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myguitar_lola t1_izavoyi wrote

Looking for cinema/documentaries about 1910-1929 farming

I'm learning a ton about 1929+, but I'd like to know how my grandmother lived in the 00s-20s. They had a farm in NE Oklahoma, moved from Southern Kansas In 1902.

The TV/Movie Christy (90s) covers some of what I've heard regarding poverty, shoes, rural ethics, etc, but they're set in Tennessee. Tv/movie Sarah Plain and Tall (90s) shows some small farm life. I couldn't find much about how common this storyline was in real life- advertising for a wife.

Been watching docs about Tulsa, other cities, during that time, but can't find good stuff about basic farm life.

I've dug out everything possible so far from my tree on ancestry.com, and I'm still working through the Oklahoma historical websites.

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DonkeyDonRulz t1_izov6n9 wrote

Watch ken Burns "the dust bowl".

Not much changed on the frontier in that time I imagine. My family grew up in Illinois/Iowa farm country , and I don't think the horse really even got supplanted until WW2, judging by family photos.

Look for 1918 flu documentaries, I saw one that discussed the progression, and panic in small Midwest America in as in it spread from that army base. Quarantine photos and photos of towns keeping guard and what not.

I feel like another ken Burns show touched on the Midwest in that period, possibly "prohibition", or the jack Johnson one.. they're all spectacular documentaries, so you can't lose.

Also,.just found this website that sorts clips from his shows, sorted by dates, areas, characters

The 1920s: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/unum/playlist/1920s#19th-amendment

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myguitar_lola t1_izoxm51 wrote

I looove the ken burns specials! I also really liked an older doc called Surviving the Dust Bowl. I found the first hand accounts so immersive mostly bc they told stories from their childhood perspective. "Daddy" instead of "my father".

I also watched a few on the polio outbreaks in the early 20th century bc my grandmother had polio as a child and post polio as an older adult. That rocked my world. I actually never knew much about it.

Omg that timeline is amazing!!! When I get home I'll check to see if my PBS app shows that.

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Rocketgirl8097 t1_izaznsv wrote

Dont know about movies but maybe the prairie book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder? Could probably find lots of books if you are willing to read.

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myguitar_lola t1_izb4lq8 wrote

I tried both the show/movie and the first few books, but it just didn't match the things I know so far. Real bummer bc there's a ton of those stories these days.

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