During the Great Depression, Thorne had access to some of the top architects, interior designers, and craftsmen in the United States, who between 1932 and 1940 created approximately 100 "period rooms" under her direction. In total, 99 of the rooms are believed still to be in existence. The original 30 were placed on display at the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago, and in 1940 they were the subject of a "LIFE" magazine article. Twenty of these original rooms were donated to the Phoenix Art Museum, where they remain on display.