The 1950s

//DISCLAIMER!! As a lot of you requested me to write a post about this subject and since I think it´s an important topic, I decided to post it.  Have in mind that this is only facts. Please respect each other and keep the comment section civil//

//1940´s workers//

After years of war, poverty and bank crisis, the world started to slowly open up again. People wanted to break free from the strict and boring past. Europeans wanted to catch up and listen to music everyone else was already dancing too.They wanted to eat the food that was no longer out of reach. It was a new time for the people, and it showed in the way they dressed and the things they did.

Nowadays, most people sees the 1950´s as the decade of glamour, elegance and luxury. They seem to forget all the other things behind it. What if we look under all that perfect facade? What will we find then?

//1950´s family//

Love is love

Something that was very common during this time was overt racism and segregation. African Americans had been fighting against racial discrimination for centuries, however, during the 1950´s, racism and segregation entered the mainstream of the ordinary american life. Parents didn´t let their children go to the same school as black children or sit next to them at the bus. As horrifying as it sounds, it was the truth back then and it still exists to this day, to some extent. People of colour was seen as something toxic, dirty or even dangerous. One wanted to be white, innocent and fairy-like as it was seen as then.

//Labelled water fountains in 1950//

Even though the majority of people thought of African Americans as something bad, there were still a few people who saw humans as humans, no matter what colour of skin they had. Two of these people were Mildred and Richard Loving. They were simply two family friends that fell in love, got married and started a family together - but in 1950´s Virginia, it was not so easy. In the state of Virginia and it´s anti-miscegenation laws, they committed a felony by marrying each other. Richard was of Irish and English descent, as Mildred was of African American and Native American descent, which made it an illegal act for them to marry.

"What are you doing in bed with this woman?" The Sheriff asked. Mildred simply answered "I´m his wife."
In July of 1958, the Lovings were being questioned by Sheriff R Garnet Brooks. The Sheriff did not hold back on his questioning and it ended with them being arrested for violating Virginia´s Racial Integrity Act. Richard spent one night in jail before being released by his sister who paid his bond. Mildred, however, was not allowed a bond. After her release three days after, the couple was left with a choice - to leave Virginia for 25 years or go to prison. The couple left Virgina and went to Washington D.C. After nine years in exile, they were allowed to visit family in Virginia.

In the late 1960´s, they went to court and worked hard to change the laws and make it legal for them to be married. It took almost ten years, but the Lovings were finally legally home in Virginia. They built a house and lived together until the 1970´s, when Richard died in a car accident. Mildred never remarried and continued to live in the house he built for them. 

"I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights."- Mildred Loving.

//Richard and Mildred Loving//

In the 1950´s, the majority of people didn´t share the same view on love. Just as interracial couples, homosexuals were seen as something bad, and against the rules. Homosexuality was considered as a disease and something to be "cured". A lot of people also compared homosexuality to incest, with the reason that "Being with another man is like being with your brother". Since religion was an important part of life for most people, many also believed that the bible was against homosexuality, which was another reason to hate homosexual men and women.

On the photo below, you can see a romantic gay couple posing in a photo booth in 1953.
In a time when people could be arrested for simply holding hands with someone of the same sex or wear clothes from the wrong department, this photo could´ve given these two men a lot of trouble.

//J. J. Belanger and his love in 1953//

"The picture was once owned by the young man on the right-hand side ofhe image above, Joseph John Bertrund Belanger,” Kyle Morgan, an archivist at the ONE Archives, explains on Time. “Belanger, for most of his life, was a devoted collector of LGBT history. Born in Edmonton, Canada, in 1925, he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was a member of the Mattachine Society – an early instance of what today would be called an LGBT organisation — in the early 1950s. It is thanks to his passion and foresight that the image survives today."

Sex, abuse and prejudice

Sexual abuse wasn´t something people spoke about openly in the 1950´s. It was considered shameful and it was mostly the victim that was ostracised for telling and not the perpetrator. Just as sexual abuse, things such as mental illness and sex & dating were also seen as something shameful. One should have a "perfect" family and/or be a "perfect" housewife.

However, in the 1950´s,  sex was considered as something shameful and disgraceful. It was not something that should be done outside of marriage, but also in marriage it was not something to talk about openly. Another thing is that contraceptives was considered as encouragement to promiscuity. So if a doctor or school nurse wanted to prescribe or give contraceptives, it was an illegal act. The birth-control pill was not approved for contraceptive use in USA until 1960, but still not in all states and only for married couples. It wasn´t until about 10 years later that it was allowed for everyone to use.

Abortion was not legal in all states until 1973. Before it was legal, women went through long and dangerous procedures. A lot of the procedures ended with a huge amount of blood loss and sometimes it could even end with death.

"A woman should not have intercourse outside of marriage, and absolutely not do anything about it if something (god forbid) does happen. " - from a radio interview, ca 1950s.

The perfect housewife

//1950´s advert//

"The perfect housewife" of the 1950´s, should clean the house by herself, cook food for the whole family everyday, take care of the children and keep them away from disturbing the father in his work, be a good wife and greet the husband "with a warm smile and show sincerity to show your desire to please him" as said in a guide from 1955. She should be happy and cheerful (even when she´s not) and "be a little more interesting for him. His day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it. " She should never complain, ask questions or greet him with problems. "Arrange his pillow and offer to take of his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice." A good wife should always make sure her husband is comfortable. She should prepare herself before his arrival from work. Touch-up the makeup and "be fresh looking". It´s important to know, "a good wife always knows her place."

//Guide from 1955.//

Women at the time had a much bigger role than they get credit for. Being a housewife in the 1950´s must have been exhausting. The constant strive to be perfect, from your hair-do and outfit, to curling the corners of the pillowcase and sorting out the porcelain. The requirements for men was not as high, as for women. Less were expected from them. They were expected to provide the family, more or less. While for women, not only should they take care of the house and family, they were the ones to have contacts and keep the family seen as a respectable family by others. If the husband was unfaithful or an alcoholic, it was the wife´s duty to protect her family´s reputation. Even though most of the times, it was very easy to see through it.

"While planning the wedding and thoroughly looking through the schedule, she was telling her future mother-in-law that he was not going to read the poem. The mother-in-law took her by the arm and told her to `stop being ridicolous´. She said that it was her job to make sure he reads it at the wedding. ´Darling, you have to make him believe that it was his idea. Otherwise it won´t work. This is something you should know as his future wife.´ She listened to her mother-in-law and decided to write the poem herself and give it to him before the ceremony. ´Love, here is that poem that you wanted to read. Remember how you talked about it?´ He nods and starts reading it. All of the guests loves it and you can hear the whispering. ´What  a romantic act!´ ´Such a lovely poem.´ They succeeded, everyone believ he wrote it." - A true story about a British couple from 1954.

//1950´s advert for coffee//

During the 1940´s, men were sent out to participate in the war. Since so many men were out fighting for their country, women had to step in and more or less take care of the society. More and more women got job in factories and agriculture, replacing those men who went to war. The Women´s Land Army was a British civilian organisation for women to work in agriculture, commonly known as Land Girls. They were also in the states, formally called Women´s Land Army of America. Only during wartime, it was acceptable for women to work as a mechanic or farmer, since it was more of a "manly job". As a way to lure young women into the factories, advertisers showed women a more glamorous side of the work. They mentioned that women did not care much about their appearance while at work, but that they were still feminine underneath the dirt. This was also a time when pants and jeans became more popular among women.

//Female workers, 1942//

Even though women did show themselves worthy and useful during the wars, as soon as it was peace again, it  pretty much went back to normal. Of course some things changed, but it was still not always acceptable for women to fulfil their dreams and proceed studies for a profession. Their destiny and their meaning with life was to became a good housewife and mother. Studies such as home economics and grooming were of course very important to achieve that.

//"Beauty schedule" from 1952.//

I hope you got a little insight on how the 1950´s could look like. I think it´s important to remember the downsides as well as the good things. Have in mind that all of these things I brought up in this post still exists today, but it has gotten a lot better in 60 years.

However, I hope you found this topic interesting and I hope you liked it.

Lots of love xx