1930 Violet West & Charles Cash Dance Marathon Press Photo – Detroit, Michigan

This original 1930 International Newsreel press photograph captures Violet West and Charles Cash, one of the last five surviving couples in a grueling Detroit dance marathon that had been running continuously for 108 days. Dance marathons were a Depression-era endurance craze, often testing participants to the brink of collapse for prize money.

The reverse caption details the intense physical and mental toll of the event, described by local pastors as “the slow death of nearly a dozen people.” Contestants took turns sleeping while their partners carried them on the dance floor, fighting exhaustion for a share of the gate receipts—over $20,000 in potential winnings.

A stark and fascinating glimpse into the extremes of endurance entertainment during the 1930s, this image offers historical insight into both the desperation and spectacle of the Great Depression era.

• Date: March 5, 1930

• Location: Detroit, Michigan

• Source: International Newsreel Photo Service

• Dimensions: Approx. 8" x 10"

• Condition: Good; light corner and edge wear, reverse caption intact

💡 A rare survival from one of the longest-recorded dance marathons, making it a compelling piece for collectors of 1930s Americana, social history, or endurance sports ephemera.