15 Photos of the 1929 Stock Market Crash and the Desperation It Caused

Written by Colby Droscher on updated
A man in a suit and bowler hat leans on a vintage car, holding a sign that reads, "$100. Will buy this car. Must have cash, lost all on the stock market." Other vintage cars are parked on the street behind him.

The 1929 stock market crash wasn’t just a financial collapse; it was the moment the Roaring Twenties came to a screeching halt. In a matter of days, fortunes were wiped out, optimism turned to panic, and an era of boundless prosperity gave way to the Great Depression. These 15 photos capture the raw desperation of the time, from the chaos on Wall Street to the everyday Americans who suddenly found themselves in breadlines, struggling to survive in a world that had changed overnight.

The Great Depression that followed was the longest and most severe economic downturn in modern history. Lasting for over a decade, from 1929 until the early 1940s, it reshaped the world, leading to massive unemployment, bank failures, and widespread poverty. It wasn’t until World War II that the economy truly recovered, but for those who lived through it, the scars of financial ruin and hardship never fully faded.

1. A crowd gathering on Wall Street after the 1929 crash.

A black-and-white photo of a busy city street in the 1920s or 1930s, filled with people and early 20th-century cars. Large crowds are gathered, and the street is bustling with activity, capturing the energy of an urban setting.
SSA.gov / Public Domain

2. Front page of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on Thursday, October 24, 1929.

Front page of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, dated October 24, 1929. The headline reads "Wall St. in Panic as Stocks Crash." Articles cover events like attempted assassination in Italy, Hollywood fire, and financial turmoil.
eaglemaxie

3. Wall Street clerks worked long hours to compute the gains and losses during the crash.

Historic black-and-white photo of a crowded office with men in suits. Many are using phones and holding papers, seemingly engaged in lively discussions. The room is brightly lit with hanging lamps. The atmosphere is bustling and intense.
Bettmann / Getty

4. A crowd standing around trying to read the news of the beginning of the crash on October 24th, 1929.

A crowded group of men standing on a street, many wearing hats and suits, gather tightly to read a newspaper. The scene has a vintage or historical feel, with an emphasis on news and community interest. A blurred figure walks by in the foreground.
Bettmann / Getty

5. Wall Street on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929.

A vintage black-and-white photograph shows a bustling street scene with numerous cars and a large crowd of people surrounded by tall buildings, capturing a lively moment in an early 20th-century city.
Defiant-Skeptic

6. “Scene of near-panic as hundreds of bewildered investors gather at the New York Stock Exchange on Black Tuesday during the Wall Street stock market crash on October 29, 1929.”

Black and white photo of a large crowd gathered outside a grand building with tall columns, possibly a financial institution. People wear early 20th-century clothing, including hats and overcoats. Some hold signs, suggesting a protest or significant event.
myrmekochoria

7. Traders rushing around on the New York Stock Exchange floor on October 29, 1929.

Vintage black-and-white photo of a bustling stock exchange floor filled with people in suits. Some are seated at desks, while others stand in groups. Large, arched windows and hanging lamps are visible above.
AFP/Getty

8. “A janitor sweeping the New York Stock Exchange floor following the crash in 1929.”

A person sweeps the floor amidst piles of scattered paper in a large, empty room with high ceilings and numbered sections. The scene appears chaotic, with papers covering nearly the entire floor.
frecklefactor

9. “Crowd at New York’s American Union Bank during a bank run early in the Great Depression.”

A large crowd of people gathers outside the American Union Bank in a 1930s city street scene. The bank’s entrance and a vintage delivery truck are visible. The crowd appears to be anxiously waiting or protesting, capturing a moment of financial history.
National Archives

10. Stock Market workers at Tobey and Kirk’s office in NYC studied the ticker tape on October 25th to see if there was any improvement from the night before.”

Stock Market workers studying the ticker tape on October 25th, 1929.
Bettmann / Contributor

11. “Man forced to sell his car after losing almost all of his money during the Stock Market Crash of 1929.”

A man in a suit, leaning against a vintage car, holds a sign reading "$100. Will buy this car. Must have cash. Lost all on the stock market," in a city street scene from the early 20th century. Several cars are visible in the background.
IcecreamPete

12. Former millionaire “Champagne Fred” Bell selling apples at his stand on a street corner in San Francisco after losing everything after the stock market crash.”

An elderly man in a suit stands by a fruit stand on a city street. He holds a cane and some apples, with a sign reading "Unemployed Buy Apples" nearby. A vintage car is parked in the background.
post_scriptor

13. Men waiting outside a soup kitchen owned by Al Capone in 1930. It was called “Big Al’s Kitchen for the Needy.”

A black and white photo shows a long line of people in coats and hats waiting outside a building under a sign that reads, "Free Soup, Coffee & Doughnuts for the Unemployed." The line curves around the building's entrance.
Bettmann / Getty

14. A truckload of unemployed men protest at the White House to appeal for Federal Aid.

A group of men, several seated on and around a truck with a sign reading "We Want Work," stand in front of the U.S. Capitol building at night. They wear work clothes, and the image conveys a historical atmosphere.
Bettmann / Getty

15. “William I. Sirovich, Heywood Brown, and Reverend Raymond Brown hand out packages of food to the jobless outside St. Peter’s Mission in New York City in 1930.”

A group of men in suits and overcoats distribute loaves of bread from crates to a line of people. The scene takes place outside a building with a sign that reads "St Peter's..." in the background. Many people are wearing hats and coats.
Bettmann / Getty

Keep exploring the intersection of history and money

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