Berkeley and the New Deal

by Harvey L. Smith

Overview

Berkeley's 1930s and early 1940s New Deal structures and projects left a lasting legacy of utilitarian and beautiful infrastructure. These public buildings, schools, parks, and artworks helped shape the city and thus the lives of its residents; it is hard to imagine Berkeley without them. The artists and architects of these projects mention several themes: working for the community, responsibility, the importance of government support, collaboration, and creating a cultural renaissance. These New Deal projects, however, can be called "hidden history" because their legacies have been mostly ignored and forgotten. Comprehending the impact of the New Deal on one American city is only possible when viewed as a whole. Berkeley might have gotten a little more or a little less New Deal funding than other towns, but this time it wasn't "Bezerkeley" but very much typical and mainstream. More than history, this book shows the period's relevance to today's social, political, and economic realities. The times may again call for comprehensive public policy that reaches Main Street.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467132398
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	10/13/2014
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,064,328
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Harvey L. Smith has been researching this part of Berkeley's history for more than two decades. The images in this volume have been selected from local and national archives and from the author's contemporary photographs of the living legacy of the New Deal.

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

Acknowledgments 7

Introduction 8

1 Democratizing Recreation and Creating Parks 11

2 Civic Pride Expressed in Public Buildings 39

3 Schools, Libraries, and Democratic Education 51

4 Art for the Masses 65

5 Entertainment and Culture 97

6 Innovative New Deal Projects 107

7 A Legacy for the Future 121

Bibliography 126

New Deal Organizations 127