Advertising historians note that the 60s was the great golden age of print ads, with new inventive strategies for snaring the wandering eye. Perhaps. But the ads of the 30s represent a shift in tone and style that required a much greater break from the past, and had a tougher sell: it was the Depression, after all.

The decade began with the Deco-influenced business of the late 20s with a few sleek examples of the new streamlined style, and became modern in a way that made the previous decade look much, much farther away. A new look for a new era - which, despite the economic slump, was forward-looking, cheerful, technological and intelligent.

Enjoy!