Apr 10, 2025 | 1900s, 1930s, 1960s, 1990s, week 2
Description: This question focuses on the ways women are portrayed in magazines and how different ads cater specifically to women. Showing how women are the ones who spend most of their time at home and what would be most helpful to them.
Hypothesis: I can see patterns of showing women with children in ways that will make their lives easier, and showing things that make women feel fancy. Another big pattern is showing materials and appliances that will help women keep their house clean and require less work from them.
Explanation: This pattern can be seen by physically showing women in the photos but also by explanations of how their lives will be improved. The women could then go to their husbands and have the magazines convince them why they should purchase the items.
Figure 1. Porcelain Enameled Baths and Sanitary Ware
House Beautiful, August 1903, No. 14, pg. Xix
“This illustrates a modern bath room, equipped with ‘Standard’ ware costing approximately $80.00”
- Figure 1 shows a woman in the bathroom with her child ready to bathe the child and the bathroom is made of porcelain materials. It refers to the material as being the “standard” material and explains how it is sanitary and easy to clean which will appeal to the women.
Figure 2. Telephones in the House
House Beautiful, February 1931, no. 69, pg. 122
“In homes so smoothly managed that they seem to run themselves…where all the family carry on their varied activities with ease and comfort…there are telephones located at convenient points throughout the house…in boudoir, library, sun porch, kitchen…wherever time and energy can be saved by quick communication”
- Figure 2 shows how telephones can be placed in different rooms around the house to make communicating easier and more efficient. The woman is shown in a glamorous way, looking like she is ready to go out somewhere fancy, which would appeal to other women because women desire to be fancy.
Figure 3. KitchenAid Dishwasher
House Beautiful, February 1961, no. 103 pt. 1, pg. 19
“NEW SUPERBA VariCycle”
- Figure 3 shows a woman that has loaded the dishwasher and is looking very put together ready to go on with her day to do something fun. This will appeal to other women because it shows that the dishwasher will save a lot of time that she typically would spend washing all of those dishes individually.
Figure 4. Carpet Advertisement
House Beautiful, June 1990, no. 5-8, pg.39
“Go Ahead. Walk All Over Us. Everyone Else Does”
- This is a carpet add that shows a woman walking in heels across the ground. This would appeal to women because it shows that the carpet is easy to clean and a woman is the one who is typically responsible for cleaning the floors of the house so if the carpet comes clean easy that would be ideal for her.
Apr 9, 2025 | 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, week 2
The usage of various home flooring materials through time have been dependent on changes in aesthetic preferences, economics, and technological advancements.
Advertisements in House Beautiful magazine are a reflection of the popular materials of the time period. Flooring line linoleum and carpet have both had time in the spotlight primarily because of economic factors.
House Beautiful, Volume 93 Pt. 2, 1951, p. 83
“Beauty and something more.. In new Fashion Floors by Nairn”
- In figure 1, the advertisement shows the use of vinyl flooring in a colorful and stylish kitchen with happy users. This kitchen generally uses cheaper finishes.
House Beautiful, Volume 102 Pt. 1, 1960, p. 76
“Thousands of shoes will wear out before carpet made with Nylon 22”
- In figure 2, the advertisement shows a long lasting carpet, advertising colorful options.
House Beautiful, Volume 112 Pt. 1, 1970, p. 95
“Starflash your floors with sparkling metallic magic”
- In figure 3, the advertisement for linoleum floor pushing for the cleanliness and the pop of the the material provides.
House Beautiful, Volume 122 Pt. 2, 1980, p. 132
“Create a lasting Impression. Ceramic tiles of Italy.”
- In figure 4, the advertisement for ceramic flooring emphasizes the durability and and uniqueness of the material.
Apr 6, 2025 | -week 1, 1940s, 1960s, 1970s, 2020s, reaction paper
Question: How have different flooring types come in and out of favor by the American public?
This is about the evolution of flooring. This has to do with style and preference but also with technology and the introduction of new flooring materials.
Hypothesis: I noticed a move away from carpet as a flooring, instead opting for different types of wood flooring, with rugs used in living areas.
Pattern: This pattern is shown throughout with the older examples using carpet. The more contemporary examples used hard wood with soft flooring used through rugs on top of this wood.
- 1940s: Red carpet lining a living room, with upholstered furniture, and no wood materials.
- 1960s: Use of wood flooring to complement wood furniture in a dining room.
- 1970s: Wood flooring with wood furniture, as well as the incorporation of a rug within this dining room.
- 2020s: This image is of a contemporary living room with various wood accents complementing the wood flooring and a blue rug to go with the upholstery and pillows.
Year: 2025 Article: A Hidden Play Room and More Clever Details Make a “Modern-English-Cottage-Mansion” Feel Cozy Caption: Living Room
Year: 1970 Volume: July-Dec Pg. 100 Caption: Spanning the centuries from Queen Anne to see-through-a Long Island, NY, dining room designed by Blaine and Booth, right. Chairs, in the unexpected Vibrance of cherry red are just as unexpectedly upholstered in contemporary chintz and set Upon A needlepoint rug that might have carpeted Jane Austen’s parlor. A brace of gilded palm trees Parks back to the Brighton Pavilion and Regency fantasy. and the whole ensemble has an inevitably made-for-each-other look, fresh as its garden terrace backdrop. .Acrylic table by Selig. chairs and are by Hickory chair
Year:1961 Volume: “Americana” frequently misinterpreted to mean only the naive country style Furnishings of the earliest settlers refers to all things of American inspiration regardless of date. Prototypes of the pieces above were made at different times in different places. Still, a knowing eye would spot them as Americana because of the consistent simplicity of line and the fact that they are functional as they are graceful the round, drop-leaf mahogany table, and chairs from Secretary House originated in early 18th century Rhode Island. the pine hunt board, dated 1800, belongs peculiarly to the South. The generous mahogany Buffet with its separate, glazed hutch is from Pennsylvania. all together compatibly in a traditional setting or in a modern room.
Year: 1941 Volume: Jan-Jun Pg: 9 Beauvais “Cathedral Pines” pattern (No. 1673) was the inspiration for this lovely Modern room, which was created for you by McCALL’S Magazine. The color scheme and furnishings are clever and imaginative, but moderately priced, in scale with the rug.