The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Road Trip Time Warp

NewDealNRA.jpg
I was driving east on Highway 72 toward Corinth, Mississippi a few days ago, and I passed a late model pickup truck with Mississippi tags and a large NRA decal in the rear window.  Many of you may think there is nothing unusual about seeing a truck in a rural Southern area with an NRA sticker, and you would be right - except it was not that NRA.  The design on the truck was not that of the National Rifle Association, but instead that of the National Recovery Administration, a New Deal agency established by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 to help the country out of the Great Depression.  The decal was solid white on the black-tinted rear truck window, and the design matched the poster above, down to the "We do our part" motto. 

The NRA ceased operations in 1935.  I spend my time wandering through places looking for items related to the 1930s and 1940s, and I have only seen the old NRA logo appear a few rare times on pins or posters at antique stores or flea markets.  To see a new, laser-cut vinyl decal of this design on a fairly new pickup truck in North Mississippi was enough to make me do a double-take.  If I ever see that truck again, I am definitely going to inquire about the decal.  The owner must have a special reason for displaying such an unusual design.

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