See How Staten Islanders Worked, Played, and Loved in the 1930s Through Vintage Photos

Step back to the 1930s on Staten Island, and you’ll find a landscape deeply affected by the Great Depression, yet also teeming with the spirit of community. This was a decade marked by struggle and transformation, a time when Staten Islanders faced hardships but also found creative ways to make the most of what they had.

The Great Depression Hits Home

The Great Depression left its mark on every corner of America, and Staten Island was no exception. Jobs were scarce, and many families struggled to put food on the table. Soup kitchens and breadlines became a common sight, even in neighborhoods that had once known prosperity. However, in this hardship, the community pulled together—neighbors helped neighbors, and the spirit of cooperation was strong.

Schools played a critical role during this time, not just for education but also for providing free meals to children. Teachers often went above and beyond, aware that their classrooms provided a semblance of normalcy and routine during chaos. Despite the lack of resources, schools became the foundation for future growth, embodying the community’s hope for a brighter tomorrow.

The Home Garden Movement

With jobs hard to come by and food prices rising, many families turned to home gardening as a means of self-sufficiency. Empty lots and backyards transformed into miniature farms, bursting with vegetables, fruits, and even small livestock. The practice was so prevalent that it led to community competitions for the best garden, often covered in the local Staten Island Advance newspaper.

Escapism Through Music

Despite the economic hardships, the 1930s were also a time of cultural vibrancy. Jazz was the heartbeat of the decade, and Staten Island had its fair share of dance halls and live venues where people could escape their troubles, at least for a night. Spots like the Stork Club became local legends, hosting not only bands but also dance competitions that drew people from all over the borough.

Ships and Ferries

The bustling Staten Island waterfront was a hub of activity, even in the hard times of the 1930s. The Staten Island Ferry was more than just a way to get to Manhattan—it was a symbol of the outside world, of opportunity, and for some, a daily escape to a life less confined. During the summer months, families would often take the ferry just for the sheer pleasure of being on the water, relishing the cool breeze and the freedom it symbolized.

#1 The Book Mobile in the Courtyard of PS 22, 1930s.

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#2 Merry-go-round at South Beach, 1939.

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#3 Girls move hand over hand on the ladders at McDonald’s playground, West Brighton, 1937.

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#4 Big Lou Chrampanis and Sam Hitsous practice boxing in front of a home on Richmond Avenue, New Springville, 1937.

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#5 Hylan Boulevard near Wolfe’s Pond in Princes Bay, 1935.

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#6 St. John Villa Academy’s First Graduating Class, 1936.

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#7 Transit Era Ends with Sale of Buses from the Tompkins Bus Company, 1937.

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#8 Babe Ruth of the NY Yankees and Monsignor Fitzpatrick at Mount Loretto in Staten Island, 1934.

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#9 Troops at the Manor Road Armory leaving for camp, 1935.

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#10 A storm pounds the bungalow at Crescent Beach, 1930s

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#11 New York Bay at Great Kills Iced Over, Allowing Walk with Dog, 1936.

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#12 John J. MacFarlane holds a cat that someone dropped in the mailbox at St. George, 1938.

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#13 Staten Islanders Celebrate the Opening of the New Boardwalk at South Beach; Constructed by the Works Progress Administration, 1937.

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#14 Staten Island Academy Boys Varsity Baseball Team, 1930.

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#15 Midland Beach Dance Floor, 1936.

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#16 Class of ’38, Alums from PS 13, 1938.

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#17 Oakland Ave., West Brighton, 1936.

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#18 George Kelsey Tightening Up the Roller-Coaster at the Whirlwind in Midland Beach, 1933.

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#19 Bathers diving into the Kill Van Kull at New Brighton, 1936.

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#20 Easter parade on the South Beach Boardwalk, 1938.

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#21 Silver Lake Golf Course Official Opening, Group Watches a Man Prepare to Hit a Golf Ball, 1930.

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#22 Clearing Ice from Lemon Creek for Daily Trips for Shellfish in the Lower Bay, January 1939.

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#23 Staten Island Zoo, Operated by the Staten Island Zoological Society, Opened on June 10, 1936.

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#24 Sunbathing at Faber Pool, Port Richmond, 1938.

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#25 Alexander Ferrer and Alexander Ferrer Sr. on the Staten Island Ferry, Late 1930s.

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#26 “Continuation School” Class Registration at 304 Clinton Avenue, 1935.

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#27 Lincoln Avenue, Beach Park, Midland Beach, Staten Island, Featuring Cottages and Street Scene, 1930s.

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#28 McKee Vocational High School, McKee students sewing with Miss Catherine Muntz, May 2, 1935.

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#29 Inauguration Day Moved to January 20, Beginning in 1937; Second Inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937.

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#30 St. Peter’s Baseball Team Reached the Catholic Final in the Late 1930s; Includes Mike Tighe, Jack Casey, Joe Smith, Joe Shields, John Hollywood, John Milnes, 1930s.

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#31 Bill Margarella and Salvatore Pignatello take a pit stop with the ladies, 1930s.

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#32 Skaters on Raritan Bay near a buoy off the Pleasant Plains shoreline, 1934.

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#33 Marie Hartmann, a pioneering Staten Island librarian, working on the bookmobile, circa 1939.

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#34 Barrett Park, Staten Island Zoo built on the former estate of Colonel Edward Harden, circa 1937.

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#35 WPA laborers remove barrier for first car on Ramona Boulevard at Huguenot Avenue, 1939.

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#36 John B. Holland, one of the last three Civil War survivors, casts his vote in the 1934 election

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#37 Staten Island Tuberculosis and Health Committee’s Baby Clinic, West Brighton, Circa 1937.

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#38 Opening Day of the Staten Island Zoo with Governor Alfred E. Smith, Robert Moses, and Joseph Palma, 1936.

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#39 St. Vincent’s ambulance in crash at Forest and Bement avenues, 1935.

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#40 Midland Beach Baby Parade, 1933.

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#41 Class in beauty culture at McKee Vocational High School, St. George, 1939.

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#42 Dancing under the stars to the Midland Orchestra, 1936.

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#43 Hyatt Street, St. George, Trolley Tracks Widening by WPA Men, 1936

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#44 Headquarters Troop, 51st Cavalry Brigade, Boarding Train to Camp, Staten Island, 1936.

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#45 James Andrews and John Thompson Swimming in Kill van Kull, Staten Island, 1933.

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#46 Nurses Feeding Babies at Seaside Hospital, New Dorp, 1937

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#47 The New York Public Library’s Richmond Traveling Library, Circa 1937

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#48 Tottenville Residents and Dog Walking on Frozen Raritan Bay, 1936

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#49 Crowd Views St. Vincent’s Hospital’s Ambulance on Bard Avenue, Circa 1935

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#50 Wreck of Car Hit by Train at Richmond Avenue Crossing in Port Richmond, 1935.

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#51 New Playground Opens on Virginia Avenue Between Bay St. and Vermont Avenue, Rosebank, 1936.

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#52 Commuters Board Staten Island Coach Buses, St. George Terminal, Circa 1934.

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#53 Miller Field, New Dorp, Circa 1935: Members of 27th Division Aviation Pose for a Photo Before Takeoff.

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#54 Student Jacob Wade Uses a Power Hacksaw, McKee Vocational High, 1935.

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#55 Thompson’s Stadium Scene of New Dorp-Curtis High School Football Games, 1938.

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#56 Privates at Miller Field, New Dorp, part of the Staten Island Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area, circa 1930s.

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#57 Children Play in the Snow on a Walker Park Slide; Park Holds a Distinguished Place in the History of New York Cricket and Tennis, 1936

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#58 First Parade Balloon Resembling a Real Person: Eddie Cantor, 1934.

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#59 Pilots of Air National Guard at Miller Field, New Dorp, 1935.

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#60 Frank Dickson & Robert Mathewson treat an Opossum at the Staten Island Zoo Hospital, 1936.

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#61 Bungalows along Shore Avenue in Princes Bay, 1939.

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#62 Swimmers in the polluted water of the Kill Van Kull at the foot of Arlington Avenue, Mariners Harbor, circa 1933.

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#63 Array of bi-planes, part of the U.S. Army’s 27th Division Aviation, operated out of Miller Field in the 1930s.

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#64 Youngsters enjoy Schmul Park’s wide open spaces after opening day, 1938.

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#65 Early aviators near Hangar 38 at Miller Field in New Dorp, a U.S. Army facility, 1938.

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#66 Funeral procession, 100 Central Avenue, St. George, 1935.

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#67 Westerleigh Running Back William ‘Bill’ Shakespeare Starred at Notre Dame, One of the Greatest Games in College Football History, 1935.

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#68 King and Queen from the Oakwood Labor Day Celebration, 1930.

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#69 Ann Askins, Marion Kotyza, Helen Loos, Buddy Loos, and Gladys Kotyza Pose at South Beach, Circa 1939.

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#70 Boys Sift Sand Under Crumbling Lindsay Hotel on Great Kills Beach, Searching for Treasures, 1936.

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#71 Swimming at Midland Beach in the ’30s; Largest Saltwater Pool on the East Coast, 1930s.

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#72 Midland Beach Baby Parade, Popular Event, 1933.

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#73 Staten Island celebrated Memorial Day in 1934 with parades, veterans’ services, and other activities, featuring three Civil War survivors, 1934.

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#74 Who remembers what the Midland Beach Boardwalk and Ferris Wheel used to look like, 1930?

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#75 Clearing Ice from Lemon Creek for Shellfish Trips in the Lower Bay, January 1939.

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#76 The Todt Hill Ski Jump, the only one within 50 miles of Times Square, located near Little Clove Road, 1936.

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#77 Horseback riding at Clove Lakes Stables founded in mid-1930s by Franzreb family, closed in late 1980s

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#78 Police cleared skaters off Martlings Pond due to thin ice, taking 30 minutes and resulting in summonses for four boys who refused to leave, 1935.

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#79 Staten Island’s semi-pro football team, the Stape Arrows, posed at Thompson’s Stadium, circa 1938.

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#80 Fun fact: First-ever Mickey Mouse balloon designed with Walt Disney’s help, 1934.

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#81 Opening of the Bayonne Bridge in 1931 with residents eager to cross, first car being a 1928 Rolls Royce driven by the mayor of Bayonne, 1931.

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#83 Great Kills Hotel, Pictured in 1947, Known as Fitzgerald’s in the 1930s.

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