Faces of a Generation: FAP Photos Reveal the Lives of Ordinary New Yorkers in 1939

1939 was a year of global tension and uncertainty, as the shadow of war loomed over Europe.  New York City, a hub of international activity, felt the tremors of this impending conflict.  The Federal Art Project (FAP), with its mission to document the city’s life and times, captured this atmosphere of apprehension and anticipation

Amidst the growing global tensions, the 1939 New York World’s Fair offered a beacon of hope and a vision of a brighter future.  The fair, held in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, showcased the latest advancements in technology, science, and culture, attracting millions of visitors from around the world.  It was a celebration of human ingenuity and progress, a temporary escape from the anxieties of the time.

The FAP photographers documented the World’s Fair extensively, capturing its futuristic exhibits, its dazzling displays, and the diverse crowds that flocked to experience this spectacle of modernity.  Their images captured the optimism and excitement of the fair, offering a glimpse of a world where technology and innovation could lead to a better future.

New York City in 1939 was a city of immigrants, a place where people from all over the world came to seek refuge and opportunity.  As war broke out in Europe, New York City became a haven for refugees fleeing persecution. 

Despite the distractions of the World’s Fair and the city’s vibrant cultural life, the looming threat of war cast a long shadow over New York City in 1939.  News of the conflict in Europe filled the newspapers, and anxieties about the city’s vulnerability to attack were growing.

#1 Under the boardwalk, 1939.

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#2 Stauch’s Movies, 1939.

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#3 Couple sunbathing, 1939.

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#4 Cotton candy, 1939.

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#5 Spooks, 1939.

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#6 Frozen custard, 1939.

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#7 Jitterbug in Harlem, 1939.

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#8 Street scene on 133rd Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues, 1939.

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#9 Distorting mirror at Steeplechase, 1939.

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#10 Men waiting for a girl show, 1939.

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#11 G & C Food Market, Lenox Fruit and Vegetable Market, 1939.

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#12 Jitterbugging in Harlem, 1939.

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#13 Children in front of the Jersey Pork Store in Harlem, 1939.

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#14 Shooting gallery, 1939.

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#15 Building a school (WPA Construction), 1939.

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#16 Colonial Park Pool below Sugar Hill, 1939.

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#17 Under the El tracks, 1939.

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#18 Steeplechase – People on the beach, 1939.

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#19 Harlem, 133rd Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues, 1939.

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#20 Peace Shine 3 Cents, 1939.

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#21 P.S. 194 under construction, 1939.

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#22 Merry-go-round, 1939.

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#23 Bingo, 1939.

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#24 134th Street and Fifth Avenue, 1939.

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#25 Pushcart selling cakes, 1939.

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#26 Colonial Park Swimming Pool in Harlem, 1939.

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#27 Street scene outside Daniel’s Bar and Grill, 1939.

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#28 Steeplechase—Rolling Pin, July 1939

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#29 Colonial Hill Pool with Sugar Hill in the background, 1939

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#30 Children in Colonial Park swimming pool, 1939

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#31 Olympic Pool in Colonial Park, Harlem, 1939

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#32 Street scene with newsstand, 1939

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#33 Jitterbugging in Harlem, 1939

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#34 Harlem street scene, shops, 1939

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#35 Steeplechase Circus aerial act, Coney Island, July 1939

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#36 Family on Surf Ave, July 1939

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#37 Madison and 110th Street, 1939

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#38 Nathan’s Hot Dog Stand, Coney Island, July 1939

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#39 Steeplechase aerial act, July 1939

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#40 Swimming pool and children, 1939

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#41 8th Avenue and 144th Street, 1939

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#42 Beach, July 1939

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#43 Children on a Harlem doorstep, 1939

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#44 At Nathan’s Hot Dog Stand, July 1939

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#45 Lunch counter, July 1939

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#46 Child standing at the edge of Colonial Park swimming pool, 1939

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#47 Love Boat, July 1939

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#48 Steeplechase Circus—Horse, July 1939

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#49 Construction job in Harlem, 1939

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#50 Baby on the boardwalk, Coney Island, July 1939

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#51 Jitterbugging in Harlem, 1939.

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#52 Undressing, July 1939.

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#53 Colonial Park Swimming Pool (Sugar Hill in the background), 1939.

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#54 Young boys with a baby carriage, 1939.

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#55 Playground in vacant lots, Harlem, 1939.

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#56 Street scene in Harlem in front of Daniel’s Bar and Grill, 1939.

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#57 Shooting gallery—aiming, July 1939.

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#58 Two sailors in the doorway of a restaurant, 7th Ave., 1939.

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#59 Shooting gallery, slot machine game, July 1939.

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#60 At Nathan’s Hot Dog Stand, July 1939.

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#61 Two women in a storefront, 1939.

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#62 Apartment with people, Harlem, 1939.

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#63 Drink Borden’s Milk, 8th Avenue and 125th Street, 1939.

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#64 Feeding ice cream to the dog, July 1939.

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#65 Fortune telling on the boardwalk, July 1939.

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#66 Two boys on lion monument, 1939.

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#67 Boy standing by Colonial Park Pool, 1939.

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#68 Newsstand, Harlem, 1939.

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#69 Mother with baby carriage in Harlem, 1939.

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#70 Boys on a stoop in Harlem, 1939.

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#71 Jitterbug dancers, 1939.

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#72 The Steeplechase: the barrel, July 1939.

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#73 Colonial Park Olympic-sized pool (Sugar Hill in background), 1939.

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#74 Steeplechase: couple with baby on a bench, July 1939.

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#75 Coney Island Park, July 1939.

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#76 Swimming in Colonial Park Olympic-sized pool, Harlem, 1939.

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#77 Two men on a Harlem stoop, 1939.

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#78 Furnished room for rent, 1939.

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#79 Children in the playground of a Harlem housing project, 1939.

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#80 Advance Division of the U.N.I.A., 1939.

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#81 133rd Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues, 1939.

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#82 Weighing machine, July 1939.

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#83 Barker for girlie show, July 1939.

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#84 Backyards with laundry lines, 1939.

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#85 144th Street and Madison Avenue, 1939.

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#86 Empty handcart on 133rd Street, 1939.

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#87 Children at Colonial Park pool, 1939.

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#88 Ye Olde Barber Shop on 133rd Street, 1939.

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#89 Children at Colonial Park pool, 1939.

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#90 Coney Island: in the park, July 1939.

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#91 Children in the playground of a Harlem housing project, 1939.

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#92 Boardwalk, July 1939.

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#93 Bingo, July 1939.

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#94 Iceman with large cake of ice, 1939.

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#95 Boy seated with a paper, 1939.

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#96 Steeplechase Circus: children, July 1939.

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#97 Wax museum, July 1939.

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#98 Undressing, July 1939.

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