Page 97 - A History of the World in 25 Cities

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Height of the tallest skyscraper in 1931:
Amazing new inventions, such as washing machines and refrigerators, meant that well-off people had more time for fun activities – such as listening to jazz on the newly invented wireless radio or on record players. More people now had money to buy luxuries, including cars, fashionable clothes and make-up. American women won the right to vote in 1920, and with many more girls finishing school, women began to have more freedom to choose how they lived.
Height of the tallest skyscraper today:
Everything changed when New York’s stock market crashed in 1929, causing 10 years of financial problems known as the ‘Great Depression’. During this time, companies went out of business and millions lost their jobs across the United States. Many of the hardest hit families ended up homeless, and people from all walks of life queued for hours for stale bread so they could save their families from starving to death.
Zora Neale Hurston was an African-American woman from the southern states, who moved
to New York City in the 1920s. She studied anthropology at Barnard College (part of
Columbia University), where she was the only black student, and went on to become a writer,
Population of New York City in the 1920s:
Population of New York City today:
celebrating African-American culture in her novels.
Empire State Building
One World Trade Center