Update: I have added this clip to the blog even though it doesn’t fit. I cannot get it on any smaller…. Thanks to Bo Sullivan, who works with Rejuvenation Lighting, for the tip on this 1949 film created to help postwar homeowner owners create the efficient kitchen of their dreams. It’s interesting to understand the context for films like this. After World War II, housewives did need educating on how to design a modern kitchen. But I think the bigger purpose of this propaganda — and it IS propaganda — was to incite homeowners to part with their hard-earned war-time savings.
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After the grueling lessons of the Great Depression, folks were still very very conservative about tapping into their bank accounts — or just as likely, raiding the stash of cash under their mattresses or buried next to the barn. They DID have money. During the war, there were a lot of jobs — but little to spend your money on, because of rationing and all the materials going toward the construction of wartime armaments. After the war, there was tremendous new capacity available for consumer goods. But, Americans didn’t want to spend on discretionary consumer goods. They did buy houses But, they were Savers. And, the Government was Scared. They did not want the economic wheels grind to a halt and cause another depression. Hence films like this. It wasn’t until 1953 that Americans really started to cut loose their dollars. Another story for another day…
Video source: The excellent archives.org.
joyce's jane says
When I was designing my retro kitchen, I wanted it to have this “farm kitchen” feel. This was the days before islands. Although I don”t bake bread or really do a lot of cooking myself, I wanted a kitchen that looked like I did. This makes me nostalgic for my childhood and that feeling that if I can see things from the way it used to be, that I can tap into that happy feeling now. As as my Aunt Joyce, championship doll collector that she is, says, “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood”
Im going to go put on some Big Band music and put a roast in the crock pot.
Jeff says
I couldn’t agree more. My kitchen is a reminder of my childhood as well, though updated with new Asian style cabinetry, the layout is similar to the one in the video, very efficient and makes use of every available inch.
The star attractions though, are a double bowl white porcelain farmer’s sink, a 1950 Kenmore gas range in white with turquoise detailing, double broiler and griddle with those porcelain covers that pull up and cover the burners, but retract into the body of the stove.
Also have a turquoise/pink 1955 GE wall mounted refrigerator and matching wall oven.
The video kitchen is remarkable in both how organized and efficient it is, but primitive in so many ways as well. I took both feelings away from it, though see the future in it’s many space saving applications.
61futura says
Great video. I’ll have to take a little different tack on this and say that it’s not necessarily propaganda, but rather more of an infomercial whose primary function is education.
As it states in the beginning, most of the questions concerning kitchens came from farm housewives. As of 1945, at least in my state, only 27% of farmhouses had electricity and only 11% had running water. More farms had appliances such as radios, but these were usually battery powered.
With the large gains in farm income due to the war, many farmers built new houses after the war was over. My grandfather was one of them. Leaving the 1850s dogtrot house in which both my grandmother and mother were born, he obtained plans from the Agricultural County Extension Agent for a new bungalow-type house and completed it in 1948. Electricity came the following year, along with running water powered by an electric well which was located a few feet from the back of the house.
Based on this knowledge of my family history, it seems to me that many people would not know how to set up a modern kitchen that was based upon electricity and running water. And to a certain extent, that is what I think is one of the primary purposes of this video.
Sara Paul says
Sound worked fine for me. Great thought went into that kitchen. I understand that in that era after the war the country was obsessed with “efficiency” and how many steps and motions were in different kinds of work. Probably from the factories. Wish they made laze susan’s that sturdy these days. Interesting how we like to work right to left and how the cabinet with the serving dishes opens up on the other side to the dining room. Had that growing up for the dishes and it was really handy.
MCMeg says
That garbage pail would be perfect for collecting scraps for composting. I was amazed that the flour bin was fed by another bin that held 40 pounds of flour. I have to agree with poster who said it would be heaven for pantry moths. I do love the bins for potatoes and onions, though. We had that exact kitchen table and chairs when I was little in our knotty pine kitchen (now my knotty pine kitchen.)
pam kueber says
You know, I bet moths were not so much an issue back in the days: If women used the flour constantly to make their own bread. Remember, how quilts were all made from feed sacks and flour sacks?
Gayla says
The film opened with instructions to make it less than full size by using the esc key so it was just fine. That could have been my mother in the film but mom would have been wearing an apron-with ruffles. She made aprons for everyone she knew and expressed her creativity through them. I have a red organdy one that she made with the famous poodle cut out on it. I don’t think I’ve ever said on here but the time a spend here is a trip to my past. My parents bought a brand new ranch style home in 1953 that is the exact house I live in now. It was built by the same builder but on the other side of town. I bought this one when I had to retire because most homes here have a basement and due to illness I can’t handle steps. These houses came with Youngstown Kitchens in gleaming white but all that has been done aways with in my house. Darn! I sleep in the front bedroom as I did then. My computer is in the small room that was my brother’s. I’d love to have the kitchen you have put together but at my age, I won’t be doing any remodeling. I have hard wood flooing in the kitchen and dining room but carpet everywhere else and that is the exact opposite of what we had back then. We had hardwood everywhere except the kitchen and dining room where we had linoleum. Mom decorated the house in ivy green and red which was pretty snazzy. My room was done in pink and white and was very girly. I had a shelf around the ceiling to display my Nancy Ann doll collection which I have on shelves in this small bedroom. I have a collection of Depression and post war dishes and cook ware that I use for every day. Sometimes, when I walk past a mirror, I think I’m looking at my mother as we do look a lot alike. She loved her rancher. She was very proud of the color she had picked for theexterior of the house called Dusty Rose. The house we lived in is still there but not a good area now. That’s why I bought on this side of town. I suppose I like my house just as much as she liked hers. It fits my retirement needs perfectly. My # 4 and 5 sisters were born in that house so it was not as roomy for our family as this is for me. While I was in Jrl High we moved to the country but my city girl mom never liked that place at all and moved back to the old neighborhood when my dad retired. They lived there until they passed away which is my plan for this house.
Gavin Hastings says
Gayla.
Thanks for such a nice story.
I think that life moving in a circle is a comfort.
You are one smart cookie to have planned for retirement and the future.
pam kueber says
Sorry everyone. I fussed and fussed and fussed to get this clip into the blog so that it would actually fit and didn’t realize that in the process the sound got lost. I have added it as a direct embed from archives.org … which retains the sound but doesn’t fit the blog. Oh well. And yes, I should also have noted – and have added – that the clip came from archives.org. Enjoy.
Gavin Hastings says
Silent Movies in 1949 ? : )
That kitchen is pretty neat…..but I would not want to repaint it
I wish ranges still had the option of a “deep well”. It seems very useful.
JefferyK says
Gosh — what a lot of work!
Jocelyn says
I, too, have seen this before and found much to like in it. I might see if we could put an additional smaller top level in our rotating corner cabinets.
I notice the scalding of the dishes…something we don’t do these days. I wonder why that fell by the wayside? Better detergents? More modern medicine?
The bins all over the place are neat, but they also look like they’d be pantry moth heaven!
Josh says
Scalding was just pouring extremely hot water over the china. Because the water was so hot, it would dry quickly and leave a nice shine rather than the dullness you get after hand-drying.
Shelley says
Pam! I was in New York City last week and thought about you. The Museum of Modern Art has an exhibit on KITCHENS from the 40s to the 60s! You would love it!
pam kueber says
Yes, Shelley, I know about it and almost was able to go to the press preview. Several readers have sent me emails… I am hoping to go down and visit it first so I can do a post based on personal experience….