Alas, we have come to the last of my observations on the Ladies Home Journal of 1920.
I'm sad to leave the subject. Exploring that bit of American history captured my imagination in a big way...
So here are a few final thoughts...
There was an eye opening article about music. The author was exploring the variety of American and other European composers that one could feature at one's ladies society luncheons BESIDES the German composers which everyone was adamant about shunning in the wake of WW1. They were so shattered by that war, that in fact it was hardly mentioned in the entire magazine, except for this one article.
There was another article about the need for fair and intelligent child labor laws. Not that children shouldn't WORK, but that they should be guided into occupations that suited their temperament and abilities. To be fair, the only actual AGE I saw mentioned was 15. There seemed to be an assumption that there was a certain segment of our population that were not cut out for higher education, and one should make sure that they were not just left out there to be exploited by big factory owners. These things need to be done delicately. [Direct quote from the Wicked Witch of the West.]
While this sort of thinking seems shocking to us now a days, I ask you, is it any less unrealistic than the assumption so prevalent today that EVERYONE should go to college?
Seems to me, somewhere in the middle would be a better place to stand on this issue.
When I bought this magazine, I also bought one from 1924. I have to tell you the difference between the two is astonishing.
For one thing, they made it about 2 1/2 inches shorter which in some way really lessened the impact of the artwork to a degree I was puzzled by. AND the number of pages was cut in half. Fewer stories, shorter articles, and less dramatic artwork overall. It was sad really to compare them. The term 'new and improved' could not be applied. We could only say it was 'new'.
I'm very grateful to have run across this publication. I will treasure it.
I'm a notorious thrower awayer of extra stuff, but this, I intend to keep or at least pass on to someone who would appreciate all the lessons it has to teach.
I leave you with what I think is one of my favorite pieces of art.
It shows appreciation for where food was coming from. And it certainly wasn't a factory. At least in the artistic mind of the advertiser. They didn't show their fancy machines, they showed the bounty of the American farm and the dedication of the farmer who worked there.
[album 65561 LHJ Wheat Harvest.jpg]
This is a far cry from today's agribusiness. But 90 years is a long time isn't it? We have to expect changes. I just don't want to forget where we have come from. This bemused trip through the pages of the Ladies Home Journal will help me remember.