Free Library Of Philadelphia: For The Greatest Number: The New Deal Revisited

Press release from the Free Library of Philadelphia:

August 31, 2021

It’s been ninety years since the crisis of the Great Depression inspired the New Deal’s government investment and aid. But it’s not just history. The country is again facing a choice: What do we owe our neighbors? What does our country owe us?

The Great Depression was a national crisis that affected everyone—but not equally. Inherited wealth and white supremacy have a long history of making bad times less bad for those with privilege. Here in Philadelphia, unemployment was double the rate of the surrounding suburbs, nearly 100,000 people were evicted, and the city provided no organized relief.

The art and objects funded by New Deal programs show us how workers shaped the country in the 1930s. The posters and prints are beautiful, but they are also an argument about our national values. How does the continuing legacy of white supremacy shade claims about equal rights? Is hard work the highest good? Do we care about the land, or our neighbors, or the future? We hope visitors to the exhibit or its programs are inspired to think about these questions and the ways in which the people of the United States have faced crises before, and how we can face today’s crises.

You can visit our newest exhibition, For the Greatest Number: The New Deal Revisited, in person on the Third Floor of Parkway Central Library, Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. You can also explore historic objects from the Library’s collections online or attend free programs around the city.

For the Greatest Number: The New Deal Revisited was curated by Caitlin Goodman and Laura Stroffolino. The exhibit and its related programming are made possible by generous support from the Independence Foundation and the IFPDA Foundation. Special thanks to our content reviewers: Bill Brookover, Brent Cebul, Kate Goodman, Marija Gudauskas, and Diane Turner. We’d also like to thank Megan Grimm and Margot Whipps for their design work. This exhibition would not have been possible without the work of many Free Library divisions, including Central Public Services, Collection Care, Communications, Digital Development, Graphics, Institutional Giving, and Special Collections.

This press release was produced by the Free Library of Philadelphia. The views expressed here are the author’s own.