H&G in the Thirties
Darker days are looming – a look back at Homes & Gardens magazine
The July 1938 issue opened with a bucolic scene of bathers by a lake and a few lines from a poem by Rupert Brooke. It was a swansong for an era that was about to come to an end. Following features on building air-raid garden shelters and how to make black out blinds, Homes and Gardens announced its League Of Service with a pledge to publish peaceful contents that would be “a positive solace to the mind”.
Beyond readers’ design queries the magazine provided guidance on housing evacuees and contacts for women to support to the war effort from fire fighting to the Land Army. Food and thrift became the focus with the appointment of home economics guru Mrs D.D. Cottington Taylor (think Mary Berry with a Marcel wave).
On celebrating the magazine’s 21st birthday the editor announced the introduction of good comfortable fiction and inspirational features of psychological value, for “read we must – it is one of the few forms of relaxation left to us”. House stories increasingly focussed on politicians and military figures as a sort of interiors propaganda.
The horrors of war prompted a nostalgia for the past. Readers took comfort in ye olde cottage interiors and the much-maligned Victorian style enjoyed something of a comeback.
Hot H&G topic:Which style to embrace – Jacobean Revival or European Modernisme?
Key influences in the 1930s
Discover more of the history of Homes & Gardens
In the Zeitgeist
Sign up to the Homes & Gardens newsletter
Design expertise in your inbox – from inspiring decorating ideas and beautiful celebrity homes to practical gardening advice and shopping round-ups.
- Growth of suburbia. Where will it end?
Headline news
- King Edward VIII abdicates (sitting on a Parker Knoll chair).
Lifestyle moments
- The National Trust's Country Houses Scheme of 1937 allowed owners to donate their properties to the Trust and still to live in them. Cue decades of house-snooping and cream teas in the orangerie.
Household essential
- By the early Thirties, half of UK households had a radio as their primary source of news and entertainment. The BBC launched the Empire Service (now the World Service) in December 1932. The first royal Christmas message, delivered by King George V, was one of the first broadcasts.
Who knew?
- Princess Margaret’s birth in 1930 inspired the newspaper horoscope. The popularity of the Sunday Express’ reading for the new princess led to a weekly column making predictions for all of its readers. ‘The stars’ were born.
Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.
-
How to make towels soft without a dryer – using pantry essentials
Get your towels full, fresh and fluffy with this expert-approved method
By Ottilie Blackhall Published
-
6 things roofing pros recommend checking as the rainy season gets underway to avoid leaks, mold and pests
Maintaining a roof before heavy snow and rain could save you thousands, experts say
By Chiana Dickson Published
-
H&G in the Twenties
We take a look back at how Homes & Gardens magazine was jazzing it up between the wars
By Jennifer Ebert Published
-
H&G in the Fifties
The new Elizabethan era, a glance backwards at Homes & Gardens magazine
By Jennifer Ebert Published
-
H&G in the 1960s and 1970s
Feeling groovy! Homes & Gardens magazine had its finger on the pulse...
By Jennifer Ebert Published
-
H&G in the 1980s and 1990s
We look back with nostalgia at this period in Homes & Gardens' history
By Jennifer Ebert Published
-
H&G from the 2000s to today
We take a look back at how Homes & Gardens magazine has evolved from the 2000s to today
By Jennifer Ebert Published