What happens to houses when the economy crashes?

All this talk about the world economic crisis has me pondering America's stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed. What was life like during those difficult years? What types of houses were being built, and where? How long did it take to revitalize the ruined economy?

Our new Guide to Mid-Century Homes, 1930 - 1965 traces the transformation of American housing from Depression-era cottages to bold, modernist designs. Hardship opened the way for innovation during the mid-20th century. Can we look forward to a similar recovery now?

^{Photo of Minimal Tudor Cottage in Upstate New York © S. Carroll Jewell}