Lisa's Nostalgia Cafe--The 1930s Home


more 1930s topics Nostalgia Cafe main page Nostalgia Cafe site map	The 1930s Home ============================================================ ============================================================ ============================================================


in town Neighborhoods dating from the 1800s contained two-story frame houses and shady, tree-lined streets. Subdivisions that were formed between 1900 and 1930 had bungalows, Cape Cod homes and prairie style homes, as well as the tudor and colonial revival homes that became popular in the 1920s. older suburbs In the mid and late 1800s, railroad suburbs were located along the rail lines that radiated out from the city center. Beginning in the 1890s, streetcar suburbs were established in the areas where the streetcar lines met the city limits. These communities reached their peak in the 1920s. The bungalow was definitely the most popular home style during this time. Many cities were surrounded by a "bungalow belt"....a ring of suburbs built during the 1920s and 1930s in which the bungalow was the dominant home style. Between 1908 and 1940, thousands of people purchased their homes from the Sears catalog. The buyer was responsible for the construction of a Sears home, which arrived by train in several large crates. Everything you needed was inside the crates: lumber, fixtures, nails, paint and instructions. During the 1930s, a Sears home cost between $2,000 and $3,000. Sears Modern Homes Sears Homes	-----
the city In the city, we lived in working-class row houses, apartment buildings, two-flats and three-flats. In California and Florida, many upper-class homes and apartment buildings sported the new art deco style. the country Out in the country, we lived in traditional farm houses, or in cottages that were converted from summer homes to year-round residences Art Deco Style Art Deco Architecture Art Deco In Miami Beach	-----	art deco In urban areas, a new idea in home architecture was taking hold. Our lives were becoming increasingly modern and mechanized, and the development of synthetic materials like bakelite and enamel gave surfaces and furnishings a sleek, modern look. In 1925, these ideas gave birth to the decorating style known as art deco. This style featured geometric shapes, clean lines, curved edges, symmetrical designs, round mirrors, glass block, large windows and lots of built-in shelves and seating.


While the older suburbs were located on the rail and trolley lines, the newest suburbs were accessible by auto only. These automobile suburbs featured sunny open areas, paved streets, bungalows, tract homes and the new ranch homes. A typical early automobile suburb. Note the lack of garages....although having a car was a must if you lived here, many homes didn't have garages yet.	-----	ranch homes Earlier in the century, the free-flowing designs of Frank Lloyd Wright and other architects inspired a new idea in home design. The regimented style of the farm house was being challenged by the concept of the "open floor plan." Modern buildings formed themselves to their surroundings and featured internal spaces that flowed into each other. In the late 1930s, this idea resulted in the development of the ranch home. No longer confined to the Ponderosa, these spacious one-story homes were now being built in the suburbs. They featured sprawling floor plans, low-pitched roofs, wide eaves, large picture windows, carports, patios and other outdoor living spaces. They were definitely the wave of the future.
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		Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous design in the 1930s was Fallingwater. It was a prime example of architecture in harmony with nature. Fallingwater
		"The garage has become a very essential part of the residence." --Architectural Record magazine, 1937 The automobile was becoming a dominant force in our lives, and the garage was gradually becoming an important part of the average home. If you had a garage, it was probably a detached building or converted barn added several years after the house was built. Generally, only a small number of new suburban homes had attached garages.
		Like yachts, mink coats, or having breakfast in bed, many comforts were reserved for folks who lived on easy street. Now, thanks to Eagle Insulation, you can "live like a millionaire!" --insulation brochure Owens-Corning developed the first fiberglass insulation in 1938. Before that, if homes were insulated at all, it was with paper, felt or man-made rock wool. Pipes were insulated with asbestos, which was already known to cause fatal scarring and thickening of lung tissues. In time, fiberglass would prove to be almost as dangerous. Asbestos Health Risks
		Out on the front porch, the milk box was where the milkman delivered your dairy products: quart bottles of cold milk, pints of cream, cheese, buttermilk and ice cream.
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Zenith radio		foyer & living room The modern living room was the center of the home. Everything you needed for home entertainment was here: a piano, a Victrola and a floor model radio with fancy bakelite dials. Every flat surface was decorated with a doily. Rock-Ola Folding Bars Art Deco Furniture Bakelite Telephones
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A modern bathroom contains a sink, flush toilet and fully-connected bathtub. Most importantly, these fixtures are all located in a room designed especially for their use. In the 1930s, an increasing number of homes had these features, but there was still a large gap between the classes. Nearly all upper class homes had complete bathrooms with flush toilets and connected bathtubs. Between 70 and 90 percent of middle class homes also had complete bathrooms. For poor and rural homes, change was slow in coming. 20 percent of these homes had running water, 25 percent had a flush toilet, and a lucky 7 percent had a complete bathroom with a sink, toilet and tub all located in the same room.		bed & bath Art deco style found its way to the bedroom, too. Vanities, dressers and headboards had enamel surfaces and rounded edges. Vanity mirrors were round. Little boys loved cowboys in the 1930s. Many of their rooms were decorated with a western theme. In the bathroom, the development of plastics in the 1930s resulted in the first vinyl shower curtains and acetate bathroom accessories. Art Deco Bedroom Furniture
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laundry Washing machines in the 1930s ran the gamut, from hand-cranked models to the latest electric models. Some moved a dolly or agitator back and forth, some were rocked back and forth by hand, and others used an electric motor to move plungers up and down. Electric or not, they all depended on the wringer to squeeze excess moisture out of clothes before they were hung up to dry. The most modern electric washers came with an enameled steel tub, a bakelite agitator, a pump for filling and draining the water, and a wringer mounted on the top. A few drops of bluing in the rinse water prevented white fabrics from turning yellow. Clothes were dried outdoors on the trusty clothesline.		a homemaker's work is never done! Monday....wash day Tuesday....ironing Wednesday....mending, sewing Thursday....grocery shopping Friday....cleaning, dusting Saturday....baking, preparing for Sunday dinner Sunday....church, family dinner, go visiting History Of Washing Machines

in the kitchen

express yourself!
Attitudes toward home decor, especially in the kitchen and bathroom, underwent a change in the 1930s. Back in Victorian times, these rooms were never seen by visitors, and no attempt was made to decorate them. In the 1920s, an obsession with sanitation made all-white kitchens and bathrooms the rage. In the 1930s, we were encouraged to let our homes reflect our personality. The development of synthetic plastics led to the popularity of color-coordinated dinnerware and bathroom accessories.

the icebox
The icebox had three parts: the shelves where food was kept cool, the compartment for the block of ice, and the drip pan underneath. Under normal conditions, a one-foot-square block of ice lasted a week. It was always someone's assigned duty to empty the drip pan....don't forget!

When you needed more
ice, you placed a
sign in your window
telling the ice man
how much to bring in
when he came around.

the refrigerator
Mechanical refrigerators for the home were first introduced in the 1910s. During the 1930s, there were over 200 models on the market. In 1935, production of refrigerators was eight times higher than it was in 1929. The first freezer compartment was introduced in 1939.

The sale of refrigerators first surpassed that of iceboxes in the 1930s. In poor and rural areas, most people continued to use their iceboxes. Refrigerators were still somewhat expensive, and many rural homes didn't have electricity.

Betty Crocker
The character of Betty Crocker was invented in 1921 by the Washburn-Crosby Company, which merged with other companies to become General Mills in 1928. Soon, Betty was hosting her own radio show, and in 1933 she published both a recipe set and a booklet....Betty Crocker's 101 Delicious Bisquick Creations. Her first "portrait" was painted in 1936.

The Waring Blender
The Classic Sunbeam Mixmaster
Sunbeam Mixmaster History
History Of The Refrigerator
Betty Crocker History

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Fiesta Ware in bright, modern colors

cooking & eating
melmac dinnerware (1937)
Corning Pyrex glass bakeware
styrene glasses (1938)
Fiesta Ware
Depression glass
Russel Wright dinnerware

Russel Wright produced colorful
dinnerware and aluminum flatware

storage & clean-up
S.O.S. soap pads
cellophane plastic wrap
styrene egg trays (1938)

decor
enamel surfaces
formica countertops (1938)
vinyl tablecloths

The type of fuel used by the kitchen range was usually determined by the home's location. In town, most homes used gas. As electricity became more widespread, the use of electric ranges first began to rival the use of gas ranges during this decade.

In the country, where both electricity and gas were scarce, the stove burned coal, fuel oil, wood or corncobs.

appliances
Sunbeam Mixmaster (1930)
Waring Blender (1936)
electric can opener (1931)
Toastmaster pop-up toaster

Waring Blender