With little aid, no pay, and no other employment, LIFE magazine chose in 1941 to chronicle the life of one of the largest single demographics in the United States: the 30 million housewives who did most of the washing, made beds, cooked meals and nursed practically all the babies of the nation. The magazine decided to feature Jane Amberg from…
Vintage Wonders
The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railroad in 1886 marked the beginning of the timber trade in British Columbia, it made possible the exploitation of the interior forests, presented the trade with the Prairie market, which was to sustain it until 1913 and it attracted plentiful capital to the industry for the first time. For it opened the industry the…
In the 20th century, swimwear evolved dramatically as fashion trends quickly changed and the Victorian era’s constrictive rules gave way to fresh ideas of freedom and utility. Mirroring the fashion worn by males and subsequently guiding the simplified designs used in the first years of the Olympic Games, early in the century one-piece swimsuits became common wear for women. These…
Wearing what would seem to us like quite conservative swimwear today, the women were being detained for violating a restriction on public wearing of their ‘short swimsuits’. Early in the 1900s, modesty rules were quite rigid and mandated that most women wear stockings in addition to long one-piece clothing. The mayor of Atlantic mayor, New Jersey barred even the males…
Motorcycles have an interesting beginning anchored in the 19th-century technological developments. Their family history begins with the “safety bicycle,” which had a pedal-crank system to drive the rear wheel and equally sized front and rear wheels. Reflecting a shared vision of mechanized transportation, the evolution of the motorbike was molded by the concurrent efforts of engineers and inventors across Europe…
With a fascinating mix of historical inspirations and avant-garde invention, the 1930s represent a turning point in the growth of house interiors and design ideas. Two main design senses held sway throughout this transforming time: the lavish embrace of Art Deco and the continuing appeal of traditional aesthetics. With its geometric forms, strong lines, and elaborate embellishments, Art Deco captured…
The exciting Art Deco movement was significant in bathroom design during the 1920s. Emphasizing its strong geometric patterns, luxurious materials, and modern luxury, Art Deco had a significant impact on all aspect of the design. This impact was clearly seen in bathrooms by the use of complex mosaic tiles covering walls and floors. Often in strong monochromatic or opposing color…
Western dress changed dramatically in the 1920s. Women’s clothes moved from the ornate and constrictive Victorian and Edwardian eras. Rather, fashion welcomed looser, more comfortable clothing that showed more of the arms and legs. About a decade earlier, hemlines rising to the ankle and the transition from the S-bend corset to the simpler, columnar shapes of the 1910s began this…
Flappers were a group of young women in the West who rose to fame after World War I and became well-known during the 1920s.Flappers were known for their unique style, with knee-length skirts, bobbed hair, and a love for jazz music. They broke social norms by wearing makeup, drinking, smoking in public, driving cars, and having a more relaxed view…
On May 23, 1914, the SS Komagata Maru, a steamship carrying 376 passengers mainly from Punjab, arrived on the west coast of Canada. Due to strict immigration laws aimed at limiting the entry of Indians, Canadian officials considered the passengers illegal immigrants. Consequently, the ship and its passengers were denied entry and detained in Vancouver Harbour for two months. Eventually,…