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Although millions of American women put on trousers and went to work when their workday was done they changed clothes and went about their day. Nazi occupation and regulation dramatically affected American fashion during WWII (and beyond). On June 14, 1940, Hitler invaded and occupied Paris, the center of fashion at this time. Important Houses … read more »

  On Jan. 6, 1941 FDR delivered his State of the Union address that came to be known as his Four Freedoms speech.  FDR proposed the four fundamental freedoms that all individuals should enjoy – Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. FDR’s speech, delivered 11 months before Japan … read more »

Less than a month after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor the federal government’s War Production Board issued an order that all production of civilian cars and trucks must cease. The last official day was February 22, 1942 (Although the last Ford car for private use rolled off the assembly line on February 10th.) Almost overnight … read more »

World War II brought many changes to Christmas traditions on the home front. Many Americans replaced freshly chopped trees with new American-made artificial Visca trees. They threw away their German and Exotic Japanese made decorations and bought Shiny Brite ornaments made by Corning Glass Works in New York or created homemade ornaments. Families put together … read more »

Just after Thanksgiving, on Dec. 7, 1941, the unthinkable happened. Pearl Harbor was bombed… America was thrust into WWII. Countless men, young and not so young, joined the armed forces. Women served in the Red Cross and took factory jobs to help keep tanks and airplanes rolling off the assembly lines.   On Nov. 13, … read more »