An American Flashback: 1940s
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 
The 1940s in America: World War II was happening. The microwave was invented. Jackie Robinson was a baseball hero. Franklin D. Roosevelt was President, followed by Harry Truman. Pearl Harbor was bombed. The University of Oklahoma would only accept white applicants. The average price for a gallon of gasoline was 15 cents. Pinocchio, Dumbo and Casablanca were on the silver screen.
Heartthrobs and heartbreakers were Rita Hayworth, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra and Clark Gable. Popular literature included For Whom the Bell Tolls, Death of a Salesman and A Little Prince. The average annual income was around $2,200. Kids played Candy Land and Silly Putty was invented. Good Housekeeping was a favorite magazine. My immigrant grandparents sewed gloves and made top coats at factories in Chicago.
There was a guide to hiring women.
(Hint: download the image and open it up on your desktop for better reading quality.)
Learn more American 1940s history here.
Reader Comments (14)
i have a couple of photos of my mother dressed in suits like these..she was beautiful...
thanks for stopping in..and i'm glad you like my new format..i like your blog layout too!
ciao bella
creative carmelina
Whoa. How the times have changed. I loved this reflection. That article cracked me up.
The guide to hiring women cracks me up! I guess you need to start somewhere.
what a great topic - i think too often we generalize the past, either that is was wonderful or awful, without giving a thought to the "shades of gray" that are inherent to all times/cultures/populations. That said -- that "Guide to Hiring Women" is CRAZY! #4 made me want to pull my hair out: what "female weaknesses" can be found by a doctor looking at (what I assume could only be) a woman's vajajay?!
Thank goodness for progress :)
This is so interesting. I teach my students about Women during WWII. I read this to them today. We have come so far, but still have a lot to change!