The 1930's era was the time of the Great Depression but it was also a time of significant cultural change, much of it related to entertainment. A major portion of the population was dealing with mere survival but people still wanted their distractions. The tedium of having little or no employment drove hoards of people to see movies like Gone With the Wind, or to buy a radio to listen to such favorites as Fibber McGee and Molly, The Shadow, or The Lone Ranger. Monopoly was all the rage, Dale Carnegie wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People, and the Lindy Hop got its start in Harlem’s Savoy Room. There were numerous worlds fairs. The best of these were the Chicago Century of Progress in 1933 and the 1939 New York’s World Fair.
The Johnson Smith catalog and their products did very well during this time. The company had two things going for it; they sold entertainment, and it was cheap. But, this was not enough without some tweaking by Alfred. Until the mid-1930's the major advertising vehicle for Johnson Smith was Popular Mechanics. Comic books were introduced about 1934 and were an instant success. The company quickly shifted much of its advertising money to this new medium. As a result most people remember their Johnson Smith experience from comic books.
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Catalog number 137 
Catalog number 140
Catalog number 145
Catalog number 148