Prices and Wages by Decade: 1910-1919
Links to government documents and primary sources listing retail prices for products and services, as well as wages for common occupations.
Wages in the United States, 1910-1919
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WAGES -- GENERAL SOURCES (all occupations and worker types)
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Union wages and hours of labor, 1907-1919Wage data is arranged by occupation and then by city. Example keywords to search on: ship carpenters, machinists, soft-drink establishment employees, waiters, motion picture machine operators, electricians, brewers, chauffeurs, stablemen, roofers, stonemasons, iron, newspaper, painters, plumbers, bookbinders. Some rows specify wages for females (see gender listed next to job title on this example page for laundry work.)
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Union wages by city, 1907-1921The advantage of this table is that it shows wage rates for all the years from 1907-1921 together, so one can easily see changes over time. Lists union wages by city and then by occupation. Cities include Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Francisco and Seattle. The limited number of union jobs listed here tend to fall into the building trades, metal work, and manufacturing.
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War and postwar prices and wages, 1914-23 and 1939-44Compares wage rates and hours of work for the WWI and WWII eras, focusing specifically on the manufacturing, mining, railroad, printing and maritime industries, as well as farm labor wages. Discussion puts wage data in context with price levels which were definitely affected by the wars.
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Wages paid to workers placed by employment offices, 1918Wages shown for these occupations in many cities across the U.S.: blacksmiths, boilermakers, bricklayers, carpenters, cleaning women, male cooks, female cooks, drivers and teamsters, dock laborers, farm hands, hod carriers, house servants, inside wiremen, laborers, laundry operators (male and female), machinists, molders, painters, plasterers, plumbers, saleswomen, seamstresses, sewing machine operators, stenographers (male and female), structural iron workers, telephone switchboard operators, waiters, waitresses, “casual workers” (male and female).
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Negroes - Wages by occupation, 1890-1920Use the table of contents to find the chapter on the type of job, then use the "Jump to..." box to get to that page in the volume. This book, The Negro Wage Earner cites government wage data. Note that the U. S. Census report Negroes in the United States (1904) shows the most common occupations for Negroes in 1890 and 1900.
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Negro and white worker wages compared, 1918-1919Compares wages and hours of white and Negro workers, by occupation. Source: The Negro at Work During the World War... pp. 45-48, U.S. Dept of Labor.
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Black worker wages, 1910sThe government report Negro Migration in 1916-1917 discusses the reasons for Black exodus to northern cities, comparing wages in each place. Wages are discussed extensively in this volume. For best results, enter "wages" in the "Search in this text" box. Source: U.S. Dept of Labor, Division of Negro Economics.
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Wages by occupation for Black persons in St. Louis, 1914Wages and average annual earnings by occupation are shown in the book Industrial conditions among Negroes in St. Louis, appendixes B and C, pp. 113-123.
Wages by occupation, 1910-1919
See job duties and qualifications in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Descriptions of Occupations, published 1918.
- Architects' earnings, ca. 1914
"Architects ask from $75 to $100 for designing the average dwelling," according to this page of the Montgomery Ward catalog, Building Plans of Modern Homes. - Building and construction trades - Union wages, 1913-1930
Arranged by occupation and then by city and year, this source shows wages and hours for union bricklayers, building laborers, carpenters, cement finishers, inside granite cutters, hod carriers, inside wiremen, painters, plasterers, plumbers, sheet-metal workers, stonecutters and structural iron workers.
- Carpenter hours and wages by state and city - 1910
Hundreds of towns are included. - Coal mining - Hours and earnings, 1919-1933
- Doctor's earnings, 1914 (Harvard grads only)
Table on p. 60 shows average annual earnings of doctors who graduated from Harvard Medical School between 1901-1910. Explanation of how data was collected. Source.
- Engineers, civil - Compensation in the early 1910s
Data from membership of the American Society of Civil Engineers, as reported in the January 7, 1915 issue of Engineering News. The article refers to an earlier article that appeared in the ASCE Proceedings. Neither are government documents. - Engineering graduates' income by years of experience - 1915
Chart shows average income earned by engineering graduates of an unnamed western state university, broken out by the number of years the person has been out of school.
- Farm workers - Wages and income, 1909 to 1938
The wage rates broken out by year and geographic location. Wages for farm workers are compared to that of factory workers. Article starts on page 59 of the BLS Monthly Labor Review, July 1939 issue. - Farm laborer wages, 1818-1948
ists average monthly earnings with board, by geographic divisions. Data for years: 1818, 1826, 1830, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1909, 1919, 1929, 1940, 1948. Read the explanation and historical context for this table. - Farmers income by state, 1919
Near the bottom of each table, see the number of farms and average income of farms in each state. Scroll forward in the source to see all states. Source: National Bureau of Economic Analysis.
- Government salaries and wages
- Federal
- Congressional salaries, 1789-present
Lists salaries along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase.
- Congressional salaries, 1789-present
- State
- New York state, 1911-1931
This source is entirely about compensation of state and local government employees in New York. See the table of contents for additional tables and discussion. - Missouri, 1917
See the salary of every employee at Missouri state agencies and institutions. The data is reported by occupations such as dentist, druggist, physician, chaplain, cook, night watchmen, cooks, nurses and attendants, professors and teachers. Source: Missouri official manual.
- New York state, 1911-1931
- Local government
- Municipal employee salaries, 1913-1915
Lists salary data for 128 occupations in 14 major U.S. cities. Source: Comparative salary data, published by the Philadelphia Bureau of Municipal Research, 1916. - New Haven, CT city employee salaries from 1873-1921
This series of Municipal Year Books from New Haven, Connecticut, show salaries for police, firemen, school teachers, principals, building inspectors, clerks and other jobs working for city government.
- Municipal employee salaries, 1913-1915
- Federal
- Higher education - Salaries for college teachers and administrators, 1913
For each of the major state universities in the U.S., this source lists the minimum and maximum salaries paid to college professors (associate, assistant and adjunct), deans, instructors in the prep department, and tutors. Source: "Statistics of State Universities and Other Institutions of Higher Education Partially supported By the State for the year ended June 30, 1913; Bulletin 1913, no.60" - Iron and steel industry wages and hours, 1907-1931
- Iron and steel industry workers, 1907-1924
Earnings per hour, customary hours of labor, and actual hours and earnings in one pay period in 1924 are presented in this report for wage earners in ten departments of the iron and steel industry in the United States. Summary figures for preceding years are also shown for each department. - Judicial branch salaries (federal employees), 1908-1922
Arranged geographically, this source shows the salaries of circuit judges, district judges, U.S. marshals, U.S. attorneys and their assistants, deputies, commissioners, court clerks, office boys, messengers, salaries and wages of employees at U.S. penitentiaries, and more. Source: Register of the Department of Justice and the Judicial Officers of the United States. Salaries were listed in this publication up through 1922.
- Lawyers graduated from Harvard - Average annual earnings, 1914
Data taken from a survey Harvard conducted of its own graduates. Shows how much grads earned based on number of years of experience, from 1-10. This is taken from an article comparing lawyers' earnings to that of teachers. It is not a government document. - Lighthouse and light vessels wages, 1916
Reports wages for those who tended lighthouses and who worked on light vessels. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set #7102. - Lumber, millwork, and furniture industries,1907 to 1913 1024271" Figures relating to full-time hours of labor per week and rates of wages per hour are presented for the years 1907 to 1913 inclusive, and for full-time weekly earnings for the years 1910 to 1913 inclusive.
- Lumber, millwork, and furniture industries, wages and hours, 1915
Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 225
- Manufacturing SEE box below for manufacturing wages by industry.
- Military pay for enlisted men in the Marines, Navy and Army, 1917-1920
Many military job titles are listed separately such as electrician, band leader, sergeant major, etc. Pay tables extend from pages 775-782. Source: Soldiers' adjusted compensation: hearings ... Published 1920. - Military pay charts, 1908-1919 (website)
- Nurses - SEE box below for Women's wages by state
- Prisoner of war wages - World War I
Discussion on pages 56-65 of History of Prisoner of War Utilization by the United States Army, 1776-1945. The 1918-1919 Annual Report of the War Department tells that prisoners of war interned at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, were paid 25-35 cents per day.
- Railroad cars, building and repair - Wages, 1907-1913
Covers the rates of wages per hour in each year for the major occupations involved in the building and repairing of steam railroad cars. It also includes tables broken down by state. - Railroad employees rates of pay, 1907-1915
This report contains many tables detailing the rates of pay for railroad employees for the years 1907 to 1915 based on division or railroad company. Includes locomotive engineers, locomotive firemen, conductors, trainmen, baggagemen and brakemen. See the table of contents to find the page number for each railroad company discussed. - Railway (electric) employees - average compensation, 1912, 1917, 1922
Table shows the average compensation per employee paid by electric railways in 1912, 1917, and 1922. Includes officials, managers and superintendents, clerks and stenographers, conductors and motormen. Source: National Wealth and Income. - Railway workers' hours and wages by occupation, 1914-1923
Source: Wages, hours and employment of railroad workers published 1924 by the National Industrial Conference Board.
- Shipbuilding industry wages, 1918
See ship builder pay in 1918, pp. 208-212.
See wage rates by occupation for shipbuilding workers on the Atlantic coast, Gulf coast and Great Lakes districts, and in the Pacific coast shipyards. - Slaughtering and meat-packing industry, wages and hours - 1917
- Street railway employment in the U.S., 1917
Wages, additional compensation, and hours or labor and days worked. For further information on the actual jobs and duties, see also description of occupations in street railway industry.
- Teachers SEE box below for teachers salaries
- Telephone industry - average compensation per employee, 1912, 1917, 1922
Table shows the average compensation per employee in the telephone industry by occupational group (officers, managers, clerks, operators, other) for 1912, 1917, and 1922. Source: National Wealth and Income.
Manufacturing wages, 1910-1919
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Manufacturing industries - Wages, hours and earnings, 1914-1919Reports wages, hours and earnings by occupation and sex for each year from 1914-1919 in the metal, cotton, wool, silk, boot and shoe, paper, rubber, and chemical manufacturing industries. Source: Wartime Changes in Wages by the National Industrial Conference Board.
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Factory employee average annual wages - 1914, 1919Table shows average annual wage per factory employee, by major manufacturing groups, in 1914, 1919, 1921, and 1923 (p. 262). See table 164 on page 264 for average annual wage per factory employee by principal regions.
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Manufacturing industry - Average monthly earnings, 1918-1920Shows breakouts by type of manufacturing operation: automobile manufacture, cigar making, boots/shoe making, men's clothing, iron/steel, hosiery/underwear manufacture, etc. Source: Survey of Current Business. Find additional data by checking other issues of this publication.
WAGES in FOOD MANUFACTURING, 1910s
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Candy makers - Wages in Philadelphia, 1919Most of the workers in this industry were women and girls. The report goes into great detail on the living expenses these workers had, the degree to which they needed to support family members with their wages, and necessary expenditures.
WAGES in CLOTHING MANUFACTURING, 1910s
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Boot and shoe manufacturing - Wages and hours, 1910 to 1932Average hours and earnings by occupation.
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Clothing industry - Wages and hours of labor, 1911 and 1912Rates of wages per hour in cigar manufacturing and clothing manufacturing for the years 1911 and 1912. The tables are broken down by occupation and city.
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Clothing (men's) manufacturing - Wages, 1911 to 1924Tells wages for the years 1911 to 1914, 1919, and 1922. The wage data for this bulletin are from establishments engaged in making men’s outer garments—coats, pants, vests, and over-coats—for the trade, or what is commonly known as men’s ready-made clothing. Special-order and merchant-tailor establishments are not included.
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Clothing (women's) manufacturing - Piece rates, New York City - 1912 and 1913This source goes into detail on how employees were paid for piecework, which could include hemming, button sewing, setting the collars, etc. on women's garments.
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Clothing (cloak, suit, and skirt manufacture) - Wages, 1912-1913Wage data for New York City in manufacturer association shops and non-association shops. Source also shows wages for workers in Boston in association shops. See chart showing the difference in pay for males and females in Boston shops.
WAGES in TEXTILE MANUFACTURING, 1910s
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Cotton goods manufacturing and finishing industry - Wages and hours, 1916Workers in this industry engaged in spinning, weaving, dyeing, bleaching and printing fabrics in addition to other tasks involved in preparing cloth. Shows data by state for 1914 and 1916.
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Cotton, woolen, and silk industry wages, 1890-1912These workers engaged in spinning, weaving, printing, dyeing and otherwise performing tasks for the manufacture of fabrics. Shows hourly wages and typical hours per week.
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Woolen goods manufacturing - Wages and hours of labor, 1910 to 1930Average earnings and hours worked for workers in woolen and worsted goods manufacturing in 15 states.
WAGES in FURNITURE MANUFACTURING, 1910s
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Furniture manufacturing industry - Wages and hours, 1910 to 1929Average and classified earnings by occupations. Hours worked, overtime and bonuses. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 526
WAGES in CIGAR MANUFACTURING, 1910s
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Cigar industry - Wages and hours of labor, 1911 and 1912Rates of wages per hour in cigar manufacturing and clothing manufacturing for the years 1911 and 1912. The tables are broken down by occupation and city.
Teacher salaries by location, 1910-1919
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- Average salaries of teachers in 1914-1915
- Average annual teacher salaries by city, 1917-1918. Source: Table #61 in Biennial survey of education in the U.S. See also this data as a graph.
- Teacher salary schedules in 1918-1919
- Estimated salaries and cost of living for teachers by state, 1918. Shows average salaries, estimated needed salaries, as well as total and estimated expenditures. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1919
TEACHER SALARIES in CALIFORNIA, 1910s
Most data is broken out by women and men teachers.
- 1911-1912
- Kindergarten teacher salaries (100% women teachers)
- Elementary school teacher salaries
- High School teacher salaries
- 1913-1914
- Kindergarten teacher salaries (100% women teachers)
- Elementary school teacher salaries
- High school teacher salaries
- 1915-1916
- 1918
- For additional California school reports dating from 1866-1937, see the record in Hathi Trust.
TEACHER SALARIES in GEORGIA, 1910s
- 1911
- School teacher salary general summary (see "Statistical Summary")
- School teacher salaries by county and by male/female
- 1915 and 1916
- Statewide summary of teacher salaries by race and sex
- School teacher salaries by county, and further broken out by race and sex of teacher
- 1919
- School teacher salary statewide averages by race and sex of teacher, broken out by grammar school and high school
- For additional Georgia school reports dating from 1879-1922, see the Hathi Trust record.
TEACHER SALARIES in MISSOURI, 1910s
- 1911-1912
- Average salary per month (male, female and general) by county. This table spans three pages, 104 to 106.
- Statewide average salary per month by sex.
- Average annual salary (male, female and general) by type of high school maintained and for schools not in villages, towns or cities. Table headings can be found on pervious page.
- Average annual salary (male, female and general) in town versus country schools.
- For additional Missouri school reports dating from 1868/1869-1936/1937, see the Hathi Trust record.
TEACHER SALARIES in TEXAS, 1910s
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Texas school personnel salaries (white only), 1872-1953Chart shows annual salaries for all school personnel in Texas without breakouts for occupation, years of training, years of experience, etc. Note: these figures likely include administrator pay in the averages.
Wages by state, 1910-1919
WAGES in CALIFORNIA, 1910s
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Weekly earnings in California, 1913Tables from California's Bureau of Labor Statistics show how much men and women earned across all industries. By paging forward in the report, one can find breakouts for many individual industries.
WAGES in MASSACHUSETTS, 1910s
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Wages by occupation in Massachusetts, 1910This book collects very detailed statistics of hourly and weekly wages by industry and locality in the state of Massachusetts.
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Boston - Changes in wages, 1914-1920Shows changes in weekly and hourly wages for workers within unionized industries in Boston between 1914 and 1920. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1920
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Lawrence, MA - Textile industry wages, 1911This report contains detailed tables showing average hourly rates of wages by occupation, sex, and age group at cotton and woolen and worsted mills in Lawrence, MA in November 1911. Chapter Two discusses wages, hours, and conditions in the textile mills in depth.
WAGES in MISSOURI, 1910s
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Missouri - Average weekly wages by occupation, 1914Shows average weekly wages for a number of occupations such as bakers, breweries, electricians, machinists, stevedores, teamsters, and more. Source: 1914 Missouri Workmen's Compensation Commission report, pp. 110-113.
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Farm labor wages in Missouri, 1866-1930Shows average farm labor wage in Missouri with and without board, during harvest time or at other times. Source: Missouri State Dept of Agriculture.
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St. Louis city employee salaries and wages, 1913This city directory lists individual city employees, their occupations and pay. It does not show salary averages. Tip: enter an occupation in the "Search in this text" box. Source: List of officers and employes of the city of St. Louis.
WAGES in MICHIGAN, 1910s
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Grand Rapids, MI - Furniture manufacturing workers, 1910Rates of pay (per day) for engineers, foremen, cabinet makers, cabinetmakers' helpers, carvers, finishers, machine hands, unskilled laborers, and boys at the Grand Rapids Chair Company. Average earnings of pieceworkers are reported on the next page.
WAGES in NEW YORK, 1910s
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Wages and hours for all union occupations in New York state - 1912Shows wages by occupation and town in New York state, and shows the separate wages for men and women. This truly amazing source has an extensive list of occupations, including those seldom seen in other documents: theatrical costumers, musicians for silent movie shows, orchestral musicians, house movers, hearse drivers, piano movers, writers working at newspapers (journalists), sail makers, photo-engravers, bartenders in saloons, elevator men in hotels, and thousands more.
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African Americans' earnings in New York City, ca. 1912Occupations are discussed in chapter 4 and wages in chapter 5. There is also a section on Negro business enterprises on pages 93-142. Source: The Negro at work in New York city; a study in economic progress, a Columbia University publication.
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Theatrical occupations in NYC, 1913-1914Shows pay for those involved in "1st class New York City productions" including actors of various levels (from chorus to leads) as well as directors, designers, musicians, scene painters, stage hands, etc. Source: The Business of the Theater, pp. 199-203.
WAGES in OHIO, 1910s
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Ohio - Average annual wages and salaries by occupation, 1916-1932The "Service Industries" chapter in this source breaks out wages paid to workers in hospitals, hotels, bowling alleys, theaters, parks, churches, country clubs, athletic clubs and yacht clubs, advertising agencies, banks, laundries, schools/colleges, and restaurants (making no distinction between waiters, cooks or bus boys). Lists wages paid to auto mechanics, office workers, window cleaners, barbers and hairdressers, bartenders in saloons, domestic servants, people working in social agencies, and more. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin, No. 613. Check the Table of Contents page for even more wages in manufacturing and construction industries and for people working in retail trades and in transportation.
WAGES in VERMONT, 1910s
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Farm labor in Vermont - Wages, 1780s-1937Table 26 shows daily wages for laborers, with board for every year from 1780-1937; the explanation begins on page 43. Source: Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station.
WAGES in PENNSYLVANIA, 1910s
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Teenagers' occupations and wages by race in Philadelphia, 1912Special study of the occupations and wages of students aged 13-19 years old from two schools. One school (Potter) had white students and the other (Durham) had "colored." This report gives detail on each student's age, job, race and pay.
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Philadelphia pay rates by occupation, 1915Shows pay data for private firms. Occupations include bookkeepers, clerks, messengers, office boys, stenographers, custodians, storekeepers, watchmen, inspectors, cooks, drivers, electricians, elevator operators, machinists, photographers, nurses, unskilled laborers and more. Source: Comparative salary data, pp. 33-47.
Wages by sex, 1910-1919
U. S. Army nurses earned $720-$960 annually in 1918
Click tabs above for individual states.
Because women's wages varied a great deal around the country in the 1910s, most wage data is reported by state. In addition to the state-by-state links below, see also the links further above for school teachers, clothing manufacture and laundry work, as women workers were heavily concentrated in those jobs. See list of the most common occupations for women in 1910 and 1920, outside of agricultural work.
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Army nurse corps pay, 1918The pay for nurses was $720 annual for the first period of three years' service, $780 for the second period of three years' service, $840 for the third period of three years' service, $900 for the fourth period of three years' service, and $960 after twelve years' service in the Army Nurse Corps. See congressional statute establishing pay rates.
WOMEN'S WAGES in CALIFORNIA, 1910s
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California - Women's wages, hours and working conditions in 1911There is much information in this 522-page report, especially about working conditions. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 96
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Changes in women's median wages in California, 1914-1925The purpose of this chapter is to show changes in wages around the time that minimum wage laws were being passed. For simplicity, look for tables giving median values. "First quartile" and "third quartiles" are statistical terms explained on page 334.
WOMEN'S WAGES in WASHINGTON, D.C., 1910s
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District of Columbia - Women's wages in 1913Reports hours and wages for women working in retail stores, factories, hotels, restaurants and offices. Some occupations include cashier, saleswoman, laundry worker, baker, shirt maker, seamstress, milliner, typist, waitress, maid, dishwasher, bookkeeper. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set volume 6460.
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District of Columbia - Changes in women's median wages by industry, 1919-1922Source: Bulletin of the Women's Bureau No. 61, 1928
WOMEN'S WAGES in INDIANA, 1910s
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Indiana - Women's wages in mercantile and garment factories, early 1910sAlso discusses hours and working conditions. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 160, published 1914.
WOMEN'S WAGES in KANSAS, 1910s
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Kansas - Changes in women's median wages by industry, 1916-1924Source: Bulletin of the Women's Bureau No. 61, 1928.
WOMEN'S WAGES in MARYLAND, 1910s
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Maryland - Women's wages, hours and working conditions in 1911There is much information in this 522-page report, especially about working conditions. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin No. 96
WOMEN'S WAGES in MASSACHUSETTS, 1910s
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WOMEN'S WAGES in NEW YORK, 1910s
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New York - Union wages and hours for all occupations by sex - 1912In a list that spans pages 448-531, one can see unionized jobs, wages and hours for women listed separately from men. Wages are reported by town/city. Women tend to be clustered in certain fields; click these links to jump directly to the sections: Actors and musicians, Tobacco product manufacture, Public hospital nurses and attendants, Post office clerks, Telegraph operators and clothing factory workers, Printing and bookbindery workers. There are more jobs for female workers throughout this extensive table; check the column labeled "Sex" for the letter F for female.
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Colored women's wages in New York, 1918Study conducted by several civic leagues in collaboration with the YWCA. Source: A New Day for the Colored Woman Worker: A Study of Colored Women in Industry in New York City (published 1919). This is not a government document.
WOMEN'S WAGES in OREGON, 1910s
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Oregon - Minimum wage for women and girls in the 1910sOregon's minimum wage laws for women and girls went into effect in 1913 and 1914. This source documents their actual average earnings before and after the laws took effect. Source: U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bulletin #176.
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Oregon - Changes in women's median wages by industry, 1917-1918Source: Bulletin of the Women's Bureau No. 61, 1928.
WOMEN'S WAGES in PENNSYLVANIA, 1910s
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Pennsylvania - Candy makers in Philadelphia, 1919The report goes into great detail on the workers' living conditions and expenses, and explains how many of them had difficulty living on the low wages.
WOMEN'S WAGES in WASHINGTON, 1910s
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Washington state - Changes in women's median wages by industry, 1913-1914, 1920Source: Bulletin of the Women's Bureau No. 61, 1928.
MINIMUM WAGE for WOMEN, 1910s
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History of state minimum wage laws for women and childrenSee a chart showing rates and detail for Arkansas, Arizona, South Dakota, Utah and Puerto Rico. The first federal minimum wage was not enacted until 1938.
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Changes in women's median wages by state and industry - 1910s-1920sThe purpose of this chapter is to show changes in wages around the time that minimum wage laws for women were being passed. For simplicity, look for tables giving median values. "First quartile" and "third quartiles" are statistical terms explained on page 334.
International wages by country, 1910-1919
Wages in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1910s
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Carpenter wages in English-speaking foreign countries, 1910Foreign countries include England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada. Source: Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 87, Volume XX. Published March 1910.
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European countries - Wages, 1914-1921Covers Great Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. Wages expressed in both foreign currency and dollars. Data gathered by the National Industrial Conference Board (a group of industry associations) which used European government publications for information.
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European countries - Wages and prices, 1900 and 1910Consular reports show wages and salaries by job title for countries including Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Japan, Belgium, Spain and more.
Wages in ARGENTINA, 1910s
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Buenos Aries - Salaries of teachers and government employees, 1900 and 1910Tables show the 1900 and 1910 salaries per year for teachers in public and national schools and for government employees including letter carriers, policemen, and clerks.
Wages in AUSTRALIA, 1910s
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Minimum wages in Sydney and Melbourne, 1914 and 1921Shows wages by occupation grouped by industries, with breakouts for males and females. Source: Monthly Labor Review, June 1922, pp. 82-83.
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Australia - Weekly rate of wages across occupations,1913-1918
Includes bakers, engineers, store clerks, etc. Wages are categorized by industry, occupation, state capital, and sex. Expressed in shillings. Full list of years is provided below:
Wages in AUSTRIA, 1910s
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Salaries of Austrian Civil Service officials, 1910Table shows salaries and allowances of the prime minister, cabinet ministers, supreme court presidents, governors of provinces, and other Austrian officials in 1910.
Wages in CANADA, 1910s
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Canada - Average wages of farm help by provinceCovers the years 1909, 1910 and 1914-1916. Source: Statistics Canada website. More detailed data is available in the Canada Year Book, 1920, pp. 218-219
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Yarmouth, Nova Scotia - Weekly wages of various occupationsThis table, published in 1911, shows wages for various occupations in Nova Scotia, including at cotton mills and iron works and for printers, plumbers, bakers, tailors and tailoresses, barbers, cigar makers, typewriters and stenographers, blacksmiths, carpenters, and masons and plasterers. Some are broken down by sex.
WAGES in CHILE, 1910s
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Coal miner wages in Chile, 1911-1924Shows the daily wages of Chilean miners between 1911 and 1924 in both pesos and the U.S. dollar.
Wages in DENMARK, 1910s
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Denmark - Wages for skilled and unskilled workers, 1914-1920Shows wages in 1914, 1919, and 1920 for both men and women at different skill levels. Expressed in Danish øre. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1920
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Denmark - Changes in wages, 1914-1920Shows wages by occupation for 1914 and 1920 in and outside of Copenhagen. Expressed in Danish øre. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1920, pp. 87-89
Wages in FRANCE, 1910s
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Wages in Frances, 1911-1921Shows average wages for a variety of occupations and industries. Source: Monthly Labor Review Dec 1921, pp. 92-98.
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Roubaix, France - Average labor wages, 1912Table shows average 1912 wage per day, in francs and United States equivalent, for the principal industries and traces in the city of Roubaix. Source: Congressional Serial Set vol. 6184.
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Domestic servants' wages in France, 1913This table shows the wages paid to domestic workers in France in 1913. Wages are divided by occupation or sex and include cooks, valets, coachmen, chambermaids, and general servants.
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Government employees in France - Salaries and wages, 1900 and 1910.Reports the 1900 and 1910 wages (in dollars) for employees in government match and tobacco factories. Source: Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities Vol. 3, pages 1224-1225.
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Havre - Salaries of officials and civil servants, 1900 and 1910Table shows salaries (in dollars) of officials and civil servants in Havre, France for 1900 and 1910. Source: Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities Vol. 3, page 1302.
Wages in GERMANY, 1910s
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Berlin - Salaries and wages of officials and teachers, 1900 and 1910Tables show the minimum and maximum 1900 and 1910 salaries of post-office officials, police officials, fire service employees, and teachers at secondary and primary schools. Also shows per diem wages of the street cleaning and sprinkling service.
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Hamburg - Salaries of public officers, 1900 and 1910This three-page table shows maximum and minimum salaries paid (in marks) to various classes of public officials in the state of Hamburg in 1900 and 1910, including police officers, fire brigade, custom-house officers, court officials and judges, teachers in schools, and in the building department.
Wages in GREAT BRITAIN, 1910s
See tabs above for additional countries
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Wages by occupation in the U.K., 1893-1913Wages reported in UK government documents.
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Wages by occupation and sex in Great Britain, 1914-1921Shows wages for cities in England, Scotland and Wales in British currency. Source: Wages, prices and profits, pp. 48-66.
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Wages by industry in Great Britain, 1914-1921Source: Monthly Labor Review Aug 1922, pp. 93-96.
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Wages in Great Britain, 1914Shows wages in British currency with American equivalents. Source: Monthly Labor Review, Jan 1927, pp. 154-155.
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Municipal employee wages by occupation - U.K., 1912Shows hours and wages for 12 occupations including brick layers, painters, street sweepers etc. on page 1120. Wages of tramway employees (motormen, conductors, inspectors, etc.) begin on page 1111.
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Government employees, letter carriers, teachers etc. - Britain, 1900 and 1910Tables in this report show the 1900 and 1910 salaries (in dollars) of
- British government employees in the House of Lords, House of Commons, Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, Charity Commissioners, Colonial Office, Board of Customs and Excise, Board of Education, Exchequer and Audit Department, General Register Office, Foreign Office, Government Laboratories, Home Office, India Office, Public Record Office, Inland Revenue, Local Government Board, Patent Office, General Post-Office, Board of Trade, Treasury, and War Office
- Letter carriers in London
- Head masters and head mistresses in public schools
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Birmingham - Wages in the post-office service and for teachers - 1900 and 1910This report contains tables showing the scale of wages (minimum and maximum) of Birmingham post-office service employees by rank and the salaries of teachers for the years 1900 and 1910.
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Liverpool - Salaries of post-office employees and teachersTables show salaries of post office employees by class in Liverpool and Birkenhead in 1910 (which were the same as those for 1900) and maximum and minimum salaries of teacher by rank, class, and gender for 1900, 1905, and 1910.
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Manchester - Teacher salaries, 1900 and 1910This section includes tables showing salaries paid to teachers and assistant teachers in the Manchester public schools in 1900 and 1910. It also discusses the additional "cents per unit" head teachers receive based on number of scholars and the earnings of pupil teachers
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Manchester - Salaries of government officials, 1900 and 1910Tables show salaries paid to post-office and other government officials in Manchester in 1900 and 1910. Supplemental tables show salaries of officials employed at the Manchester custom-house and the mercantile marine office at Salford.
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Glasgow, Scotland - Salaries of government employees, 1900 and 1910In Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities, Vol. 3.
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Glasgow, Scotland - Salaries of head masters, 1900 and 1910Salaries of head masters and head mistresses in Glasgow public schools for 1900 and 1910 are given.
Wages in INDIA, 1910s
See tabs above for additional countries
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India - Wages by geographic area and occupation, 1910sShows wages in rupees by provinces and districts for occupations such as agricultural laborer, mason, carpenter, horse-keeper and blacksmith. Scroll forward in the source to find average daily wages in urban areas. Compares wages to data from 1873.
Wages in IRELAND, 1910s
See tabs above for additional countries
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Dublin - Salaries of government officials, 1900 and 1910Table compares pay scales of certain government officials in Dublin for 1900 and 1910.
Wages in JAPAN, 1910s
See tabs above for additional countries
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Salaries of Japanese government officers, 1900 and 1910Comprehensive tables show the salaries per annum (in yen) of Japanese government officers, local government officers at Yokohama, and diplomatic and consular officers.
Wages in MEXICO, 1910s
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District of Mazatlan - Governmental salaries, 1910The municipal budget of for the District of Mazatlan for 1910 details (in Mexican currency) how much was paid to government employees including secretaries, clerks, porters, treasurers, administrators, collectors, school directors and assistants, laborers, gardeners, physicians, surgeons, apothecaries, nurses, watchmen, cooks, pancake bakers, police officers, inspectors, gendarmes, machinists, mayors, wardens, and more. Table continues from page 1333 to page 1353.
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Mexico, Mexico - Salaries of government employees in 1910This report lists the salaries per annum of government employees in Mexico City for 1910.
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Guadalajara - Salaries of post-office employees and teachers, 1910This report gives the 1910 salaries of post-office employees and school teachers in Guadalajara.
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Veracruz - Salaries of city employees, 1910Includes the police force, prison officials, firemen, market inspectors, city engineer, horticulturalist, public education, and city council.
Wages in NORWAY, 1910s
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Norway - Average wages for railroad construction, 1913 & 1917Shows wages for both contracted workers as well as day laborers. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Mar 1919
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Norway - Entrance salaries of business school graduates, 1913-1917Gives the entrance wages for graduates from the business schools in Christiania and Trondhjems, as well as changes for graduates from the ones in Bergen and Stavanger. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Mar 1919
Wages in THE PHILIPPINES, 1910s
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Manilla - Average wages, 1919Both daily and monthly pay for workers in Manilla, Philippines by industry. Expressed in pesos. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1920
Wages in POLAND, 1910s
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Warsaw - Salaries of government employees for 1900 and 1910Lists salaries paid in connection with the offices of the governor-general, the chief of police and the president of Warsaw and for letter carriers in 1900 and 1910.
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Warsaw - Salaries of teachers in the public schools, 1900 and 1910In Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities Vol. 3, p.1281.
Wages in RUSSIA, 1910s
See tabs above for additional countries
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Russia - Wages and cost of living, 1914-1917This article describes the rising cost of food and manufactured products in comparison with wages for the pre-revolutionary period. It includes tables of daily wages and costs of principal foodstuffs. Each are listed in both rubles and US currency.
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St. Petersburg - Salaries of letter carriers and teachers, 1900 and 1910This table shows the salaries (in dollars) of letter carriers and teachers at St. Petersburg in 1900 and 1910.
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Odessa - Wages of laborers, schoolteachers, and merchants, 1910This 1910 report on the cost of living at Odessa, Russia discusses the wages of laborers, the salaries of schoolteachers, and the salaries of those in "ordinary mercantile pursuits."
Wages in SWEDEN, 1910s
See tabs above for additional countries
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Sweden - Wages, early 1910sSee section titled "Labor Conditions and Workmen's Wages" starting on page 632. This is taken from the book Sweden; historical and statistical handbook published in Stockholm by the Swedish government in 1914.
Prices and wages analysis, 1910s
Critical analysis of government methods for collecting and reporting wage data in the 1910s.
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Buying power of wages, 1899-1921The 1922 book Are wages too high? analyzes the buying power of wages, 1899-1921. This was published by the People's Legislative Service. It is not a government publication.
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Wages and salaries in organized industryThis article argues that wage statistics reported by the government were miscalculated and that people actually earned less. The author was a professor from the University of Pennsylvania. Source: Popular Science magazine, May 1915 issue.
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Income in the U.S. - Amount and distributionOne of the best and earliest sources for income information beyond just wage or salary income. Compiled by the staff of the National Bureau of Economic Research and published in 1921.
Significant legislation about wages, 1910s-1920s
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Development of minimum wage laws in the U.S., 1912-1927During the 1910s and 1920s, minimum wage laws were adopted by a handful of states and generally applied only to women and children.
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Minimum wage legislation in the U.S and foreign countriesSource: Bulletin of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 167
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Compensation legislation, 1914-1915Source: Bulletin of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 185.
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Wage payment legislation in the U.S.Source: Bulletin of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 229.
Prices in the United States, 1910-1919
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Average food prices nationwide -- 1913-1919Nationwide average retail prices of staple foodstuffs are provided on pages 62-69.
A box of corn flakes cost 14 cents in 1919. -
Average food prices in major American citites, 1913-1920Shows the change in wholesale and retail price of selected food for Chicago and New York, as well as some for San Francisco and New Orleans. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1920
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Average food prices BY CITY, 1913-1919Includes all the foods listed above, but breaks out the retail prices by city. Note that each table spans the width of TWO pages. See row labels on even-numbered pages.
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Average retail food prices reported annually from 1890-1970This one-page table shows the average retail prices for bread, milk, eggs, meats, fruits, vegetables, coffee, beans, sugar, margarine, etc. each year from 1890-1970. Data collection took place in about 30-60 U.S. cities. Jump to page 193 of this resource for an excellent explanation of the historical table and the methodology of data collection.
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Average food prices nationwide, comparing 1913 and 2013See Table 1 on page 2 which shows nationwide price averages for such staples as milk, bread, coffee, potatoes, bacon, ham and sugar for the years 1913 and 2013. Source: U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
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Average prices paid for butter, eggs, milk and poultry - 1910Tables on pages 1542-1552 detail the average prices paid by customers and retail dealers for butter, eggs, milk, and poultry in 70 specific cities in Jan 1910. Source: Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities, Vol. 3 (Serial Set 5923).
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Average retail prices for food in 24 U.S. cities - 1916The city of Chicago published this report that drew on retail price data collected from food stores in working class neighborhoods in cities around the nation, including Dayton, Columbus, Jersey City, Oakland and 19 other large U.S. cities. Shows average retail prices for 20 food items. Here is another version that shows table pages side by side.
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Food prices by store in selected U.S. cities (NOT averaged), 1912-1913Shows the retail prices for various foods at a number of stores in each city. The stores are not named and the prices are not averaged together. Includes meats, flour, eggs, butter, potatoes, sugar and milk. Bread prices are shown in a separate table.
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Food prices by store in selected U.S. cities (NOT averaged), 1915-1916Tells retail prices of grocery items in various American cities, and even tells the price of various brand names, for example Gold Medal flour, Pillsbury's Best flour, King Arthur flour, etc. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 228.
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Grocery and wine catalog from Bloomingdale's, 1915Shows retail prices for specific brand name products.
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Food prices in New York state, 1912Compares wholesalers' cost and retailers' selling price of dairy products, meats, fruit, vegetables, fish, poultry and staple groceries and canned goods in New York state in 1912.
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Lawrence, MA - Retail prices of meats and groceries, 1911 & 1912Table shows retail prices of meats and groceries at eight firms in Lawrence, MA for November 1911 and March 1912. Note: each table spans two pages. The section spans pages 166-177.
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Flour prices in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois - 1906, 1910, 1911Source analyzes the cost of production and consumer prices for hard winter wheat flour.
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Food prices paid by farmers, 1910-1943Prices paid in rural areas for a pound of butter, coffee, rice, bacon or lard. Also prices for 24-pound sack of flour and 10-pound sack of sugar. Covers the years 1910-1914 (5 year average), 1919,1929, 1939 and 1943.
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Restaurant food and drink prices, 1910sThe New York Public Library has over 3,000 scanned restaurant menus from the 1910-1919 decade. This is not a government resource but it can be useful for spot-checking prices of specific foods or beverages at restaurants.
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Average prices in rural areas, 1914-1919Government source shows average retail prices paid by U.S. farmers for tools, implements and supplies, work gloves, shirts and shoes, shotguns, tobacco, wagons, building materials and household items such as dishes, washtubs and buckets. Source: 1923 USDA Yearbook, Table 679, p. 1150.
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Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalog, 1910Click "more..." for direct links to specific products in the catalog:
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Macy's mail order catalog, 1911Click "more..." for direct links to specific products in the catalog, or see index on page 456.
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Gun prices, 1911Extensive section on guns found in the Thomas J. Conroy Illustrated Catalog and Price List.
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Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog, 1912Find a page number through the index and enter it in the "JUMP TO" box.
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Lawrence, MA - Retail prices of clothing, dry goods, shoes, house furnishings, 1912Tables show retail prices in Lawrence, MA in March 1912. Prices for clothing, dry goods and shoes are reported from 6 firms; prices for household furniture are from 2 firms.
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Bloomingdale's mail order catalog, 1915Shows mail order prices for a clothing, jewelry, home decor, linens and furnishings, musical instruments and more.
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Factory price catalog, 1915Mail order catalog shows kitchen ranges, stoves, furnaces, furniture, farm tools and wagons, harness and more. See index. J. M. Shaft mail order company.
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Sporting gear and clothing prices - 1916Abercrombie & Fitch mail order catalog for Christmas, 1916.
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Catalog of ladies' under garments, blouses, etc. - 1917Catalog lists prices for ladies' underwear and nightgowns but also has some girls' and babies' clothes. Source: Newcomb, Endicott and Co. Magazine of Fashion, Undermuslin, 1917.
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Average retail price of fabric in 45 cities - 1917Includes calico, gingham, muslin, percale, flannel, etc. Scroll forward in the source to see the full list of cities.
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Prices of sheets and blankets by U.S. city - 1917-1919See price of sheets and blankets in Table G, spanning pages 449-461.
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Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog, 1918Click "more..." for direct links to specific products in the catalog:
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Average consumer expenditure for individual articles of clothing, 1918-1919Check expenditure tables carefully for the column labeled "average expenditure per article" to get a rough figure on the amount paid for individual items. Note that Table C is divided by type of family member. Following "Husbands" comes Male Children 15 and older, then Male Children aged 12-15, then Male Children ages 8-12, etc. The section for clothing worn by wives starts on page 183, with female children clothing following, broken out by age groups. Time period for this study: July 1918-Feb 1919. Source: Cost of Living in the United States, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Farm implement prices, 1914-1918Federal report shows average annual prices for plowshares, walking plows, hay loaders, cultivators, farm wagons, barbed wire, corn binders, mowers and more.
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Book prices, 1872-1922Each issue of the serial publication Publishers' Weekly shows prices of newly published books, music, and periodicals in both the United States and abroad.
Click 'more...' below for issues from 1910-1919.
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Average rent by city, 1918-1919Data is broken out by income of the renters. Data provided for both large cities and small towns (see list), with further breakouts for the number of rooms and number of occupants in the dwelling. Covers 1918-1919 only. Note: This is a long table; it will be necessary to scroll forward. Source: Cost of Living in the United States, BLS Bulletin #357.
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Room and board rates for federal workers in Washington DC, 1917-18Discusses the 1918 federal housing plan that provided housing for war industry workers, including women workers in the District of Columbia, who paid $45 per month for a room and two meals per day. Photos and further description of the buildings' interiors and exteriors were published in the Oct 1919 issue of the Monthly Labor Review.
HOME PLANS with ESTIMATED COSTS
Note: Some of these home plan catalogs estimate only the cost of materials based on prices in a particular city. The ones that do include labor costs generally add disclaimers based on fluctuating labor rates. The front matter of each catalog usually includes some explanation.
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"Building Plans of Modern Homes," with costs for materials and labor, 1914Montgomery Ward building plan catalog includes estimated, itemized costs of materials and labor for about 80 homes generally in the 1-4 bedroom range, garages, summer cottages, carriage houses featuring horse stalls, and barns.
This 1914 home catalog included estimated costs to build -
Home catalog - Montgomery Ward, 1916The cost of materials for each home is printed in large type at the top of each page. Check under "General Specifications" for an estimated cost to build the home, which will include the cost of labor, brick, plaster, cement and other items not provided by Montgomery Ward. Note that plumbing and heating costs are listed separately as additional options.
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Sears home plans with estimated costs to build, 1908-1939The Sears Archive site has digitized some pages from their home plan catalogs. Selected entries in their list are clickable. Shows drawing of the home, floor plan, and estimated cost to build.
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Cost to construct houses, by type of material - 1915The Building Estimator's Reference Book gives detailed costs for the labor and materials for the construction of houses and office buildings.
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Home modernization and upgrades, 1910-1911The 1910 Sears catalog listed many items for outfitting and upgrading one's home, including telephones, gas lights and electric fixtures, furnaces, heaters, doors, roofing materials, indoor bathroom fixtures, kitchen stoves, gas ranges, refrigerators and washing machines. The 1911 Macy's catalog showed refrigerators as well.
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Paint cost to cover a home's exterior, 1915Sears Roebuck paint catalog gives an estimated cost to paint the exterior of various houses. There are more images at the end of their catalog. Elsewhere in the catalog, find Sears' prices for paint, painting supplies, wallpapering supplies, etc.
FARMS and LAND PRICES
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Price of farm land by county in selected states, 1912-1924Tables 6-13 show farm land prices by county in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina and Texas. Source: U.S. Federal Trade Commission report.
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Average value of farm land and buildings per acre, 1910Average dollar value per acre for farm land (along with any buildings on the land), broken out by U.S. region. Source: 1930 Census of Agriculture.
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Farm real estate values in the 48 contiguous states, 1912-2019Figures include both land and buildings. Table shows price per acre for each year. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
HOUSEHOLD UTILITIES
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Coal for household use - Price by city, 1913-1919Shows retail prices by city for January and July of each year from 1913-1919. See Table E, pages 442-447. The source does not tell how much coal households typically used.
Many urban households heated with coal in the 1910s (image source) -
Retail prices of fuel and kerosene in Lawrence, MA - 1911-1912Tables show retail prices of delivered fuel for November 1911 and March 1912 from two firms in Lawrence,MA. Price per gallon of kerosene is reported from 6 firms.
See transportation and travel prices below.
COST of HEALTH CARE, 1910s
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Medical costs for influenza patients - 1918Quote from a book on funeral costs: "Take the recent 'flu' epidemic with the short illnesses, sudden deaths, and short time at hospital: (1) ten days' illness, ten calls of physician, five days at hospital, approximate expense from $50 to $100; (2) or with pneumonia following: two weeks' sickness, twenty calls of physician, ten days at hospital, approximately from $100 to $200." Read further in this source for funeral and burial costs. Source: pages 37-38 in chapter titled "The Cost of Dying" in the book Funeral Management and Costs (1921).
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Average family expenditure on health in 1918Shows how much families spent in 1918 on medicines, doctors, nurses, dentists, hospitalization and eyeglasses in the United States (link above.) Also provides breakouts by region: north Atlantic states, south Atlantic states, north central states, south central states and western states.
COST of HOSPITALIZATION, 1910s
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Cost of hospitalization, 1913 and 1926Tells average length of stay and average cost per day based on whether the patient was in a ward or a private room. Source: U.S. Dept of Labor.
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Hospital rates at Stanford University, 1912-1919The Annual Reports of Lane Hospital at Stanford University Hospitals show rates for wards, rooms, and bath rooms, maternity rates, operating room charges, anesthesia, tonsil and adenoid operations, salvarsan treatments, extra charges, extra diet items, nursing, and some include wines and mineral waters and toilet articles: 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, and 1919 (also shows charges for X-Ray Department, lab work and physical therapy).
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Cost of health care, hospitalization, nursing home care, etc. - 1919In a chapter titled "The Cost of Dying" in the 1921 book Funeral Management and Costs, hospital room rates are listed. It mentions the fees charged by health care workers such as midwives and physicians. The rates for sanatoriums (medical facilities for patients with long-term illnesses) are also discussed.
PHYSICIAN'S FEES, 1910s
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Cost to have a baby in rural Kansas, 1917Most parents paid between $15 and $40 for obstetrical care. Source: U.S. Children's Bureau Publication #26, p. 30.
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Physicians fees in Illinois, 1912This fee bill of the physicians of Putnam County, IL was published in the September 1912 issue of The Illinois medical journal; it lists prices of office, general, and obstetrical medical services.
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Physicians fees in Indiana, 1911-1918Shows the fee bill setting charges for medical services that was adopted by the Sullivan County Medical Society in 1911; also tells how it changes during and after the WWI.
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Physicians fees in Ohio, 1916-17Issues of The Ohio State medical journal report on the medical fees in different Ohio towns or counties:
- Office fees in Nelsonville and the fee bill of the Logan County Medical Society (July 1916 issue)
- Physicians fees in Preble County (Sept 1917 issue)
- The Industrial Committee's schedule of rates, a guide for determining amount of compensation allowed physicians in workmen's compensation cases (Dec 1917 issue)
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Medical fees, 1912The chapter "Medical Finance" on pages 111-137 in this guide to a successful medical practice detail medical fees for various services, including a schedule of rates allowed by insurance companies.
COST of DRUGS, REMEDIES and HEALTH AIDS, 1910s
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Health aids - Prices, 1910The 1910 Sears catalog offered wheelchairs, eyeglasses and spectacles, and equipment to help the hearing impaired. The 1911 Macy's catalog also sold wheelchairs.
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Over-the-counter drug and remedy prices, 1910Prices from the 1910 Sears Catalog. For similar items, see the Macy's catalog for 1911.
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Health remedy prices, 1913Article in Druggist's Circular lists retail prices for dozens of health/beauty products being sold in 1913 which were at best useless and at worst, harmful.
RELATED COSTS
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Cost of doctor supplies - 1910sCatalog and price list show an amazing range, from surgical tools all the way up to x-ray machines. Although this source does not show prices patients paid for health care, it does indicate overhead for health providers.
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Cost of dying - Tombstone prices, 1910Prices listed in the 1910 Sears Catalog.
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Telephone service rates by city, 1912The U. S. Census Bureau collected and reported telephone service rates. This link leads to an index by city and states. Note the page number and enter it in the "jump to" box in HathiTrust. Or simply scroll forward in the source. It may be necessary to use the zoom (+) feature to make the figures clearer.
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Telephone service rates, 1914-1919Issues of Telephone engineer & management detail rates for telephone service in many states. For example, the 1914 volume gives business and residential rates in Indianapolis, the cost of messages in Washington, and more. Tip: use the search tool to look for words like cents or rate.
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Cost to mail a letter or postcard, 1863-presentSource: the Historian of the U.S. Postal Service.
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Cost to send an international message by cable - 1916Cost to send a message from New York City to any of about 75 foreign countries, as reported in the American Whitaker Almanac and Encyclopedia.
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Price of a newspaper subscription, 1869-1920Look up by year, then state, then city, then title to find the cost of a newspaper subscription. Source: Rowell's & Ayer's American newspaper directories.
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Horses and mules - Average prices, 1910-1933Discusses the value of horses and mules, and shows average prices based on the horse's age, pp. 29-31. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
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Horses, mules and farm animals - Average prices, 1867-1920Shows average values expressed as price per head. Source: USDA Yearbook, 1919 edition.
- Horses and mules (p. 653)
- Milk cows and other cattle (p. 658)
- Sheep (p. 668)
- Swine (p. 675)
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Cost of keeping farm horses and cost of horse labor, 1917USDA Bulletin no. 560 shows the costs of keeping horses on a farm in 1917. Tables the cost of feed and of labor for horse care in New York, Illinois, and Ohio.
COST OF COLLEGE or VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, 1910s
In the 1910s decade, 4% to 6% of people aged 18-21 enrolled in college. Source: U.S. Bureau of Education.
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College tuition, room & board, books and fees by institution, 1912Alphabetical list of colleges includes tuition, room & board, etc. This book also includes some chapters discussing typical jobs that college students might get and how much those jobs paid. See table of contents. This is not a government publication.
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University tuition and fees, 1912-1913Includes state universities and those which received some state funding, such as Cornell. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Purdue. Tuition and fees for each university are listed on pages 22-26.
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Tuition and living expenses at college - 1915Discusses college living expenses for foreign students attending college in the U.S. in 1915. Some of the expenses would be the same for foreign and in-state residents, such as room, board and transportation. Beginning on page 127, the source tells the tuition for various courses of study at each university, and usually will indicate the different costs between rates for in-state residents or out of state. Note that the tuition was higher to attend medical school, law school, and other professional majors. Source: "Opportunities for Foreign Students at Colleges and Universities in the United States," Bulletin #27 of the U.S. Bureau of Education,1915.
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Nursing School tuition, 1916-1918Less than 3% of all nurse training schools charged tuition. Instead, the students took courses and worked in hospitals, most being paid a low (student) wage for performing the work. Tuition and student remuneration are listed by state, city and individual teaching hospital beginning on page 53.
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Tuition for Law, Medical and Dental schools, 1916-1918Figure 17 in the U.S. Biennial Survey of Education shows the number of professional schools charging tuition in certain ranges, for example, most medical schools charged between $100-109 for tuition in the late 1910s.
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Non-tuition expenses to attend college in California, ca. 1917The state of California covered tuition to take teacher training, but other expenses ran around $500 per year according to this report from the CA Superintendent of Public Instruction report for 1917-1918.
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Cost to attend private commercial or business schools, 1917-1918Tuition fees to learn secretary skills, bookkeeping, accountancy, stenography, wire telegraphy and salesmanship. For detailed tuition rates by institution, see the Biennial Survey of Education, 1916-1918 edition.
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University and junior college costs for residents and non-residents - 1918Lists tuition prices for both residents and non residents as well as room and board costs and fees for institutions across the United States. The list runs from pp. 157-258. Source: Facilities for Foreign Students in American Colleges and Universities (published 1920)
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Nursing School tuition, 1918-1920Less than 3% of all nurse training schools charged tuition. Instead, the students took courses and worked in hospitals, most being paid a low (student) wage for performing the work. This report contains summaries by states, but no detailed statistics of individual schools. The table showing average wages paid to first year, second year and third year students by state begins on page 17.
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College textbook prices, 1916Book shows textbook titles recommended for high schools and colleges and lists the full retail price for individual sale. Discounts were available for those who wished to purchase large quantities of a single tile.
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Price of a haircut before, during and after WWIThis book on economics explains that haircuts were 25 cents for many years up until World War I. (Not a government source)
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Photographers' rates, mid 1910sSource: The New photo-miniature, Oct 1925, p. 232.
Transportation and travel prices, 1910-1919
- Horse-drawn vehicles, harness and saddle prices, 1911
Illustrated 120-page price catalog shows buggies and carriages, wagons, harness and saddles, with shipping rates. Source: Delin Carriage Company catalog, 1911. - Horse-drawn buggy and carriage prices, 1912
Illustrated 170-page price catalog for horse-drawn vehicles, harness, and shipping rates. Source: Ohio Carriage Manufacturing Co. catalog, 1912. - Horse and carriage supplies price catalog, 1910
Source: Illustrated and descriptive catalog of saddlery, carriage and sleigh trimmings, general store supplies / the James Bailey Company. - Business wagon prices (horse-drawn), 1910
Delivery wagons were available through the Sears catalog company in 1910. Other horse-drawn vehicles were also available through Sears.
- Passenger train fare in the U.S., 1871-1933
Average railroad passenger fare (ticket price) expressed in cents per mile. - Railway passenger fare, 1894-1918
Railway ticket prices averaged around 2 cents per mile during this time, with higher rates in the more sparsely populated regions. See railroad passenger fare in the section "Carrier Price" in the U.S. document "Passenger Traffic Report" on pages 38-39. - RR ticket prices by class from New York - 1910
Compares 1st class and immigrant class ticket prices for travel from New York to other US cities in 1910, see page 120. The chart on p. 124 shows colonist fares which were lower. Source: Railroad traffic and rates by Emory Johnson, vol. 2. - RR ticket prices between NYC and Chicago, 1910-1944
Source: Association of American Railroads' Passenger traffic study, p. 395. - Passenger train fare to San Francisco in 1915
Brochure shows round trip train fares to San Francisco from dozens of cities in AL,CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IN, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV, and Canada. Source: Chicago & Northwestern RR Company. - Passenger train fare from the Midwest to western cities, 1910
Union Pacific brochure lists train fares from cities in IL, MO, KS, IA, NE, WI, MN and CO to CO, Utah, California, Oregon, Montana and Washington state. Link opens a pdf; fares are on pages 2 and 11 of the pdf, and sleeper car rates on page 35 of the pdf. The system route map falls on page 19 of the pdf. - Street railway fares in Cleveland, 1914-1915
Streetcar fare in the city of Cleveland averaged 3 or 4 cents in the mid-1910s, according to research conducted at MIT.
- Steamship fares to and from New York, 1909
Shows lowest rates advertised between New York City, England and Europe. Breakouts for 1st, 2nd and 3rd class travel. More detail on amenities of 2nd class and steerage travel are also available in this source, The Scientific American Handbook of Travel, published 1910. - Steamship fares to Latin America, South America and Caribbean
Taken from section titled "Steamship fares and itineraries" in the 1920 U.S. Dept of Commerce publication "Commercial Travelers' Guide to Latin America." Fares show city of departure in the U.S. and port of arrival. Departure cities include New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Key West.
- Automobile prices - 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918 and 1919.
Shows prices, specs and pictures of gasoline and electric cars - including Buick, Cadillac, Studebaker, Packard, Oldsmobile and more. Includes photo guide to the body types: roadster, coupe, cabriolet, limousine, touring car (phaeton), sedan and bus. Source: Official handbook of automobiles. - Automobile and motor truck list prices, 1905-1916
Reference book for automobile insurers shows the list price for each make/model/year of car and truck sold between 1905-1916, including American made cars and imports such as Mercedes, Benz and Fiat. The explanation section is helpful. See separate sections for gasoline powered cars, electric pleasure vehicles, and commercial vehicles and trucks. This book lacks images of vehicles. - Car prices in "Pictorial History of the Automobile"
Narrative is arranged by make and model of car. Provides good representation for the cost of a new car from 1900 through the 1920s. Source: A Pictorial History of the Automobile as seen in Motor Magazine, commercially published 1953. This is not a government document. - Electric car prices, 1913
Source: The Automobile: A Journal of Automotive Progress and Construction, Jan 2 1913 issue, page 12. - Sears automobiles, 1910
One could order Sears Motor Cars Model H, J or L through the catalog company for $395 - $495, with optional add-ons. - Drivers license and car registration fees by state, 1911
This handy table was compiled by one of the car manufacturing companies, Locomobile.
- Gasoline prices paid by farmers, 1910-1943
Under the heading "Supplies" in the table on page 21, this source shows the average gasoline price per gallon for 1910-1914 (five year average), 1919, 1929, 1939, and 1943. - Gasoline tank wagon prices - 1915
Shows refinery prices and tank wagon prices for gasoline by region in 1915. Not necessarily the price paid by the consumer for small quantities. Also shows prices for fuel oil and kerosene. Source: Federal Trade Commission report. - Gasoline tank wagon price in Chicago, 1915-1922
Tank wagon prices are prices paid by distributors rather than end consumers. Although these are not retail prices, it does show time series price data for one place (Chicago) over seven years. - Wholesale prices of gasoline and crude petroleum, 1913-1918
Table shows wholesale prices of one gallon of gasoline from tank wagons in New York, Baltimore, Chicago, Kansas City, and San Francisco by month and quarters for the years 1913 to 1918. Subsequent tables show wholesale prices of other petroleum products such as kerosene, lubricating oil, fuel oil, paraffin, and petrolatum. Source: War Industries Board Price Bulletin No. 36, 1919. - Gasoline - Mileage per gallon
The distance one could travel on a gallon of gasoline depended on the weight of the automobile, the condition of roads, the design of the vehicle itself and other factors. To find mentions of MPG in the historic literature, search for the phrase "miles to the gallon" in HathiTrust's full text search, limiting to the date range desired.
- Airfare - London to Paris, Spring 1919
Fare was about $42 one-way on the Handley-Page and Airco lines. They had redesigned war planes for passenger service. Source: Aviation magazine, Jan 2, 1922.
HOTEL RATES
- "Class A" hotels in the U.S. - Rates, 1912
Hotels are listed alphabetically by city. Includes brief description and most entries show rates. Source: Class A Hotels, pp. 5-13. NYC hotels are on pp. 3-4. - Hotel rates by U.S. state and foreign country, 1913
Shows the hotel rates and also the railroads that served each city or town. Source: Chadwick's International Hotel Directory (1913) - Hotel directory - U.S. and Canada - 1915
The John Willy Hotel Directory lists hotel rates by city. - Hotel rates - U.S. towns - 1917
The Hotel Red Book lists hotel rates for large and even very small towns throughout the United States. Tip: Use the index by state and territory to quickly find a page number. Photographs of many New York and New England hotels are listed on pp. 38-114 of a 1918-1919 New York hotel association member directory. - Hotel rates in San Diego, 1910s
Issues of the San Diego tourist are loaded with hotel advertisements showing images, amenities and rates. See editions for 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918 and more. - Hotel extras - Yellowstone National Park, 1912
Lists prices for baths, shaves, shampooing and haircuts at the hotel, as well as facials, massage, meals, room service, day trips, boat rides and more on pages 3-11.
LUGGAGE
- Luggage prices, 1910-1911
Prices as shown in the 1910 Sears Catalog for suit cases, traveling bags and steamer trunks. The 1911 Macy's catalog also showed steamer trunks and suitcases.
Cost of living and consumer expenditures, 1910s
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Consumer expenditures by city, 1918Source tells how much the average city family paid for food, rent, fuel and more for the year 1918 on p. 5. Shows data for each of 92 cities and towns on pp. 7-68. Source: US BLS Bulletin #357.
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Changes in cost of living in large cities of the United States, 1913-1941This document compares the affordability of food and consumer goods from one year to the next and provides price indexes but not actual prices. Source: BLS Bulletin #699.
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Cost of living in southern states by race, 1915-1917Compares white and colored families' expenditures for food, housing, fuel, clothing, furniture, etc. in shipbuilding districts of GA, FL, MS, AL and TX. Source: Monthly Labor Review, June 1918, pp. 99-103.
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Workingmen's standard of living in Philadelphia - 1918Reports the income, expenditures, and standard of living for 395 families. Study conducted by the city of Philadelphia.
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Coal for household use - Price by city, 1913-1919Shows retail prices by city for January and July of each year from 1913-1919. See Table E, pages 442-447. The source does not tell how much coal households typically used.
COST OF LIVING on FARMS
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Cost of living on farms, 1913"What the farm contributes directly to the farmer's cost of living," Farmer's Bulletin #635, U.S. Dept of Agriculture
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Cost of living on farms - Further detail, 1913-1914This source expands upon the 1913 study with a follow-up using data collected in 1914. USDA Professional Paper #410, Nov 11, 1916.
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Cost of living on Minnesota farms, 1905-1914Source: University of Minnesota, Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin #162.
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Cost to run a farm in North Dakota, 1910Shows the what it might cost to acquire a 320 acre wheat farm and run it for a year, listing the cost of each essential agricultural implement, seed, eight horses, a buggy and two wagons, as well as typical amounts expended on farm help (wages and board), equipment repairs and maintenance, taxes, etc.
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More available...There were a great number of articles and books about the cost of living published in the 1910s. The bibliography published in 1919 lists quite a few of them. Most should be freely available in the HathiTrust Digital Library. Let us know if you need assistance finding what you need.
Buying power of past wages expressed in today's dollars
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Calculator: Present-day purchasing power of a historic dollar amountThe MeasuringWorth.com website provides online calculators, guides and tutorials to help researchers understand the current-day value of historic money in the United States, Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
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Consumer Price Index Inflation CalculatorThis calculator allows you to compare the buying power of wages earned at different points in history. For example, a dollar earned in 2016 had the same buying power as 4 cents in 1913. Conversely, a dollar earned in 1913 had the same buying power as $24.24 in the year 2016.
Analysis - Prices in the 1910s
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Wholesale prices - Price Bulletin series showing the History of Prices During the WarIssued by the War Industries Board in 1919, these bulletins include wholesale prices (by month, quarter, and year) of foods, clothing, rubber, paper, fibers, metals, fuels, building materials, and chemicals for 1913 to 1918. A list of each title by bulletin number can be seen here.
International prices by country, 1910-1919
Wages in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1910s
See tabs above for additional countries
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Retail food prices around the world, 1900 and 1910All prices listed in dollars. Tables on pages 43-52 list the retail prices of flour, butter, bacon, beef, mutton, ham, sugar and coffee in selected cities in the U.S., Austria, Canada, Nova Scotia, England, Germany, France, Russia, Bulgaria, Japan, Mexico
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Wages and Prices Abroad, 1900 and 1910Reports from consular offices show wholesale and retail prices for a variety of foods, clothing, agricultural products such as wool and hides and more in Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Japan, Belgium, Spain and more. Also discusses the the cost to rent in various countries.
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Percent increase in food prices in foreign countries, 1914-1921Shows prices indexes, not actual retail prices. Here you can find the percent of increase in average food prices from 1914-1921. Includes data for the countries of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Noway, South Africa, Sweden, and Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Source: International Labour Review, Feb 1921.
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Monthly wholesale prices of commodities by country, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, Japanese sake and more. Extensive tables span pages 56-375; check table of contents for page numbers: United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Japan, India, Australia, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Argentina. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
Prices in ARGENTINA, 1910s
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Argentina - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
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Buenos Aries - Prices and rent in 1910This report lists the March 1910 retail prices of mutton, beef, veal, butter, eggs, pork and ham in Buenos Aries and tells what a laborer paid for a room in 1910. Additional tables compare 1900 and 1910 retail and wholesale prices, including food items, building materials, and coal.
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Buenos Aries - Average prices, 1919Contains average retail price for common foodstuffs and commodity foodstuffs in middle-class shops. Expressed in US dollars. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, June 1920
Prices in AUSTRALIA, 1910s
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Australia - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
Prices in AUSTRIA, 1910s
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Austria - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Austria in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
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Austria - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
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Wages and cost of living in Austria, 1914 and 1916Shows wages and prices in kronen, along with the exchange rate to translate into U.S. dollars. Source: Monthly Labor Review, May 1921, pp. 81-83.
Wages in BELGIUM, 1910s
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Belgium - Cost of living, 1910Shows the cost of living of the working classes in the principal industrial towns of Belgium. Source: Bulletin of the US Bureau of Labor, No. 87
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Belgium - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Belgium in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
Prices in BULGARIA, 1910s
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Bulgaria - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Bulgaria in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
Prices in CANADA, 1910s
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Typical Weekly Expenditures of a Canadian Family, 1910-1920Full years include: 1900, 1905, 1910-1914, 1915-1920. Source: Canada Year Book. Data for 1913-1918 is also available in Prices and Price Indexes, Vol. 1, pp. 106-109. Expressed in Canadian dollars. Typical costs include staple foods (meats, dairy, eggs, apples, tea, coffee, etc.), starch, coal, wood, oil, and rent.
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Ontario (Windsor) - Food prices for 1910Table compares prices of food products in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario as taken from newspaper advertisements from February 25, 1910. Source: Serial Set Volume 5645.
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Nova Scotia (Yarmouth) – Prices, ca. 1911Lists prices of food, rent, board, fuel, and cottons. Source: congressional report, p. 1409.
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Canada - Retail prices of staple commoditiesThis series of tables shows retail prices of staple commodities and rents per month by locality (each table spans multiple pages, scroll forward to see the rest)
Prices in FRANCE, 1910s
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Prices of agricultural machinery in France, 1900 and 1910Table shows the price of imported and French made agricultural machinery for 1900 and 1910, including mowers, reapers, binders, hay rakes, and tedders.
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France - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in France in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
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France - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
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Bordeaux - 1910 prices and rentsTwo-page table shows wholesale and retail prices at Bordeaux. Rents per annum also listed.
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Bordeaux, France - Retail prices of necessaries of life, 1911Table compares the price of beer, borax, cheese, chocolate, coffee, crackers, flour, mustard, peas, starch, and vinegar at a retail store versus at a cooperative society.
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Havre - Prices for articles of daily consumption, 1900 and 1910This one-page table shows wholesale and retail prices of articles at Havre, France in 1900 and 1910. It includes "articles of daily household consumption" such as food and fuel as well as for animals, metals, fabric, building materials, and clothing.
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Lyons - Prices of principal commodities, 1900 and 1910Table compares 1900 and 1910 retail prices at Lyons, including meats, flours, cereals, bread, alimentary pastes, fruits, vegetables, sugar, coffee, cocoa, pepper, salts, food oils, poultry, milk, boots and shoes, coal, mineral oils, seeds, and soaps.
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Marseille - Average retail prices, 1900 and 1910Table shows the average retail prices at Marseille in the months of January and February, 1910, and during the year 1900. Includes meat, bread, butter, sugar, milk, potatoes, grain, flour, lard, tallow, bacon, rents, cotton, wool, leather, boots and shoes, clothing, coal, iron, steel, oil, bricks, cement, and farming implements.
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Paris - Food prices and Rents - 1910This list of retail prices of food materials from March 10, 1910 also includes shoes, suits, shirts, chemises, underwear, socks and blankets. A discussion on rents in Paris follows on the next page.
Prices in GERMANY, 1910s
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Germany - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Germany in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
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Germany - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
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Berlin - Prices of commodities, 1900 and 1910Wholesale and retail prices (in dollars) in Berlin for 1900 and 1910. A table of rents based on number of heatable rooms follows.
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Frankfort on the Main - Retail prices and rents, 1900 and 1910Includes a table of average retail prices and a discussion of prices or meats, fish and poultry. Average rent is also given.
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Hamburg - Various prices, 1900 and 1910Gives wholesale and retail prices (in marks) of petroleum, coal, bricks, Portland cement, shoes, clothing, meat, and agricultural implements at Hamburg in 1900 and 1910.
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Hamburg, Germany - Retail prices of food products, 1911Tables compare retail prices of food products in an ordinary retail establishment versus in cooperative stores (prices collected on November 24, 1911). Prices for fish can be found on page 47.
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Munich, Bavaria - Retail prices and rents, 1900 and 1910Tables show retail prices of meat, various other food items, and average yearly rentals by number of rooms at Munich for 1900 and 1910.
Prices in GREAT BRITAIN, 1910s
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Retail prices, wages and cost of living in the UK, 1912Data covers industrial towns in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Source: Cost of living of the working classes. Report of an enquiry by the Board of Trade into working-class rents and retail prices together with the rates of wages in certain occupations in industrial towns of the United Kingdom in 1912.
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Prices and earnings in England, 1914Oxford pamphlet compares the cost of rent, household fuels and various sorts of foods both before WWI and in 1914 for three categories of English families: London poor, labourers in provincial towns and artisans in provincial towns. Written by a professor of statistics, this is not a government document.
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Great Britain - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Great Britain in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
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Great Britain - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
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Retail prices in Great Britain,1914 and 1919Shows average price of bread, meats, fish, eggs, milk, flour, cheese, potatoes, butter, tea, etc. Source: Ministry of Labour Gazette, published in London by the Labour Dept of the British Board of Trade. Similar reports are available in issues from other years.
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Price of Bread in Great Britain, 1914-1916Simple table shows the price of a 4 lb. loaf of bread in the various districts of England, Scotland and Wales for each year from 1914-1916.
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Public transportation in British towns - Fares, 1915Chart shows fare charged per mile in 85 different British cities, expressed in pence. Source: Tramway and Railway World, April 15, 1915 issue, p. 280. See further fares and discussion in the book Street Railway Fares, chapter 9.
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Mail order catalog with prices, 1913William Whitely Ltd. produced a 642-page mail order catalog in 1913, with a service area covering the full UK. This catalog is well illustrated and shows prices in English money. Includes merchandise of all kinds. Quickly find page number for any item using the index or click on any of the following quick links:
- Hats for women and hats for men
- Ladies' nightdresses and men's pyjamas
- Men's raincoats
- Corsets
- Trousseaux
- Jewelry
- School boys' clothing
- Boots and shoes
- Sportswear for fishing
- Mourning clothes and funeral supplies
- Nurse uniforms
- Perfume
- Haircuts and styling services for ladies; hairpieces and wigs; hair ornaments
- Yarn, crochet and embroidery supplies
- Heath support
- Health supplies, pp. 184-189
- Drugs, pp 194-197
- Patent medicines, pp. 197-208
- Medicinal tonics, pp. 217-220
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Birmingham - Prices in 1900-1901, 1903-1904, & 1910This report shows wholesale and retail prices of various commodities as well as rents and boots, shoes and clothing in Birmingham, England.
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Bradford, England - Wholesale and retail prices of various commodities, 1900 and 1910
- Beef, mutton, veal, pork, and fish
- Fruits, vegetables, grains
- Provisions including tea, coffee, cocoa, sugar, flour, biscuits, bread, lard, butter, eggs, milk and cream, bacon and hams, cheese, canned meats, canned and dried fruits, jams, rice, soap, and candles
- Rents
- Boots and shoes, men's clothing, hats and haberdashery, and women's clothing
- Drapery (e.g. sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths, blankets, quilts and calicos)
- Cement
- Oil, gas and coal
- Agricultural implements
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Edinburgh - Wholesale and retail prices in 1900 and 1910Report shows the following prices at Edinburgh:
- Prices of American agricultural implements
- Prices of shoes - Table shows wholesale and retail prices of British made men's shoes in 1900 and 1910.
- House rents - For villas and flats by number of rooms and distance from post-office.
- Commodities - Two-page table includes prices of cattle, sheep, pigs, coal, wool, grain, woolen cloth, clothing, provisions, and rents.
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Glasgow, Scotland - Prices of commodities in 1900 and 1910Table shows wholesale and retail prices of commodities at Glasgow in 1900 and 1910. Includes vegetables, live stock, grain, raw material, wearing apparel, underwear, coal, iron, groceries and provisions, steel, brick, timber, cement, and house rent.
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Hull - Price comparison of a retail grocer and a cooperative store, 1911Shows April 25th prices for ham, lard, baking powder, marmalade, lump sugar, flour, lemon peel, ground rice, apricots (tinned), wax candles, and Quaker oats.
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Liverpool - Prices in 1900 and 1910This report contains tables showing wholesale and retail prices in Liverpool in 1900 and 1910. It also discusses clothing and rents.
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London - Wholesale and retail prices, 1900 and 1910Tables in this report give retail prices (in dollars) for commodities in London for 1900, 1910, or both, including meat, grains, provisions, fruit and vegetables, Portland cement, boots and shoes (for infants, children, boys, girls, men, and ladies), clothing (first-grade and cheaper grade), overcoats, coal, oil, and farming implements of both American and English make. Rents are also discussed on pages 1166 to 1169.
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London - Retail prices of ready-made clothing in 1910in Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities Vol. 3, page 1370.
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Manchester - Rents, 1900 and 1910In Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities Vol. 3, page 1267.
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Manchester - Retail prices, 1900 and 1910This two-page table shows retail prices of articles (in dollars) at Manchester in 1900 and 1910. Includes food, coal, clothing, boots and shoes.
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Manchester - Prices for agricultural implements, 1900 and 1910Table shows prices for agricultural implements as sold in Manchester in 1900 and 1910.
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Sheffield, England - Prices of commodities, 1900 and 1910Lists wholesale and retail prices (in British pounds and American dollars) of commodities in Sheffield for 1900 and 1910.
Prices in GREECE, 1910s
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Greece - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Greece in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
Prices in HUNGARY, 1910s
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Budapest - Prices of commodities and Rents, 1900 and 1910Table compares 1900 and 1910 wholesale and retail prices at Budapest for commodities (beer, veal, hogs, mutton, milk, butter, flour, eggs, wheat, cattle, wool, cotton, leather, hides, clothing, lumber, coat, cement, shoes, bricks) and yearly rents by number of rooms. Source: Investigation relative to wages and prices... Vol. 3, page 1397.
Prices in ITALY, 1910s
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Italy - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Italy in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
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Italy - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
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Milan - Food prices, 1801-1908Shows the price of wheat, bread, wine, beef pork, butter, and rice in Milan, Italy throughout the 19th and early 20th century. Source: Bulletin of the US Bureau of Labor, No. 87
Prices in INDIA, 1910s
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India - Retail prices for food grains and salt, 1892-1916Use Table of Contents to find start page. For example the salt prices begin on page 140. Source: Prices and Wages in India, published by the India government, Department of Statistics, 1918.
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India - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
Prices in IRELAND, 1910s
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Ireland - Prices, 1900 and 1910U.S. congressional document shows the price of foods such as potatoes, oatmeal, flour, mutton, butter, cheese, eggs, ham and beef, as well as "a suit of woolen clothing" and boots/shoes; coal, fuel oil, and farming implements such as plows, binders and two-horse mowers.
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Ireland - Retail prices, 1914 and 1922Shows prices in shillings and pence for various food items; articles of clothing for men, women, boys and girls; fuel for heating and cooking; soap, tobacco and cigarettes. Source: Report on the Cost of Living in Ireland, pages 7-9. Elsewhere in the same volume, find average rents and typical family budgets.
Prices in JAPAN, 1910s
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Japan - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
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Prices in Yokohama and Tokyo, Japan - 1910Tables shows retail prices (in dollars) for 1910 along with wholesale prices for 1900 and 1910 in both Yokohama and Tokyo. Includes beef, pork, fish, rice, wheat, flour, soja beans, barley, eggs, soy sauce, cotton, wool, leather, boots, shoes, lumber, coal, iron, petroleum, brick, salt, sugar, tea, milk, and rent.
Prices in MEXICO, 1910s
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Mexico City - Prices of clothing, 1910In Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities Vol. 3, page 1312.
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Guadalajara - Price of beef, pork, and potatoes in 1910List shows 1910 prices per kilo of beef, pork, and potatoes in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
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Veracruz - Prices of commodities and rent, 1910This three-page report gives prices (in U.C. currency) of commodities, foodstuffs, and rents at Veracruz in 1910.
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Mazatlan, Sinaloa - Prices in 1910A brief report of prices (wholesale and retail) at Mazatlan in 1910 including beef, clothing, hogs, kerosene of coal oil, leather, boots and shoes.
Prices in NETHERLANDS, 1910s
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Netherlands - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Netherlands in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
Prices in POLAND, 1910s
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Warsaw - Prices of articles in 1900 and 1910Table shows comparative prices (wholesale and retail) at Warsaw in 1900 and 1910. Retail prices shown include beef, meats, provisions, bread, leather shoes and clothing, and coal. Prices of faming implements are also given.
Prices in RUSSIA, 1910s
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Russia - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Russia in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
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Russia - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
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St. Petersburg - Prices of commodities, 1900 and 1910This two-page table shows wholesale and retail prices of commodities (mostly food) at St. Petersburg in 1900 and 1910.
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Odessa - House rents and prices of provisions, 1910This 1910 report on the cost of living at Odessa, Russia gives house rents and the prices of provisions.
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Moscow - Retail prices, 1900 and 1910This four-page table compares wholesale and retail prices of articles at Moscow in 1900 and 1910, including beef, veal, pork, ham, mutton, fat, fish, eggs, butter, sugar, potatoes, poultry, bread, woolen goods, clothing, and coal.
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Moscow - Prices of Foodstuffs, August 1914 & 1917Includes prices of bread, meat, cheese, and more at the start of the First World War as well as in the midst of the Russian Revolution. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, July 1918
Prices in SCANDINAVIA, 1910s
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Scandinavia - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
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Scandinavia - Monthly wholesale prices of commodities, 1913-1918Note that this source lists wholesale (not retail) prices. Includes items such as roofing shingles, raw products needed for manufacturing, timber, gasoline, illuminating oil, olive oil, coffee, eggs, grains, and more. Source: International Price Comparisons U.S. War Industries Board Price Bulletin #2, published 1919.
Prices in SPAIN, 1910s
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Spain - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Spain in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
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Spain - Price of bread in 1860 compared to 1910Source: Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities Vol. 3, page 1265.
Prices in SWITZERLAND, 1910s
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Switzerland - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Switzerland in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
Prices in TURKEY, 1910s
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Turkey - Food prices as affected by the warProvides retail food prices in Turkey in 1914 and in the years leading up to the war outbreak. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 170, published May 1915.
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Constantinople - Cost of living, 1914-1920Per-person costs of food and necessities in Constantinople for July 1914 & 1920. Expressed in Turkish piasters. Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review, Dec 1920
Quotable facts for the 1910-1919 decade
In the United States...
- Bread cost an average of 5¢ per pound in 1912. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- Milk cost an average of 17¢ per half gallon in 1910. Source: U.S. BLS
- Eggs cost an average of 34¢ per dozen in 1910. Source: U.S. BLS
- Coffee cost an average of 27¢ per pound in 1910. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
- The average car price was $2,214 in 1910 and $2,226 in 1919. Source: Automotive Industries (trade publication)
- A gallon of gasoline cost an average of 19.8¢ in 1910-1914. This increased to 28.3¢ by 1919. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Carpenters earned 50¢ per hour in 1910 in Washington, D.C. Source: U.S. BLS
- Engineers earned an average of $884 in their first year out of college. Source: Engineering News, Sep 1915.
- Carpenter tool kits cost $15.30. Source: Sears Spring 1910 catalog
- Men's work boots cost $1.35 a pair. Source: Sears Spring 1910 catalog
Timeline -- Major Economic Events of the 1910s
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
"75 Years of American Finance: A Graphic Presentation 1861-1935"
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis.
(Click image for detail)
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