A Look at 1954 Fashion, Food, Home and The Mambo

Dear Readers,

The 1954 letters have come to an end and it's time to organize for 1955.  Meanwhile, here's a peak at what was big in the popular press of '54.  I hope you enjoy it!   After a blog break of about a week or so, come back for the 1955 letters and a daily look at the popular cars of the year.

For the 1954 home:

 For the cook:

And 2 immensely popular products, with cigarette use peaking in about 1955:

 

 
For the shopper and seamstress:

Images from issues of Ladies Home Journal, Vogue, Time, Saturday Evening Post and Life magazines, 1954. 

For one of the top hits of '54:

 

December 4, 1954 The Last Letter of '54, The Rush, The Train, The Doll and The Christmas Spirit

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"I started to clean the house but the sweeper was bothering the TV shows the children are watching so I was told to stop!  Today is nice and I've been trying to get them all outside.  Bob spends most of his time at Toni's watching the TV.

B has gone to a meeting at school.  We didn't get up very early so I haven't got the house cleaned nor the breakfast dishes washed.

Sorensens were here last night just to visit.  We never run out of things to talk about.  B and Woody are on some of the same school committees so they always have school business to discuss.

One of our school friends is coming to spend tomorrow.  He was in Springfield when we were there and at Yale too.  We haven't seen him since we left Yale.  He is now at the University of Illinois.  He has never married.

I think I'm caught up with my entertaining for a while.  Thursday night was the last thing I'd promised to do.  Course Bob's birthday is coming up in January and we'll do something about that.

I finally found your last letter.  You asked for suggestions for Bob and Ann's Christmas.  Don't get much for Bob will have the train and we got Ann a walking doll that she wanted.

They still like books and games.  I can't help you much for I don't really have the Christmas spirit yet.

If all goes well we'll be home the 18th.  Don't rush around doing a lot of things.  There will be plenty of time for us to do things before Xmas day.  We may not even get a tree here since we'll be home so early.

It is lunchtime already so I'll stop and there isn't any news anyway."

Hope you are all fine."

           Love,
  
              Bonnie

November 28, 1954 A Really Nice Day, The Levines Come to Visit, Just Say No Again and Three Weeks Till Coming Home

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"I'm sorry I'm late with my letter.  This has been sort of a hectic week.  Our vacation started Wednesday noon and Phyllis's mother came after her.  She has sent me so much meat, chicken and other things that I felt I just had to ask her to eat lunch with us.  So I spent that day cleaning a bit and getting lunch.  She brought me some eggs, some pears and a lovely baking chicken.  So I was glad I had asked her to come for lunch.  She enjoyed herself too.

Thanksgiving day we went to Mildred Wells' and had a wonderful turkey dinner.  It really was a nice day.

Friday I spent the day cleaning and got supper for Toni and her family.  They went to her Dad's and I knew it would be hard to fix supper after she got home.  And today we had friends from Urbana-Champaign for dinner and supper.  They are the ones we met on the way to Japan.  We stayed with them in Tokyo and they stayed with us quite a bit.  We had a good time today and it seems that I haven't done a thing this week but clean and cook.

I have a conference with Bobby's teacher Monday morning.  We have group parent meetings and then separate conferences.

From the Ad Council, Saturday Evening Post, 1954

Another girl and I are hostesses to the wives in the Education department on Thursday night.  Our house is too small so we'll meet at her house but I'll help with the desserts and cleaning up afterwards.

I'm going to start saying "no" on some of these things.  I hope there won't be many more things to be asked to do, though.

I can't find your letter so I don't know whether you asked any questions or not.  It is only about three weeks until we'll be home.  This fall has gone so fast.  The kids are anxious for Christmas to come.  Ann asks every few days if it is Christmas yet.

We have a Thanksgiving service with children and parents tomorrow.  I guess if we go I'd better go to bed or I won't want to get up."

                Love to you both,

                         Bonnie

Downtown Normal, Illinois, Fall 1954 (Image from The Index)

November 20, 1954 Entertaining a Bunch of Women, The New T.V. and Just Say No

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"It looks like it will snow any minute.  It has been nice but I guess it really is time for it to get cold and stay that way.

Wattersons have a new T.V. set and I can hardly keep Bob out of their house.  He gobbles his supper so he can see the next show.  I still don't want one. 

Today is Charlotte's birthday.  I have had so much extra stuff to do that I really forgot it.  I'm ashamed to admit it.

The church bazaar was Wed. and Thurs.  I made a chiffon cake and some candy for them.  They asked me to work but I said, "No".  I hated to not help but simply couldn't.

B was out several nights this week for meetings--gave a talk one night.  We both went to a parents' meeting of the first graders and heard about their library period--what they do, etc.  It was very interesting.  Every day I learn a little more about how much I don't know where kids and schools are concerned.

Edna and I entertained a bunch of faculty women here last night.  She made the dessert and I did the extra cleaning.

I have to take Thanksgiving cookies for Ann's room on Tuesday.  Then I have to help entertain another bunch of women on Dec. 2.  That's the end of my promises, I hope.

I guess I'd better wash the breakfast dishes.  B is going to school and I just heard Bill ask him if he was going to leave without washing the dishes.  He's the funniest kid you ever saw.

I'm going to try to do the fruitcake again this year.  Haven't started it yet but hope to soon.  Hope you are all fine."

                  Lots of love,

                        Bonnie

 NOTES:  We used to tease Bonnie about going to the liquor store so often around the holidays.  Her response was always the same:  "Oh, it's just for brandy for the fruitcakes."

And for excellent information about the marketing and history of television, use this link:  http://www.tvhistory.tv/1950-1959.htm

For Chiffon Cake, Fruit Cake and Christmas Candy recipes:   

http://www.annbkennedy.blogspot.com/search?q=candy

http://www.annbkennedy.blogspot.com/search?q=chiffon+cake

http://www.annbkennedy.blogspot.com/search?q=fruit+cake

November 12, 1954 Cold and Beautiful Weather, Visiting the School and The Promise of Celebration

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"This is a beautiful day but it is real cold.  This week has been so warm we didn't need coats so we are spoiled but we went to a school affair last night and I almost froze walking over there.  I am dreading for it to get colder but the children don't seem to mind. 

Our colds are better.  We are still blowing and now I have a hacking cough.  Ann had a little ear infection from the coughing but the Dr. gave her a shot of penicillin and some sulfa and she didn't even have to miss school.

Ann still loves school.  She has learned to whistle.  She had to learn to keep up with David.  She skips real well.  I had a conference with her teacher yesterday and was pleased that Ann is getting along so well.  She has never had an unhappy day.

I also visited Bob's room and watched a reading lesson.  It was interesting too.  He still likes school but gets tired.  They do so much in one day.  He and Ann both are getting plump.  He takes size ten now for his jeans and shirts.

B has been to several meetings this week but I have stayed home trying to get rid of my cold.  Sorensens were here one evening.  A church club met Wednesday night but I didn't feel like going.

I guess it would be useless to ask you two and Beulah and her family to come Thanksgiving.  We don't begin our vacation until Wed. noon so we decided we simply could not come home.  Couldn't you come if the weather stays nice?  It wouldn't hurt any of you to take a few days off.  We'll really celebrate if you'd come."

          Love to all,

                  Bonnie

November 5, 1954 Gold in the White Snow, A Big Game Party and Playing with the Aerial

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"This week has been so hectic that I have lost count of the days.  We had a real good snow that stayed on almost three days.  The kids were as excited as I have ever seen them.  They played outside every minute they could even if it was real cold.  The leaves were still on many of the trees and it looked so funny to see the trees just like gold in the white snow.  The mulberry leaves in the neighborhood were still green and all on the trees.  But the cold made them fall off and the yard next door was just carpeted with green leaves.

Bob has had a cold and now Ann has it.  My throat is sore so I may have it too.  I started taking some sulfa pills we had left from last year so maybe they will help.

Tomorrow night the faculty women are having a big game party to raise money for a new student building and I am on the committee so I have spent a lot of time this week on that.  We have invited some people to go with us so I can't very well get down with a sore throat.  B went to a meeting in Peoria last night with a bus load of school people and Toni and I went to P.T.A.

Wattersons have a T.V. set out on trial so B and Watty are going to have fun tonight playing with the aerial.  They are going to try to rig one up inside and not get a big one.

B didn't have to talk at church.  He told them he would if they couldn't find anyone else but we wanted to do it when both of us could go.  The adults in the church have a pot luck supper once a month and it was for that.  They had a speaker engaged but he couldn't at the last minute.  B will give them a talk after Christmas.

Ann is talking so I'll have to stop.  She never stops talking."

                       Lots of love,

                            Bonnie