Introduction: Based on popular media, personal anecdotes, etc., there is a perception that, during the early part of the 20th century, there was generally a positive association with new products, technologies, trends, etc. However, as time went on, there was a greater appreciation for traditional methods, styles, and craftsmanship, bordering on a fetishization of the past. Some investigative questions that arose from this observation were:

• Is it even true, based on the types of ads and articles seen in House Beautiful?
• If this pattern was observed, at which point(s) did the shift occur? What sociological and political events during those times might have influenced this?
• What socioeconomic and political events during those times might have influenced this? What technologies might have impacted it?
• How does the target demographic/class affect this?

Hypothesis: The advent of mass production in the 20th century, particularly in the postwar era, gave the middle class more access to a variety of design options, with people (broadly speaking) preferring new things. As quality of furniture, etc. declined with the use of cheaper materials, etc., people began to value older, better-constructed items, and the value of these pieces increased, often pricing out middle class people. In reaction to this, cheaper imitators of these styles would appear on the market.

Explanation: Figure 1, from the 1910 edition of House Beautiful, immediately complicates the narrative presented in the hypothesis, with an advertisement for reproductions of furniture from past eras. This is not unexpected; nostalgia is a powerful force in the human psyche, and moreover, taste varies between people. The question remains as to whether this is an exception to general trends, or if the hypothesis is null.

• Figure 2 (1932) promotes renovating old homes to be in line with new styles and trends, in line with the hypothesis.
• Figure 3 (1971) questions the value of vinyl flooring, with the implication that this relatively new flooring material is both popular and desirable.
• Figure 4 (1990) shows traditional design and trim motifs using cheaper, newer materials which can be more easily mass produced.
• While additional sources/examples would be needed to cohesively point to a trend, these examples are largely in line with the general points in the hypothesis.

Figure 1
House Beautiful 1910: “Handwrought Furniture: In Faithful Facsimilies of the Past!”

Figure 2
House Beautiful 1932: “New Interiors for Old!”

Figure 3
House Beautiful 1971: “Is it Crazy to Spend a Lot of Money for Vinyl Flooring?”

Figure 4
House Beautiful 1990: “Molded Polyurethane Trim Duplicates the Wood and Plasterwork of Centuries Past”