01-04-2021, 10:26 AM
I have several theories as to why 1930s photos are less common:
In the 1920s ownership of a car was less common, and something to be proud of, so the car would often feature largely in family photos, even taking centre-stage. As the car became more common, there was less incentive to include it in snapshots.
The typical owner in the 1920s would be well-off and more likely to have a good-quality camera. By the 1930s a typical Austin Seven owner was more likely to have a cheap box-Brownie, so the quality of 1930s photos tends to be inferior and perhaps less likely to have been preserved.
The years following the depression probably meant owners had to be more careful with their money, and photography was not a cheap hobby. The family content was therefore more important than the car - even in the 1960s I had to consider carefully what I would save to film!
In the 1920s ownership of a car was less common, and something to be proud of, so the car would often feature largely in family photos, even taking centre-stage. As the car became more common, there was less incentive to include it in snapshots.
The typical owner in the 1920s would be well-off and more likely to have a good-quality camera. By the 1930s a typical Austin Seven owner was more likely to have a cheap box-Brownie, so the quality of 1930s photos tends to be inferior and perhaps less likely to have been preserved.
The years following the depression probably meant owners had to be more careful with their money, and photography was not a cheap hobby. The family content was therefore more important than the car - even in the 1960s I had to consider carefully what I would save to film!