A number of readers asked if I could share more details about the content of my recent home show talks. I did not videotape them, because they are 30 minutes long or longer — and that does not make for good video. So over the next while, I instead will break the talks down into digestible, illustrated chunks. During my talks, I pretty much always strive to put mid-century design into historical context as I display vintage illustrations. And, I usually start at the beginning: the 1940s. Disclaimer up front: I don’t have a degree in this – I’m a passionate observer, who is still “putting all the pieces into place.”

In the immediate wake of the war’s end, there was a tremendous housing shortage. I’ve read that we needed to get 6 million homes built as quickly as possible. And I’ve even seen references indicating that the government was concerned that if we didn’t deal with the housing (and jobs) situation quickly enough, America’s young men would become restless and political – in a bad way. So we built houses as fast as we could. Usually: Very small houses by today’s standards, no more than 1,000 s.f. There were material shortages given all this construction… as evidenced in the 1946 Aladdin Homes customer letter, above. I also swear I’ve read somewhere that there were prohibitions on building more than one indoor bathroom at some point… I need to find the source.

Also, in terms of design, in this immediate postwar period, the “look” still tended to be similar to that of the late 1930s and wartime period. There had also been material shortages during the war, so manufacturers had put all their new-design work on hold. A good example: After the war, when Heywood Wakefield retooled its factories to again produce furniture, its Riviera line was really just the same, but with new handles, as the Rio line produced earlier.

Because of the shortage and ramping up from 1946 until 1952, these years are generally viewed at more “40s style” than “50s style.” (In his terrific book Populuxe, Thomas Hine looks at the 1953-1963 years, which were more exuberant.) So what did the 1946-1953 interior design look like? Here is additional explanation of the eight characteristics:

1. Innocent: When I look at some 1940s design, I see a real sweetness. We still were a nation in which the masses did not have a lot of material affluence. No clutter, far less excess. Thanks to Kohler for this 1949 image from their archives.
2. Sentimental: When the war ended, the nation was immensely grateful to have their men and women all back home. It had been five years of tremendous sacrifice. I see a lot of ads like this one, that celebrate the simple pleasures in life. Wallpaper is sweet, flowery.
3. Sunny: Kind of same as above. There was so much to be grateful for, that we did not necessarily need “more stuff” to be happier. One other thought is that we still were a nation with a lot of farmers and apartment dwellers – the spaces were small, money was tight, and as a result, interiors and their decorative appointments were simpler.

   Sanitary: White kitchen cabinets, or wood. Remember, we still were a nation concerned about vermin and disease, including polio. When your kitchen is white, you can see the dirt.

4. Patriotic: I see a lot of red-white-blue kitchen color combinations. In generally, I think I see richer colors – full-on primary colors and jewel tones – than in the later 1950s pastel period. I’ll attribute this to carryover 1930s preferences and to the influence of Hollywood, but there may have been other factors — there often are, often related to technological innovation.
5. Traditional: My mom, who grew up in the 40s, says the furniture was all dark wood where she lived in Pennsylvania – the influence of Europe, she recalls. Of course, we also had Heywood Wakefield blonde – but we also had colonial maple from Heywood Wakefield, Cushman, Willett and scores if not hundreds of small regional manufacturers. The more I explore the history of interior design – of all eras – the more convinced I become that: We are a traditional nation.
6. Hollywood glamour: Think Nick and Nora and the Thin Man. We did not get television until 1949… before that, our idols were often very glamorous. Remember women’s clothes from the 1940s – their hats and tailored suits and gloves and bags and hose, the whole very put-together thing? That’s the look I think of for 1940s bedrooms and living rooms – formal, very put together. In other rooms, we also may see large prints used on wallpaper and barkcloth pinch pleats, often tropical.
7. Streamline – deco – jazz age: Through to 1953, I think I see more high-contrast bathrooms. That is: black bullnose (or dark green or maroon bullnose, depending on the field tile color). Post-1953, the bullnose is less likely to be black and more likely to be the same color or a similarly toned contrast color, e.g. pink and mint, pink and robin’s egg, etc.

As part of my recent blog update… and now that I’m back from the home show… I’ll be working to ensure all stories are in the right categories so that they will be easier to search up on the blue navigation bar. Meanwhile,if the 1940s are your thing, take a look at the 1940s stories up in Browse STORIES so far.

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What were the first shows in the early 1960s like… and what do you remember about both the interior design and the “mood” of the period.

Joan Zimmerman: The early sixties were fabulous years. People were so easy to please. There were not many interior designers, or landscapers. It was very much a do-it-yourself with what you had society — and we were all searching for something new. Which means that, in the 60’s, when show guests saw imaginative gardens, rooms like ones they’d only seen in magazines, and breathtaking orchids -– they were thrilled. The rooms had lots of greens, oranges, pinks, flowers, and bold geometrics. Some were truly what is now referred to as mid-century modern (sounds better than ‘old’). Formica was big. The rooms tended to be either very sparse (modern chic) or traditional. Braided rugs were a mainstay, and fitted carpets took over every floor in the country -– people put fitted carpet over beautiful wood floors. At the shows, the designers were like celebrities. They stood inside their rooms and explained some of their “ideas,” for their admiring fans. One very popular room had a country French feel, with a large comfortable red and white bold check wing chair; a round table, on the table was a wire French chicken shaped egg basket … the wire basket was the hottest item in the show.

How do you think homeowners’ views of their homes have changed over the years?

Joan: Homeowners views have changed, as society has changed. With each decade, consumers have become more educated, and better informed. At the shows, just like the nation, we’ve gone through the ‘country’ phase, with its ruffles, padding, quilts and rick-rack; to the gauche and glittery, everything off the rack and matching; to throw-away, paper people society, to the feng shui and simple serenity. Now, we are, it appears, in the “anything goes,” phase. We still have homeowners who want the ‘more is more,’ there are a lot moving toward the ‘less is more,’ and there are even MORE moving to the traditional feeling and trying to create a home that is easy on the eyes, the checkbook, the family – and a place where you want to spend most of your time. You could say we’re back to the 60’s. Our first kitchen was sunshine yellow; our second one featured the latest and greatest avocado green. The kids (now 52 and 49) rooms were bold primary colors, with great (aka cheap) posters.

What do you think of this whole Mad Men style renaissance?

Joan: The Mad Men style (I personally think) is not a renaissance, but another phase. The furnishings are fun, easy, still affordable, some of the furniture is actually comfortable – and in some strange way, I think it makes people feel they are being frugal (like their parents). I love the show, though (I worked in an ad agency in Chicago in the 50’s).

Thank you, Joan! I can’t wait to meet you and talk more later this week.

Some additional history about the show: The year was 1961, and for the first time, garden enthusiasts in the Carolinas did not have to travel to New York or Philadelphia to see a first-class garden show. The first Southern Spring Home & Garden Show, then called the Southeastern Flower and Garden Show, began in Raleigh. It was a beautiful show, and people loved it. It began a now 50-year tradition, which company which founders Joan and Robert Zimmerman have grown into one of the largest consumer show companies in the country. Two years later after launching the original show in Raleigh, the brand new Charlotte Merchandise Mart provided much-needed expansion room, and the show moved to Charlotte. The original building, now known as Independence Hall, provided 80,000 square feet of space, and allowed the show to expand beyond its flower and garden focus. To recognize the show’s more encompassing appeal, in 1968 the show changed names to be known as the Southern Living Show. A little-known fact is that this new show name was coined before Southern Living began publishing. However, the new magazine soon saw the advantages of being affiliated with the event, and worked hand-in-hand with the show until 1984. In 1985, the show became the Southern Spring Show, and in 1990, it experienced a major expansion with the addition of Liberty Hall. In 2004, the show was transformed once again, folding in the spring edition of the Southern Ideal Home Show to become a true home and garden show. With the change came its current name, the Southern Spring Home & Garden Show.

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Our mid-century houses have small closets because our relatives had less stuff. Case in point: According to the nifty little website, The Century in Shoes, in 1940 the average American woman owned just five pairs of shoes. That was considered a lot. But, even that upward trend came to a screeching halt in 1943 when the U.S. began rationing shoes. If you have a few minutes, take a quick walk through shoe history, using this site’s “dial a decade.” Just like looking at the history of steel kitchen cabinets, the history of shoes embraces so much more than you would ever think. History. It’s funny that way. Meanwhile, if you want (dare I say “need”?) some 1940s style shoes of your own, remember my recent post about reproduction Re-Mix Vintage Shoes.

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I served up the following questions to Jennifer:

1. Is there a “rockabilly interior design aesthetic”? If so, can you describe it?

Certainly. I think it is best described by my photographs! My book, The Rockabillies, contains 55 images and I would say 2/3rds are of interiors depicting this aesthetic. To put it into words, it is wistful, exaggerated, and joyous; Majestic Z Lamps, Heywood Wakefield in champagne, Haegar Pottery, chartreuse, turquoise, bamboo and chrome~! You step from the depressing aesthetic of Anywhere U.S.A into a photograph from a 1950’s Life Magazine. It is the kind of interior work that transports you to another place that is calm, stressless and visually seductive.

2. I’m interested in the notion of how tiki, rockabilly, and the explosion  of artists (such as on etsy.com) who are using “found materials” are sort of merging… What do you think of that idea?

Are they merging? I am not sure the etsy craze is the same thing. Etsy seems to be about transforming found objects into something new. Rockabilly and tiki is more about finding things that are in disrepair,  forgotten, or even perfect sometimes, and returning these found objects to their original context, as opposed to recontextualizing. And it’s an amazing skill. It takes a lot of foresight to look at something like a chartreuse green lamp of a dancing lady with an exaggerated tiki shade and know that when put with a bamboo living room and a bright chartreuse wall that magic will happen, like in the photo of Mr. & Mrs. Hughes in their Living Room. When sadly placed in a dusty corner of a thrift store, it is hard to imagine the possibilities. The Rockabilly aesthetic isn’t afraid to commit to bold decisions in order to give an object its original vitality.

3. Let’s get deep. After all your research and immersion, why do *you*  think folks get drawn into the aesthetics of the postwar lifestyle? My readers and I are, to some degree. Your subjects are. You are, it sounds like.  Do we all share some personality dynamic – and if so, what do you think it is?

As I have mentioned in other interviews, one of my most conservative subjects thinks we share a past life experience. I am not sure I can agree with that, but it is an interesting idea. I feel that most people are looking to belong to a community. Organized religion seems to be unable to offer most young people what they are looking for. People no longer make friends with their neighbors. Our melting pot has made ethnic affiliations no longer relevant. SO what’s left?  Subculture. And this particular subculture is a great one. I can travel to any place in the U.S  and I know I have a good friend to hang out with and stay with.  And who doesn’t want that. Friendship and community are the fabric of personal happiness. As for why this specific connection? I think most people drawn in are extremely visually sophisticated. Furniture,  cars, etc., were designed by skilled and trained designers. Things were not moved through factories at the same rate as today. Design was king and manufacturing was done with pride. There was no Ikea culture that buys today and throws out tomorrow. And anyone visual would be hard pressed to not be turned on by the design aesthetic. As for the connection to the era… I think it is easy to forget all the negative things that were realities in that era and replace them with cartoonish dreams birthed by things like Life and Look Magazines.  If you look at the political climate or at the position of women and minorities,  no one would ever long for the post-war American era. But we forget those things.

Thank you, Jennifer. Every time I look at your photographs, I am more and more mesmerized. You get my vote (so far) for Retro Renovation Book of Year. I can’t wait to get my copy. I think that what you say about the visual sophistication of rockabilly folk also is very applicable to readers of this blog. Many readers are graphic designers, editors, artists, or otherwise very visually attuned. Lots of car and appliance collectors, too. And, like rockabillies, I think that this shared interest — along with the ability to connect via the internet — is creating a vibrant subculture. Like you, I know I have friends in cities all across the country. It’s amazing really. It’s interesting to hear your take on the etsy phenomenon. I still tend to think there is a link, even if at its most basic, it’s a shared respect for objects — including ephemera — from the past. Again – many thanks, and best of luck with the book and your teaching.

Links: Jennifer Greenburg’s website, including a larger gallery of photos.

Readers, if you’d like to order the book, I’ve put it in my Amazon store / Reading list.

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I was born in the ’50s, and every summer we traveled to rural Pennsylvania (closest town of any size, Towanda, was a twisty-turn-y, nightmare of a 10 mile drive) where my great-grandparents had in 1932 purchased a tract of land along the Susquehana River. It had a dilapidated barn, an old building that had once housed a general store, a few acres of land and a huge farmhouse built in the 1850s. I had to leave a comment today because at the time my great-grandparents moved in, the WPA came through the valley and built a solid, safe, sanitary two-seater outhouse on the property, identical to the one pictured. My extended family has carefully maintained it over all these years, and it is neither smelly nor creature-infested. I’ve lived with indoor plumbing all my life, which is why using the outhouse (and the occasional chamber pot) has been important for me. How else could I otherwise appreciate my pastel bathroom???

One of my good-natured cousins snapped a couple of pics for me the other day. I’m sorry Sally doesn’t look her summertime best. Ordinarily the brush is kept mowed, and we often put geraniums in flower pots on either side of the door. There was even a little bell ages ago! You’ll notice that we raised the roof and inserted screening a few years back, primarily to let in more daylight.

We have a modest perennial garden along the slate pathway that leads to her door, and she was wisely built close enough to the house be convenient, and far enough away to be discreet. You could meander slowly down the walk, pretending to do a little weeding amongst the flowers, and no one would be the wiser.

Yes, this is the work of the WPA. Men without jobs were employed by — gasp — the federal government, to build and repair those things that Americans needed and used in their everyday lives, thereby immeasurably improving their health and safety. Imagine that.

Thank you for putting your foot down when it comes to the national habit of snickering at the colors, furniture, flamingos and other assorted accoutrementof those in the 1950s and ’60s. So many of them had only comparatively recently emerged from a backward, colorless and unsophisticated way of life. And now look — clean, fresh water in a pretty pink tub! Somebody pinch me!

Well, that was way more soap box philosophy than you’d counted on, I’m guessing.

Enjoy Sally! Aw heck, we sure do!

Thank you, Sara, for the lovely memories, and for the healthy snap-to reminder of how lucky we all have it.

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The photographs are stunning, and they show a deep respect and love for rockabilly fans who — like many of us, maybe even — are choosing to live a little outside the norm in terms of our aesthetic taste.

That said, I’m kinda thinkin’ that more and more now, our perspective — which decoratively, hones in on and celebrates the best of an exuberant era — is seeping into the mainstream. It’s so interesting to look at rockabilly and tiki — and then also at today’s Etsy folk, who are creating found art of every ilk — and think, “it’s all converging.” This makes me very very happy.

These people are SO BEAUTIFUL! I’ve asked Jennifer if she can to answer a few questions for the blog about the rockabilly aesthetic, and I will post the interview as soon as it’s completed.

Links: Jennifer Greenburg’s website, including a larger gallery of photos. Readers in Chicago can attend the official book launch and signing, Jan. 26 at the The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. 6 p.m. And, thanks to Mary Deluxe – I read her blog and she first spotted this news in a TimeOut Chicago interview.

If you’d like to pre-order the book, I’ve put it in my Amazon store / Reading list.

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Here is something to truly lust after: A vintage Seeburg juke box. It belongs to my friend Kaarin and her husband Bob. They own Berkshire Books in Chatham, New York, specializing in used, rare and out-of-print books. If you are ever in the area you should be sure to stop there, they really know their stuff. Of course, literate types they are, the juke box has a great story…which includes a finicky predecessor, an undertaker-turned-repairman, and ill-made Russian vacuum tubes ordered by the caseload. Kaarin writes:

Here’s my partner, Bob, with the skinny:

When we lived in Salem Mass in 1979-1980  we often  visited Kaarin’s home town, Amesbury, Mass, and would go to  a funky bar owned by a man named Victor Bronski. Vic had an AMI -Rowe juke from the 1950s in his bar that had been retro-fitted after WW2 from a 78 rpm player to a 45 rpm. One night we asked– for at least the 10th time– if he would consider selling it to us… and on that night,  he finally did…for  $50.

The problem was that it never really worked 100%, and we subsequently moved with it from Salem MA to Cambridge MA, and finally to NYC. We actually had a juke repair man, one Jed Levine, in Salem and Cambridge, who used to talk to it in the most intimate terms when he worked on it,  but to no avail:  He could  never quite get “her” to work.

When we bought our house in Spencertown, NY in 1989,  we yet again, lugged  the old juke along with us… and *finally* found a jukebox repair man (a former undertaker!) in Binghampton NY who could, and did, fix it for us. However, the ongoing problem was that it was powered by vacuum tubes — only available in Russia these days — so we had to buy vacuum tubes by the case, and at least a third of the tubes were defective.

One day we got a call from our man in Binghampton saying that he had a mint Seeburg which he would be willing to trade for our AMI. (Our guess is that he’d grown tired of repairing the old girl.) And  the rest, as they say, is history. We used a little nest egg from K’s mother when she passed away to take the plunge and purchase the Seeburg (Florence Lemstrom loved to dance and we knew she’d approve!) and for the past three years have been in absolute Jukebox bliss. As we do every holiday season, we’ll fill her up with Christmas 45’s and jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock, the whole season long.

Bob Lemstron-Sheedy, edited by Kaarin Lemstrom-Sheedy

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ChristmasLights.com’s history vintage Christmas lights starts with info on celebrations before electricity … the site gives us a decade-by-decade look at lighting all the way through to the 50s heyday…. and, it features a detailed history of bubble lights and a detailed history of Noma Lights, the largest Christmas lighting company during the mid-century years.  Way fun.

A note: I’ve done a number of posts this season on “holiday” and “Christmas.” I most certainly don’t want to exclude other holidays, like Hannukah, which is also currently under way. It’s just that this blog is mostly about ‘what I know’ and as I was raised with Christmas, that’s the ground I tend to cover first. As the blog develops, I want to do more on other holidays … and I most certainly welcome reader suggestions. To be sure, No matter what your faith or philosophy, I wish you peace, love, safety, happiness.

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