt and believed but may not have seen acknowledged. The idea was a great nation. The issue really brought to life though the devastating consequences and struggles that must have ensued following the collapse of the economy and the government confidence. People saw something that was so massive and powerful that it was too big to fail. No one saw the decline coming and therefore it affected more people than expected, it was absolutely devastating. Comparing the beliefs of the American media and masses during the publication to those of the Great Depression must have been night and day.
February 18th, 1929 was a regular day to a lot of Americans. It was though in perspective a monumental day as it was one of the few remaining good days the nation enjoyed prior to the Great Depression. Time magazine depicted a world with seemingly endless and abundant possibilities that people could have never dreamed of before this day. Something that 2011 can take away from 1929 though is the sense of a brighter tomorrow. An idea that man is whatever his will, heart, and mind set out to be.
