Influence of Technology

Observations:

The photograph depicts six people within in a room, closely positioned around a television. Within the room, there are two simple couches, a side table, a lamp, a fire place, and a framed painting that hangs above it. There is also a large window in the room that seems to be letting in a lot of natural daylight.

When looking at this photograph we are immediately drawn to the television in the background. The television itself is a small, boxy object that sits on four tall legs. On the right side of the television, there are a set of ridges that form an oval shape. To the left of the television, there is a man operating one of the two dials located below the televisions’ screen.

            Every person, but one, seems to be starting intently at the television- none of their eyes meet the camera. On the right side of the photograph, sting on a floral patterned couch, a woman is portrayed holding a newspaper while focusing her attention on the television. Looking closely at her left hand, we can see that she is wearing a wedding band. Compared to the three young girls in the photograph who are wearing casual clothing- short shorts, short sleeve/sleeveless shirts, socks and sneakers, the woman is wearing a nice blouse, a skirt, and high-heeled shoes. The young teenage male in the photograph, is wearing a polo-shirt. The clothing of the adult male operating the television mimics the formality of the woman’s. He is wearing a short sleeved buttoned dress shirt with a collar, dress pants, and men’s dress shoes.

Historical Assumptions:

The décor, clothing, hairstyles, and technology within this photograph place this image in the early 1950s. Judging by the woman’s wedding ring, the presence of the older male and younger children, we can make the assumption that the image depicts a 1950s family spending time together in the comfort of their living room on a weekend. The fact that every family member seems to be in the same room at one time, during the day, suggests that this photograph was taken on a weekend when there was no school or work.

The hairstyles that are worn by all the females in the room are typical of the 1950s. Young girls often wore simple hairstyles and used barrettes to hold back their bangs. Women of the period, especially mothers, wore more conservative hair cuts that were sleek and shoulder length. The mother also has the characteristic 1950s hair flip- curls, flips, and waves were common hairstyle techniques used by women to frame the face. The mother is also wearing high-heeled shoes inside the home. This was characteristic of the 1950s housewife. High-heels were worn at all times during a period were prim and proper was the ideal. The males in the photograph also demonstrate hairstyles of this period. They both have clean-cut, slicked back styles. The adult male also exemplifies the very clean shaven look that was popular among men in the 50s.

We can also go further and make the assumption that this photograph depicts a typical middle-class nuclear family of the 1950s. It was a post-war time period that offered American families affluence, optimism, and leisure. Through the clothing, décor and style of the family in this photograph, we can see that they are able to afford the basic necessities and still have room for other luxuries.

Leisure time and a booming economy also meant that many middle-class families could afford the most soft after piece of technology during the 1950s. Known as the “golden age of television,” the 1950s brought a fun, cheap, and simple form of entertainment into the American home. The television was a commodity that transformed into a family medium and influenced the lifestyle of American families in the 1950s. Knowing about shows such as Leave It to Beaver, and Father Knows Best, we can assume that families such as the one in the photograph watched television shows together that depicted the ideal, white, middle-class nuclear family. Such shows helped reinforce the gender stereotypes and power inequalities present during the time. Fathers were seen as the bread-winners, the sole providers, and mothers were expected to be the carer of their children and all things domestic.

The main focal point of this photograph is the television. The size, shape, side speaker, and use of dials to operate its functions are very characteristic of television sets from the early 1950s. It is the object around which every member of the family positions themselves and their attention. This moderately sized piece of technology had a profound impact on families. This photograph demonstrates televisions’ influential role in brining families closer together and changing the way they interact with one another.  

We can even make the assumption that this photograph is demonstrating the early signs of televisions impact on changing eating habits. The two teenage girls in the photograph are both holding identical glass bottles. By looking at the shape of the bottle and the dark shade of the substance within it, we can assume they are drinking the popular carbonated drink of the 50s. Coca-Cola was an essential part of the fun and carefree American lifestyle. As the television became more pervasive in the home, families adapted their meals and leisure time around the television. 

 

Observations:

            When looking at this photograph, it becomes hard to separate the two people in the foreground from the mass collection of “stuff” behind them. If we look closely we can see bundles of florescent lights, rows and rows of canned goods, boxes of chocolate chip cookies, flash lights, paper plates, cups, a first-aid kit, blankets, large glass containers, pails, bowls, a large portable toilet and rolls of toilet paper to go with it. To the right of the toilet, we can see an open hatch to an underground cellar.

            The two people in the image seem to be content sitting in front of their mass collection of goods and happily posing on either their front or back yard for the anonymous photographer. The young woman in the photograph is sitting elegantly wearing a plaid dress and heels. Sitting closely next to her, a young man is cheerfully smiling in a formal black suit and black shoes. He is also holding a suite of cards in his right hand, and one of the cards can be seen face-up on the grass below him. Several questions come to mind when looking at all of these elements in this photograph. Why exactly are they so happy? What are they celebrating? Why would they need so much “stuff”?

Historical Assumptions:

            There are several factors that can allow us to place this photograph in the early 1960s. The style that is exemplified by the dress and hair of the woman within the photograph is characteristic of the early 1960s. Her attire is an example of the popular scooped neck, full skirted dress, and her  hair is tied in a low pony tail with a poodle top- both popular and appropriate styles for women to wear in public during the early 60s.

            By placing this photograph in the 1960s we can then begin to make sense of the large display of goods and strange open cellar in the photograph. Carried throughout the 1950s and into the 60s, the Cold War had instilled a sense of anxiety, fear, and tension amongst American society. In 1961, President Kennedy urged American families to take precautions and invest in the purchase of a fallout shelter to protect them in the case of a nuclear explosion. With the eruption of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the possibility of nuclear war seemed imminent.

            We can then make the assumption that perhaps these two individuals are a couple, a newly wed American family that has taken the safeguard measure in building themselves a backyard bomb shelter in the midst of warfare. The mass amount of goods can now be seen as a stock-pile of boxed/canned food, drinking water and emergency supplies necessary for their survival in the event of an atomic explosion. What we at first though was an open storage cellar, is now mostly likely their fallout shelter where they would be storing all these items and themselves until it was safe to resurface.

            If our assumptions are correct, this image can say a lot about the influence and impact of technology on families during the 1960s. Due to the development and enhancement of machines, weapons, and technology used to assist in modern warfare, families were placed in a state of constant fear, hysteria, and uncertainty. Although the state of cold war brought many new jobs to the men and women of America, offering opportunities to work in munitions, aircraft, and defence plants, these advancements in technology constantly placed their lives in danger.

            Innovations in the creation of protein supplements, non-perishable foods, radiation detection kits, and the introduction of the fallout shelter were all technologies that positively and negatively impacted the lives and memories of those who lived throughout this turbulent era.