consumerism

Do some casual research on the internet, and find some images of consumerism from the 1950s and the 1960s. (These must be images from that time.) You will share these images in PDF format in the designated Discussion Board area along with the explanation of image.

ANSWER

Consumerism in the 50s and 60s

(AWS)

This photo is a depiction of the growing power of consumerism in the fifties and sixties. No one in the family is left out; father, mother, son, and daughter. They all can walk in a mall and get out with countless products to feed their consumer appetite. The economy was driven by ferocious consumerism and most of it was not out of necessity but appearance (Halberstam). After the end of the Second World War, the economy was healing and there were millions surging into the middle class. This money had to be spent. It found its way into unbridled consumerism.

(Oeltjenbruns)

This is the 1951 Nash Ambassador sedan shown here as being presented as a Christmas gift. Another dominant feature of the 50s and 60s consumerism was advertising. Earlier years had supermodels and celebrity actors for adverts but the 50s created the happy housewife. She was able to sell Americans anything. The sixties brought technology and the advertiser had to shift tact to the under 25 (Oeltjenbruns). Popular in this decade include funky clothing and jewelry and the advertiser trying to inject personality into products.

(Halberstam)

This is the photo of a lady in her kitchen from the 50s. The photo, dubbed “The Lady of Westinghouse” is a depiction of American consumerism in the 50s. It features Betty Furness, a famous American actress, and consumer advocate. In the mid-50s, the prices of commodities kept going down and consumers kept buying more (Halberstam). People had to have the last appliances. This photo shows a lady who is proud of the collection of kitchen appliances that she has. She is portrayed as confident and glamorous. The photo seems to suggest to other women that life would be much easier with new appliances in your home.

Works Cited

AWS. Austerity, Affluence and Discontent: Britain, 1951-1979. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com  Accessed 29 Oct. 2020

Halberstam, D. 1950s Consumerism, Television, and Madison Avenue. 2017. https://waverlyhs.weebly.com/us-history-blog-may-2016—may-2017/1950s-consumerism-television-and-madison-avenue  Accessed 29 Oct. 2020

Oeltjenbruns, B. Advertising in the 1950s and 1960s. 2015 https://www.causeafrockus.com/2015/01/advertising-1950s-1960s/  Accessed 29 Oct. 2020.