In 1933, one of the most expense items on the menu at the Boston Ritz-Carlton was Lobster Fra Diavolo, at $2.95. Yearn for the prices of yore? Well hold on to your wallet, bubba, because that?s $41.71 in today?s prices. While pricey even by today?s standards, in 1933, $3.00 was a significant paycheck for many people.
Even minimum wage workers today can eat lobster without the sacrifice that was required to scarf down lobster in the Depression.
I learned this trivia about ancient prices in a recent conversation with my old (95 on July 2nd) 3rd grade teacher, also the subject of a Carolina Journal article on mentoring. It seems that her kids displayed the souvenir menu, cum signatures of all the Dorsey Band members, at her 90th birthday party, where it attracted more attention than any of the photos or other memorabilia on display.
