The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music - A tribute to our greatest generation

From the pages of Yank, The Army Weekly – China-Burma-India Edition January 1943: AT A U.S. BOMBER BASE, INDIA – For the first time in military history, the mournful hearts have organized. The Brush-Off Club is the result, in this land of sahibs and saris; as usual, it is strictly G/I. Composed of the guys whose gals back home have decided “a few years is too long to wait,” the club has only one purpose – to band together for mutual sympathy. They meet weekly to exchange condolences and cry in their beer while telling each other the mournful story of how “she wouldn’t wait.” The club has a “chief crier,” a “chief sweater” and a “chief consoler.” Initiation fee is one broken heart or a reasonable facsimile thereof. Applicants must be able to answer appropriately the following questions: 1. Has she written lately? 2. Do her letters say she misses you, and is willing to wait no matter how long? 3. Does she reminisce about the “grand times we had together, and the fun we’ll have when you come back?” 4. Does she mention casually the fellows she is dating now? Membership in the club is divided between “active members” and “just sweating members” – the latter being guys who can’t believe that no news is good news. Members are required to give each other the needle; i.e., full sympathy for all active members, encourage “hopeful waiting” in the just sweating members. By-laws state: “As we are all in the ‘same transport,’ we must provide willing shoulders to cry upon, and join fervently in all waiting and weeping. One of the newest members of the club was unanimously voted to charter membership because of the particular circumstances of his case. He recently got a six-page letter from his fiancee back in Texas. In the last paragraph she casually mentioned, “I was married last week but my husband won’t mind you writing to me occasionally. He’s a sailor and very broadminded.” This G.I., so magnanimously scorned, is now regarded as fine presidential timber. Present officers of the club, all of whom are active torch-carriers, are: Cpl. Henry W. Asher Jr., New Orleans, La., president; Pvt. Francis M. McCreery, Marshall, Mo., vice president; Cpl. John McConnell, Garden Grove, Calif., chief crier; S/Sgt. George M. Lehman, Bozeman, Mont., assistant chief crier; Sgt. John Crow, San Jose, Calif., chief sweater; and Lt. Richard L. Weiss, Milwaukee, Wis., chief consoler.

The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music

The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music - A tribute to our greatest generation

1940 • Penicillin was used to help cure diseases. • Morton Salt was introduced. • The first synthetic rubber tires were manufactured. • Synthetic tooth fillings were developed. • Tiffany’s in New York City was the first fully air-conditioned store. • The first commercial flights with pressurized cabins were inaugurated. • The Jeep made its debut on November 11, 1940. • M&Ms® were manufactured for the U.S. Army. 1941 • The first Superman movie, an animated cartoon, debuted. • The first disposable aerosol cans were developed by Lyle Goodhue and W. N. Sullivan. 1942 • The first all-star bowling tournament was held. • The first successful turbo-prop engine was developed. 1943 • The Slinky® was invented but not sold commercially until 1947. 1944 • Harvard University mathematician Howard Aiken built the Mark I computer. The 35-ton machine was capable of finding the product of two 11-digit numbers in just three seconds. 1945 • The first atomic bomb was tested in the New Mexican desert near Alamogordo. The team of scientists was headed by Robert Oppenheimer. • Grand Rapids, Michigan began fluoridation of its water supply. It had been discovered that small amounts of fluoride could dramatically reduce tooth decay. 1946 • ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was the first electronic digital computer. Built by Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly, it filled a 30′ x 60′ room. • The first electric blanket was manufactured. 1947 • Elmer’s Glue-All was introduced. • Engineer and inventor Buckminster Fuller built his first geodesic dome. Its unique design encloses the most space, using a given amount of material. 1948 • The first long-playing (LP) phonograph record was introduced by Columbia Records. It held six times as much music as previous records and helped create the modern recording industry. • Bell Laboratories’ physicists invented the transistor. Smaller, cheaper, and faster than a vacuum tube, it revolutionized the field of electronics. • Edwin Land invented the Polaroid Land® camera. It was the first camera to produce finished prints “instantly” – in this case, 60 seconds. It sold for $89.75. • Holography was invented by Dennis Gabor. The technique created three-dimensional images. 1949 • Silly Putty® was invented. • Physicist Harold Lyons built the first atomic clock. Built for the National Bureau of Standards, the clock was accurate to within a few seconds over fifty years. Compliments of © Teacher Created Resources

The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music

The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music - A tribute to our greatest generation

The early to mid-decade period of the 1940s were marked mainly by, of course, World War II. The involvement of nations in the war was reflected in the radio programs of the day. People could get all the news bulletins, interesting updates, and general information related to the war with the help of these programs. As war related news grew in the number of reports and frequency, the radio industry began to undergo a change. The growing popularity of radio paved the way for a number of dramatic programs to go on the air. When listeners began to grow tired of listening to war talk and reports, they would turn to other programs for an escape. Quiz shows, soap operas, drama etc. were beginning to be broadcast for long hours and grew in popularity. Similar to television shows of today, radio started gaining importance in people’s life. From drama, adventure, romance, comedy to musical concerts, sports broadcast, weather forecast, news and commentary, radios became a fabric of everyday life and a great source of entertainment. One of the most popular shows during this era of radio was the Lux Radio Theater, which made its rightful place in the hearts of its audience. Wholesome entertainment as families would gather around and listen to some of Hollywood’s greatest legends performing one hour versions of their motion pictures, on radio. These versions were accompanied by full orchestras and were performed live on stage from Hollywood while on CBS, before a studio audience. It was a great challenge as these actors were not used to performing without any retakes. However, those who did make an appearance on the show were paid in the range of $5,000. Some that appeared were Abbott and Costello, Jean Arthur, Lauren Bacall, Lucille Ball, Ethel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Charles Boyer, James Cagney, Claudette Colbert, Ronald Colman, Gary Cooper, Joseph Cotten, Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Bette Davis, Dan Duryea, Frances Farmer, Errol Flynn, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Greer Garson, Janet Gaynor, Cary Grant, Lillian Gish, Charlton Heston, Bob Hope, Vivien Leigh, Ida Lupino, Fredric March, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Muni, Vincent Price, Donna Reed, Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra, Ann Sothern, Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, Shirley Temple, Gene Tierney, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, John Wayne, Jane Wyman, Orson Welles, Loretta Young and Robert Young. This classic anthology series was broadcast on a weekly basis, and families would anxiously wait for the next installment of these hour-long programs. It’s  no surprise that the dramatic anthology series ran for more than 20 years. Even during the 1950s, the series continued to be shown on television and was famously known as The Lux Video Theater. The Lux Radio Theater, if you can find the time to give a listen.. you won’t be disappointed!

The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music

The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music - A tribute to our greatest generation

The post World War II era marked a sharp change in the United States compared to the years preceding the war, years that were dominated by the Great Depression. Changes that America underwent during the war years ushered in a new, modern era of which we still feel the effects of today. The effects of the war were very different on the United States compared to most countries that participated heavily in the war effort. While Europe and Asia were in the midst of rebuilding from the ravages of war, the continental US was untouched. Winning the war effort dictated a new direction in American culture that was dominated by a new found wealth and independence that soldiers and perhaps more importantly, women experienced during this time. Americans now wanted something new and better, and many were earning enough money to find that better life. While men were overseas fighting the war, many American women were employed in factories and earning good wages while contributing to the war effort.  The independence and earning power of being employed was too good to abandon, and more and more women entered the workplace. One of the basic changes that occurred in the culture of America in the post-war years were typified by custom built housing such as Levittown, where new attitudes were taking hold. Americans began to buy newly built homes in suburban communities outside of busy cities. Before WW II, it was common for newly married couples to settle in on the ranch owned by the father of the groom and living in a multi-generational household. After the war, tract housing was being built to hold returning soldiers and their brides so they could start new families in the cities and suburbs. Cities such as Levittown expanded greatly in the post-war years in terms of both population and physical size, providing more jobs and creating new opportunities. This new prosperity of peacetime meant that we were now a nation on the move and the suburbs were safer, calmer, less crowded than the cities. Our nation’s people had a need for family and security after the long strenuous years of war and sacrifices. These new suburbs were free, open, and friendly. There were neighborhood group activities, Boy and Girl Scouts, PTA at school, families would gather in a neighbor’s backyard for cookouts, and people felt safe enough to leave their doors unlocked at night. This new prosperity also meant that we could finally replace the family car, falling birth rates were replaced by a baby boom, and we could buy new and modern appliances. Post-war optimism encouraged us to “take to the highway and see the country in a Chevrolet”. Another profound change was a new emphasis on pop culture that centered on teens that were coming of age in the post WW II years. In communities like Levittown and across the US, the popular culture which was built around family oriented stars, musical acts and the like began focusing on teen interests as the rise of the bobby-sox generation and ultimately the entry of rock ‘n roll into the mainstream. As you can see, the post-war era launched the cultural changes that helped shape the world we live in today.

The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music

The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music - A tribute to our greatest generation

In the 1940’s, while America was in the midst of World War II, the way Christmas was celebrated was a lot different than today. Decorating for Christmas involved the idea of simplicity, mostly out of necessity. While the men were off fighting World War II, moms at home would try to make things as normal as they could for their children, and would often encourage their children to write Christmas cards, and to make their fathers feel as though he was still part of the festivities. Mom and kids would make large care packages to send to their dad. Inside these care packages would be cards, candies, cookies, pictures, and other treats to really try to bring the Christmas spirit to their men. Some people believe that the holiday shopping season that now begins well before Christmas.. actually began during  World War II because it took so long for a package to reach our troops. Merchants began encouraging people to shop early for the season to make sure the packages would arrive in time. Christmas is a wonderful time of year, and whether it is now or then, the holidays are a time for families to gather and show their love for one another by spending time together to decorate a tree, share a meal, and give each other heartfelt gifts. 1940′s Yuletide Facts: During World War II Christmas trees were in short supply because of a lack of manpower (to cut the trees down) and a shortage of railroad space to ship the trees to market. Americans rushed to buy American-made Visca artificial trees. In 1941, a five-foot Christmas tree could be purchased for 75 cents. The shortage of materials—like aluminum and tin—used to produce ornaments led many people to make their own ornaments at home. Magazines contained patterns for ornaments made out of non-priority war materials, like paper, string, and natural objects, such as pine cones or nuts. Electric bubble lights were created during the 1940s and remain popular even today. To give their Christmas tree a snow-covered effect, people mixed a box of Lux soap powder with two cups of water and brushed the concoction on the branches of their tree. Fewer men at home resulted in fewer men available to dress up and play Santa Claus. Women served as substitute Santas at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City and at other department stores throughout the United States. “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “White Christmas” were both written during the 1940s and quickly gained popularity with the war-weary, but optimistic, population. Travel during the holidays was limited for most families due to the rationing of tires and gasoline. Americans saved up their food ration stamps to provide extra food for a fine holiday meal. Many Americans threw their German blown-glass ornaments and exotic Japanese ornaments in the trash as soon as the war began. Shortly after the war, Corning Glass Company in New York began mass-producing Christmas tree balls using machines designed to produce light bulbs. Corning could make more ornaments in a single minute than a German cottage glass blower could make in a whole day. Yuletide facts compliments of The National WWII Museum Merry Christmas!

The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music