Life During the Great Depression: Video Interviews

The Great Depression Interview series, recorded in 2008, is made up of conversations with St. Louis-area residents who lived through the Great Depression era. The interviews provide students with first-person accounts of life between 1929 and 1940.

Teachers can get students talking about the videos with discussion questions (PDF) based on the interviews.

Raymond and Anna Marie McIntyre

Raymond (born in 1923) and Anna Marie (born in 1927) discuss how neighbors and family helped each other during the Depression, entertainment during hard times, their jobs and salaries and transportation options.

Watch the Full Interview: Raymond and Anna Marie McIntyre

Q&A Segments:

• What was popular for entertainment during the Depression?
• How did you get around during the Depression?
• What types of jobs did you have then?
• Discussing a Christmas party held during the Great Depression...
• Were you affected by banks closing?
• How were you helped by the Works Progress Administration?
• What lessons did you take away from the Great Depression?

Byron Gross and Sam Weber

Byron (born in 1914) and Sam (born in 1913) talk about President Roosevelt’s fireside chats, how the crisis affected them and their fellow St. Louisans, and lessons they learned from the Great Depression.

Watch the Full Interview: Byron Gross and Sam Weber

Q&A Segments:

• Introductions
• What were you doing during the Great Depression?
• What were some difficult adjustments you had to make during the Depression?
• Discuss the conditions endured by some during the Depression.
• Were you affected by bank closings during the Great Depression?
• What was it like to listen to Roosevelt's fireside chats?
• A story about helping each other to get by...
• What was something people wished for?
• Lessons Byron took away from living through the Great Depression...
• Lessons Sam took away from living through the Depression...

Margaret Barrett

Margaret (born in 1917) talks about bank closings, struggles in farming communities, her jobs and salary, going to school during the Depression, and the wonder of modern conveniences like electricity, indoor plumbing and the radio.

Watch the Full Interview: Margaret Barrett

Q&A Segments:

• Introduction
• Where did you live during that time?
• Did you notice people helping each other more during the Depression?
• What things did your family do to get through the Great Depression?
• What was school like during the Depression?
• Did you have modern conveniences in your home like electricity?
• Did you have a radio during the Depression?

For more Great Depression multimedia resources, from newsreels to oral histories, visit our audio and video collections.