79 Years Ago
This ad for the electric company appeared in the March 14, 1946 Colorado Transcript. It’s an interesting piece of history, because it catches a transitional moment at the end of World War II. Mom may be back in the kitchen, but she’s still wearing her Rosie the Riveter outfit, with the overalls and headscarf tied in front.
After the War, many factors combined to change the American way of life: the Baby Boom, the move to the suburbs (powered by automobile sales), rising wages, and growing consumerism. The housewife emerged as a cultural icon, happily raising children and taking care of her suburban home.
Women rarely appeared in advertisements before World War II, but after the War they were pervasive, wearing dresses and frilly aprons and enjoying new, labor-saving appliances.
