I had the privilege of growing up in rural Virginia during the 1950s, far away from the hustle and bustle of towns and neighbors. Unlike most families at the time, we didn’t have a television, so my brothers and I found entertainment in different ways. We would engage in pretend Civil War battles in the fields and woods surrounding our house or spend hours playing card and board games on the living room floor. However, for me, the greatest pleasure came from reading. Reading was not just a way to pass the time for me; it was a way to escape the confines of my small Virginia community and explore different worlds and lives beyond my own.
Through books, I discovered that girls could do amazing things. I admired the fearless Nancy Drew and her ability to solve mysteries. I was inspired by Anne Frank’s bravery in the face of the Nazis. And I was captivated by stories of brave women demanding change, like Susan Anthony. Reading was my way of breaking free from the limitations placed upon women in that era. As Scout says in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” it allowed me to escape the “starched walls of a pink cotton penitentiary” that seemed to be closing in on me. Through words, I could travel beyond the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains that surrounded our home. They opened my eyes to national and global affairs, filling me with a sense of urgency. I was both fascinated and fearful when I learned about the launch of Sputnik and the Russian’s race to space. I was moved by the courage of the Hungarians fighting against communism. And I found comfort in the portrayal of America’s postwar prosperity.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have access to a daily newspaper, but we did receive various magazines. My father, being in the horse business, would always bring home the “Morning Telegraph,” a thoroughbred racing magazine. Every morning, my brothers and I would eagerly gather around the breakfast table, deciphering the complex charts and statistics for each horse. While the “Morning Telegraph” provided us with all the track news we could want, it lacked coverage of public affairs.
One magazine that profoundly impacted me was “Life.” It’s hard to imagine in today’s digital age how a single publication could reach and influence such a large portion of the population. In the 1950s, nearly half of all Americans read “Life” each week, and I was one of them. Looking back at those issues now, I am struck by the strange familiarity of the 1950s world it depicted. It captured the popular trends and crazes of the era, including Davy Crockett coonskin hats, Hula-Hoops, and Elvis.
What I found particularly interesting were the advertisements. I could recognize nearly every product advertised, even though many of them no longer exist today. Cigarette ads were a common sight, with Lucky Strikes and Camels claiming to be “Cleaner, Fresher, Smoother.” It was astounding to see a news story in “Life” depicting a woman smoking during labor – something that would be unheard of now. In our household, smoke was a constant presence, with my mother’s daily pack of Camels and my father’s cigars filling the air.
What struck me the most about “Life” was its coverage of food. Looking back now, it seems almost unimaginable. One ad suggested parents add 7Up to babies’ bottles to encourage them to drink milk. Another proclaimed the need to use up leftovers in Jell-O salads. It was a time when convenience and processed foods were on the rise. The magazine praised frozen, canned, dehydrated, and precooked foods for their ability to save time for busy women. Instant oatmeal, instant coffee, and TV dinners were hailed as innovations that made a woman’s life easier.
“Life” also chronicled the emergence of modern-day conveniences that we take for granted today. It was during this decade that credit cards became a part of American life, the Interstate Highway System was launched, and passenger travel by jet began. However, air travel in the 1950s was not without its risks. Airplane crashes were alarmingly frequent because pilots were responsible for spotting other planes while flying. It wasn’t until a tragic crash over the Grand Canyon in 1956 that the FAA took over nationwide air-traffic control.
If I had looked to “Life” for inspiration about my future, I would have found a limited range of possibilities. The magazine often featured glamorous shots of women, mostly movie stars, who seemed far removed from the lives of ordinary people. Articles about women’s struggles and achievements were scarce and often reflected a sense of unease with the changing roles of American women. Even in the late 1950s, discussions about women were couched in language that implied they were problems to be solved. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the women’s rights movement gained momentum with the publication of Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique.”
Looking back on those years, I’m grateful for the escape that reading provided and the stories of strong women who showed me what was possible. And while “Life” may have offered a limited perspective on the world, it was a window into a different time and allowed me to see how much progress we have made.
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