1950’s

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1950s

• By Meaghan Dunlap

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Art

• The1950? Yves Klein wanted to guide the world
  into a new Age of Space, in which spirit
  wouldnt have form and objects could levitate.He
  used elements that showed art was more than a
  picture, its also feelings.

www.lonvig.dk
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Art Cont.

• 1954? Comic publishing industries created The
  Comics Code, which were censorship guidelines.
  Parents and teachers thought it would improve the
  childrens behavior.
• 1958? Barnett Newman painted Onement I. He wanted
  to make painting into a more religious experience.

www.jade.dti.ne.jp
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Pop Art

• Pop Art challenged tradition. It mostly used
  irony to the elements of a culture. It is not
  unusual for there to be repetition in the piece
  and it is sometimes difficult for the viewer to
  understand the artwork. Logos and product labels
  use pop art.
• One of the most famous pop artist is Andy Warhol.
  He created the Campbells Soup Can along with
  Marilyn Monroe.

www.flickernail.com
www.memeticians.com
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Fashion

• Women were taught to act and look every inch the
  rich lady.
• Clothes-heels, gloves, swing skirts (poodle
  skirt), pencil style skirts,

www.buycostumes.com
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Fashion(girls)

• Clothes-portable collars, rolled up
  dungarees(jeans), dresses, scarves. Girls were
  dresses everyday, even to school. The dress had
  to be long enough to cover the knee. Around the
  house and outside pants could be worn.
• Hair-ponytails
• Shoes-flats, converse, bobby socks, saddle shoes

www.edsmart.com/stamps/images/3187b.jpg
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Pastimes

• Some pastimes were the hula hoop, roller skating,
  bowling, drive in movies, boating, football
  games, fishing, and horseback riding.

www.kentnewsnet.com
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Pastimes

• Families would play board games and card games at
  night.
• Family activities included roller skating,
  boating, amusement parks, camping, going on
  vacation at the beach, Disneyland.

www.weblo.com
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Toys/Games

• Some of the popular toys were the slinky, silly
  putty, mr. potato head, tea sets, pogo stick,
  scooter, paper dolls, water guns, electric train,
  raggedy ann doll, and barbie.
• Some of the popular games were dodge ball, jacks,
  Cowboys and Indians,old maid, pick up sticks,
  tag, and hide and seek.

www.coolest-toys.com
www.toy-tma.com
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Literature

• If I The Zoo was published in 1950 by Random
  House publishing company. The author and
  illustrator was Theodore or Ted Geisel. He had
  been turned down many times before due to some
  violent illustrations. He also wrote The Cat and
  the Hat (1957) and Green Eggs and Ham(1960). Ted
  is the widely known Dr. Seuss.

www.swapmeetdave.com
www.sewardlibrary.org
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Literature Cont.

• In 1952 Ernest Hemingway published The Old Man
  and the Sea. He won the 1953 Pulitzer Prize in
  fiction for this book. The next year he received
  the Nobel Peace Prize in literature.
• Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953, which
  was a play about the Salem Witch trials.

library.wustl.edu
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Literature Cont.

• Ralph Ellison wrote Invisible Man(1952) and James
  Baldwin wrote Go Tell it on the
  Mountain(1953).Both of these novels were about
  the black experience.
• J.D. Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye, which
  was about rebellious adolescence.

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Popular Culture

• Elvis Presley became the new teen idol in the mid
  1950s. He was a young rock and roll singer and
  also a symbol of fashion for the younger
  generation. Most parents did not approve of
  Elvis.
• Heartbreak Hotel was Elvis first number one hit.

www.8notes.com
www.northernlife.com
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Moral Standards/Beliefs

• Dating-Teens had to practice proper courtesies
  and etiquette. Girls were to sit, stand, and walk
  a certain way. After a date they had to say thank
  you and you had a good time. There were classes
  on how to act on a date and in public. There were
  also classes that taught how to social dance.
  When asked to dance the girl was to graciously
  accept and then thank the boy at the end of the
  dance. Some boys and girls would go steady, which
  meant the girl wore the boys ring or a special
  heart necklace.

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Moral Standards/Beliefs Cont.

• Women were expected to stay home and take care of
  her husband and children. After the war they had
  to quit their jobs so the men could have them
  back. She had to depend on her husbands salary.
• Women were judged on how they looked as well as
  how their home looked. She was to dress nice and
  not show her intelligence.
• The accepted jobs for women were teachers,
  secretaries and nurses. Even if she had a job,
  she was to put her family first and would quit
  her job in order to out them first.

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Moral Standards/Beliefs Cont.

• Society was strict and more structured than
  today. Rules were very important and they were
  not to be broken. Children were to do what their
  parents said and not say a word back to them.
  Children had rules and chores to teach them
  responsibility. Children were taught morals
  through reading fairy tales.
• Actions held bigger consequences and each person
  was held more accountable for those actions.

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Moral Standards/Beliefs Cont.

• Girls occasionally received the title bad girl.
  This was a difficult thing to over come. She
  would be called this if she smoked a cigarette,
  obviously flirted, wore black eyeliner, hung
  around the bad crowd, wore a revealing top, wore
  a too colorful dress, or if she was seen
  necking with a boy. If a girl became pregnant
  outside of marriage it was considered her fault
  and not the boys. One of the only ways for a
  girl to overcome the title of bad girl was to
  marry.
• Girls were called old maids if they didnt marry
  by age 25. She would not be socially respected.

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Moral Standards/Beliefs Cont.

• Men were to work and provide money to support
  their family. There were many manufacturing
  related jobs. These were popular because it was
  an eight hour work day and work wasnt brought
  home.
• At home men were to do all the outdoor tasks, fix
  household items, drive the car, balance the
  books, write checks, pay bills, and play with and
  discipline the children.
• Men/boys were also to ask the woman/girl for a
  date. They met the girls family, opened all
  doors for her, and paid for the date. He could
  try to kiss her but he may get slapped.

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Other

• Slang from the 1950s-squares, cops, rebel,
  chicks, pop, tight, keen, crazy, jacketed, kill,
  cat, cube, hep

• Teen Jobs
• Girls-babysitting, ironing clothes for family and
  neighbors, clean house
• Boys-bailing hay on family farm, milking cows,
  stacking hay, driving tractor, cleaning stables,
  bus boys at restaurants

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Bibliography

• http//www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/m/a/mas53/timl
  n950,html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_art
• http//home.att.net/boomers.fifties.teenmag/1950s
  _fashion.html
• http//home.att.net/boomers.fifties.teenmag/1950_
  history.html
• http//www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/fashion-wg.htm
• http//www.associatedcontent.com/article/96893/lit
  erature_and_music_as_a_form_of_expression.html