The 1950s Home

Janet Shepherd · John Shepherd

Abr 2017 · Amberley Publishing Limited

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The 1950s was a decade of transformation, as Britain moved from austerity to greater affluence. After the Second World War, there was a huge building programme and the creation of new towns brought a new mid-twentieth century vision of the home. The architecture could be very different from what had gone before, and inside new fashions and materials had an impact on every home, old and new. By the mid-fifties, the consumer society was under way, and the arrival of new materials such as plastic and nylon revolutionised home interiors: colourful ‘formica’, labour saving gadgets, bright new furnishing fabrics – all became affordable. The new medium of television was increasingly to be found in modern living rooms. The growth in car ownership meant garages were required by an increasing number of home owners. More leisure time also led to a passion for DIY and an increasing desire for homes with gardens. This book is part of the Britain’s Heritage series, which provides definitive introductions to the riches of Britain’s past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted with the 1950s home in all its variety.

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Dr Janet Shepherd gained her doctorate in Poor Law education at London Guildhall University. She is co-author with John Shepherd of 1920s Britain (2010), 1970s Britain (2012) and 1950s Childhood (2014) for Shire Books, and is currently working on a history of a little known radical twentieth century society, the Progressive League.

Professor John Shepherd has worked at the University of Huddersfield since 2010, and was previously joint director of the Labour History Research Unit at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. His publications include Crisis? What Crisis: the Callaghan Government and the British Winter of Discontent (MUP, 2013).