“Crash!” highlights the impact that the period of The Great Depression had on the lives of the people of Nebraska, especially those living throughout the Platte River Valley. From the stock market crash in October of 1929, until the onset of World War II in the late 1930s and early 1940s, average Americans faced numerous and unprecedented challenges from a range of social and environmental issues, a situation not unlike America in the 2020s.

While The Great Depression tends to bring to mind images and stories of hardship and struggles, we have also chosen to include stories of hope and resilience shown by the people who lived during this time. Throughout the exhibit, you will see items from their lives, pictures of their families, businesses, and more, as well as newspaper headlines and articles that illustrate what was happening during this time in history. To some, the culture surrounding The Great Depression might be hard to grasp, but in many cases, we’re not that far removed. These people are our parents, our grandparents, our great-grandparents, or maybe even some of our current visitors who were children during this time.

As you explore the exhibit, we urge you to reflect on how the themes of The Great Depression might relate to your lives today. Take a moment to write a headline inspired by your life today on our magnetic letter wall. As you look at the burglar alarm of days gone by, consider how you keep your family and workplaces safe. People during this period got their news from newspapers and radio, as well as word of mouth, but where do you get your news from today? While this is a heavy subject, we’ve enjoyed finding ways to bring these stories to you this summer, and we hope you’ll enjoy interacting with this exhibit, too!

Future Exhbits

MAY 27 – AUGUST 20	SEPTEMBER 2 – NOVEMBER 12	NOVEMBER 24 – JANUARY 2	December 2 – February 11