Background
The increase in marriages and births after World War II led to a greater demand for homes and items for the home. In the first four years after the war, Americans moved into over one million new homes annually. Spending on furniture and appliances increased by 240%. Each year, American families bought millions of cars, refrigerators, stoves, and televisions. Not everyone could afford the most expensive items. However, data shows that spending on items for the home rose not only among upper- and middle-class families, but also among lower-income families. Most home products were marketed to women. On average, wives made 75% of all the purchases for her family.
Post-war consumerism reflected the traditional values promoted by politicians and popular culture. The American home was at the center of /topic/confidence-and-crises_post-war/ stability. And it was a woman’s duty to create a comfortable and safe home for her husband and children.
Images
Joseph Fadler, photographer. Group of Women and Model Kitchens, 1956. Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, 06-70834, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Doug White (photographer), The Most Popular New Appliance in the Postwar Era was the Television, 1956. Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, 05-54286, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
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