Following the stock market crash of 1929, the Great Depression became the term used to describe the worldwide economic crisis of the 1930's. In the early 1930's, president Hoover attempted to fight this economic depression by establishing programs such as the Federal Reserve System and the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC). By 1932, little progress was made by Hoover's desperate attempts to "cure", in a sense, the American economy.
This kit focuses on three inventors who greatly furthered the advancement of imaging technologies during the late 19th century and early 20th century. George Eastman was the father of popular photography—putting affordable, easy to use cameras into the hands of the masses. His roll film greatly impacted Thomas Edison’s motion picture devices. Wilhelm Roentgen invented x-ray photography, which is still an invaluable tool in the medical field. This kit can be used to initiate discussions about inventors’ ingenuity and hard work, as well as how different inventions interrelate. This material is helpful to discuss technological advancements, how they impact our lives, and how the world would be a different place without them.