Summary of The Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt
08-05-2010, 08:23 AM
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Location: Alaska
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I first want to thank and honor Laurie Aaron Hird for her time, research and hard work creating this book and quilt for us all to share and enjoy. The lines that follow is ONLY A SUMMARY ( my words/paraphrase, thoughts) of Laurie's intro from "The Farmers Wife Quilt Sampler"
I've posted this purely for the means of this forum. Laurie deserves all the credit for her work in its entirety. Anything posted here I have received permission from her to include: Please take the time to read, enjoy and ponder her book and the letters within for the full picture and wealth she provides.
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The 1920 was a period which saw many changes politically, technically and socially. They included : The end of WW1 in 1918, the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote and the crash of the stock market.
The 20’s also brought change in the entertainment industry with KDKA in Pittsburg being the 1st commercial radio station in 1920, growing to more than 500 commercial stations by 1922. By 1929 over ˝ of American homes owned a radio. The movies also saw huge change going from silent films to the 1st talkie “The Jazz Singer” in 1929.
Automobile popularization meant rural residents were no longer limited to short distance travels by horse and buggy. Between 1922 to the end of the decade the number of American automobiles exploded from 2.2 to more than 22 million with the help of Henry Ford and his assembly line.
Society also began to notice change in young womens behavior. In 1922 Pittsburg Observer posted, “A change for the worse during the past year in feminine dress, dancing manners and general moral standards”. They warned against failure to realize the serious consequences in immodesty in girls dress.
During this period the perception “city people” held for the farmer and specifically the farmers wife was not very favorable. Many believed the farm wife to be a slave to her work, living in drudgery and a state of anxiety. Townspeople thought the farmers wife would be determined her daughter escape such a dismal life in exchange for the conveniences and excitement the city could offer. A widely popular magazine on the day “The Farmer’s Wife” believed this view far from the truth.
In 1922 editors ran a contest to see if they were right. They posted a question to their subscribers, the questions being “ If you had a daughter of marrying age, would you in light of your own experience want her to marry a farmer?” They asked participants to consider this question from all angles, financial, physical, moral etc., those things that make for real happiness. They encouraged them to discuss it with their husband, friends and family members, by the end of the contest the editors were overwhelmed by more than 7,000 responses. When opinions were tallied 94% of farm wives stated that they would indeed want their daughter to marry a farmer.
As we journey through this period of time let us meditate upon the words of these womens letters, and sift what we can from their experiences and lives. My hope is that we learn of these values, and morals and we might apply to our own lives.
I've posted this purely for the means of this forum. Laurie deserves all the credit for her work in its entirety. Anything posted here I have received permission from her to include: Please take the time to read, enjoy and ponder her book and the letters within for the full picture and wealth she provides.
.
The 1920 was a period which saw many changes politically, technically and socially. They included : The end of WW1 in 1918, the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote and the crash of the stock market.
The 20’s also brought change in the entertainment industry with KDKA in Pittsburg being the 1st commercial radio station in 1920, growing to more than 500 commercial stations by 1922. By 1929 over ˝ of American homes owned a radio. The movies also saw huge change going from silent films to the 1st talkie “The Jazz Singer” in 1929.
Automobile popularization meant rural residents were no longer limited to short distance travels by horse and buggy. Between 1922 to the end of the decade the number of American automobiles exploded from 2.2 to more than 22 million with the help of Henry Ford and his assembly line.
Society also began to notice change in young womens behavior. In 1922 Pittsburg Observer posted, “A change for the worse during the past year in feminine dress, dancing manners and general moral standards”. They warned against failure to realize the serious consequences in immodesty in girls dress.
During this period the perception “city people” held for the farmer and specifically the farmers wife was not very favorable. Many believed the farm wife to be a slave to her work, living in drudgery and a state of anxiety. Townspeople thought the farmers wife would be determined her daughter escape such a dismal life in exchange for the conveniences and excitement the city could offer. A widely popular magazine on the day “The Farmer’s Wife” believed this view far from the truth.
In 1922 editors ran a contest to see if they were right. They posted a question to their subscribers, the questions being “ If you had a daughter of marrying age, would you in light of your own experience want her to marry a farmer?” They asked participants to consider this question from all angles, financial, physical, moral etc., those things that make for real happiness. They encouraged them to discuss it with their husband, friends and family members, by the end of the contest the editors were overwhelmed by more than 7,000 responses. When opinions were tallied 94% of farm wives stated that they would indeed want their daughter to marry a farmer.
As we journey through this period of time let us meditate upon the words of these womens letters, and sift what we can from their experiences and lives. My hope is that we learn of these values, and morals and we might apply to our own lives.
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