The best and worst of times: American advertisements of the 1930s – in pictures

It was a decade that saw the end of prohibition but also the start of the Great Depression and the looming threat of war, an unusual period for commerce, summed up in Taschen’s latest look at American ads from a certain era. In All-American Ads of the 30s, colorful advertisements for everything from alcohol to cereal showcase new developments in design and a persistent optimism despite economic concerns. The book will be released in September

Compiled by Briana Ellis-Gibbs

Photograph: Courtesy of Taschen

Tue 2 Sep 2025 08.00 CEST

An advertisement for Seagram’s Crown Whiskies.