Back in the early days of the blog, I wrote a story 10 Reasons I’m Glad I Don’t Live in the ’50s to clarify that with this blog, I’m singing the praises of the decorating, not necessarily the lifestyle or all the ins and outs of life then. A few of my reasons for life today vs. yesteryear were tongue-in-cheek. But on the main, I was dead serious about how, all things considered, I believe we are way better off today for very specific reasons — in particular due to civil rights and medical advances. A related case in point, spotted on ebay this week: Shoes fixed with leg braces, for a child, found at an estate sale in Texas. For polio? We’re guessing. See this photo reference from Harvard (link now gone).
Go to the listing (now ended): Those shoes were worn hard, worn right out. My mom tells me that, growing up the 1930s in rural Pennsylvania, there would regularly be quarantines for all the children when another child was diagnosed with polio. Can you imagine. Related to the usual topics of this blog: Some academics point to the historic preference for white tiled kitchens as a defense against disease. This all started with Florence Nightingale and her work to advance hospital sanitation around 1850. From that point on, homemakers and their servants started to aim for absolute cleanliness to ward off germs. White cabinets, floors and walls made it easier to see the dirt. “Sanitary kitchens” — that’s what they called them. Similarly, steel cabinetry — starting with steel Hoosier cabinets — were marketed as “vermin free” — rats and mice could not chew through and eat, or contaminate, your precious foodstuffs. Americans took the whole cleanliness thing even further, by linking personal and home hygiene to advancing socially and economically. I read all about this a couple years ago in the fascinating book Chasing Dirt: The American Pursuit of Cleanliness (affiliate link). So… there was a well-evolved back-story to all that renowned midcentury focus on household cleanliness — including how we ended up with so many white kitchens. Thanks to seller Ray for giving me permission to feature these photos.
Cynthia says
My mother grew up in the 1940s in Milwaukee and used to tell stories about how in the summer none of the kids in her neighborhood were allowed to play with their friends. They would all go out on their front porches and call up and down the street to each other…that was the extent of her social interaction with her friends, because everyone’s parents were terrified of polio.
Yep, I agree with everyone else…love the look, but would not want to live in those times…
Mollie D says
Fascinating- great post!
JefferyK says
Polio has nearly been eradicated off the face of the Earth. People can do amazing things when they set their minds to it.
Julie says
I was born in 79′ but I think my mom was one of the first to get the Polio vaccine.
Stacey says
I love back-story posts and finding out the reasons for things… like white decor in kitchens! I had both a relative and a teacher that wore these sort of leg braces. I think they had steel posts on both sides, but hey, that was a long time ago.
I lived in the 1960s, so I know full well it wasn’t perfect. Don’t want to go back there, all in all.
Angela says
Agreed. And I get bored of explaining to people that, while I am over the moon with the mid-century design aesthetic, I would rather chew off my own foot than go back to actually live in that era. (Although modern politics suggests we are coming darned close.)
nancy says
I had to explain to my MIL that though I like the cool stuff, I would never want to live then. I was born in 1960 with one arm and leg that didn’t move. My parents instructions were to ‘bicycle’ them several times a day until I screamed. Eventually they began to work and there were no lingering effects – except maybe for being the slowest running child in class for 13 straight years. All hail modern medicine and civil rights nad women’s rights !
Marion Powell says
I’ve been watching old episodes of Mad Men. Boy would we not like to go back to those times. The men in the office were lewd and crude. If a girl complained, she was labeled a prude. The main female character complained to a young, progressive male that it was great to have civil rights for Negros (her word) but there were lots of things she couldn’t do because she was female. Opened his eyes a bit.
Just another Pam says
“Let others praise ancient times; I am glad I was born in these.” Ovid approximately 43 B.C.
I wouldn’t wish to live in the 50’s again though I do have a slight fantasy about The Village in N.Y. but realistically these days are getting a little worrisome too as in some ways the future is looking a little back to the future too.
Carole says
Those braces look all too familiar to me. My father developed polio as a young child (only a few years before the vaccine was developed). He wore a brace on one leg his entire life (as it was underdeveloped due to the disease). He came from a very large family of brothers and sisters (Italian Catholic so you can image lol), but he never let his leg stop him. He learned to swim (and could swim better than most anyone I knew), ride horses (he rode in many a Rose Bowl Parade in his day), build houses, work a farm, do whatever he had to do.
As a child, having a handicapped father made me more aware of those around me who were handicapped for various reasons. It also made me see people for who they were, to see past their disability to the person.
On the down side, I watched as people stared at my father (children especially), because in those days (1970s) someone with a disability was considered ‘odd’. I told more than one kid to ‘stop staring at my daddy’!
I also had the effects of my fathers experience. If he could do anything with his bum leg, I was expected to do anything with my two good ones. That was good and bad for a young girl, but it made me try anything and try my best to do it well. Even though my father and I never had what I’d call a close relationship, I owe him a lot, including his ‘never give up’, ‘never let anything stop you’ attitude. He’s been gone for a few years now, but his lessons are instilled deep in my soul.
Annie B. says
How beautiful. Thanks for sharing your story.
Jason says
Those braces look like the ones that Forrest Gump wore. But he had a crooked spine. I, too remember the oral polio vaccine as well as the earlier shot. That gun looked SOOOOO huge and scary.
pam kueber says
Yes, I am not totally sure these are for polio — but I did see similar ones in the Harvard museum photos. Same point, nonetheless…
Mia says
My grandfather was the Research Director for the March of Dimes in the 50s and funded both Salk and Sabin’s research. Your post today is a powerful and painful reminder of the polio epidemic. I love that you let your work speak for itself while staying relevant to all things retro. I have a ton of respect for what you do and I hope one day to meet you!
pam kueber says
Thank you for your nice comments, Mia!