Night Parlor, a 20x200 Vintage Edition
8"x10" ($40) | 11"x14" ($85) | 16"x20" ($275) | 24"x30" ($1,100) | 30"x40" ($1,950)

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Photographs from the U.S. government’s Farm Security Administration provide a rich visual record of American life between 1935 and 1944, and they’re also pieces of fine art in and of themselves. Images like Night Parlor and Luncheonette—our newest Vintage Editions double debuts—capture the era’s social and economic landscape like few other artifacts can.

In the late 1930s, delicatessens and luncheonettes were bustling hubs of urban life, particularly in cities with large immigrant populations such as New York and Chicago. These paragons of American food culture, often run by immigrant families, specialized in cured meats, cheeses, smoked fish, and freshly baked breads. They served up so much more than that though: besides being the heartbeats of countless communities, local delis were hybridized with other businesses so that you could have it all, even in the Great Depression.

Luncheonette, a 20x200 Vintage Edition
8"x8" ($40) | 11"x11" ($85) | 16"x16" ($275) | 30"x30" ($1,100) | 40"x40" (1,950)

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In Luncheonette, the unknown photographer captures signage announcing that Stowe’s, the photographed establishment, was also a beauty parlor, a drugstore, and an ice cream shop. There’s a man with his back to the camera wearing an acoustic guitar. Was the trio of women sitting on the curb in traditional Mexican skirts part of his act? Were the groups of dapper men wearing hats waiting for a haircut, or had they just enjoyed a corned beef on rye? Luncheonette is a stunning moment of motion caught in time. Blurred figures are on the move, folks are walking down the street, and the chatter of the gathered folks is almost audible. The viewer is right there in the scene, thinking about going inside for a hair set, an egg cream and some hot buttered toast.

In contrast to the hubbub of Luncheonette, Night Parlor is all introspection and voyeurism. The serene, glowing windows and the duo of waitress and customer inside Night Parlor instantly evokes an Edward Hopper scene.

Like delis, luncheonettes, and automats, ice cream shops in the late 1930s served as social gathering places where people of all ages could enjoy a sweet treat, even during difficult economic times. They too often sold hot meals at working man’s prices; here, you could have gotten a steak or a hamburger with fries with a pocketful of change. However, ice cream shops attracted folks primarily with the promise of cold, rich scoops, milkshakes, root beer floats, sundaes, and banana splits. You’d eat your hamburger so you could get to the good stuff.

Traditional flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry dominated menus, but newer options such as butter pecan and rocky road gained popularity in the late ‘30s. The era also saw the early development of soft-serve ice cream, which would later revolutionize the industry as a showstopping indulgence. As refrigeration technology improved, these establishments became increasingly accessible, offering an affordable luxury that provided a small but meaningful escape from the struggles of daily life, nearly invisible in these romantic images.

20x200

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