Connection to the World
World War II was a radio war. Today, we are used to receiving instantaneous information through social media. In 1941, however, radio presented the fastest way to reach a population. Other means of communication from the war front including newspaper reports, letters, movie newsreels, and telephones – but nothing brought the continuous flow of information such as the radio.
Every day, all Americans could tune in to comedy, drama, and music, along with commercials for local and national services and products. Radio was WWII Americans’ connection to the nation and the world.
Wartime Fashion
War production produced devoured cotton, silk, nylon, wool, leather, and rubber. Little was left for civilian clothes or shoes. The War Production Board in 1942 rationed natural fibers and forbade drastic style changes that might tempt buyers. The limited color choices restricted the length of skirts and the fullness of pants and jackets; even cuffs were banned. Manufacturers substituted synthetic materials for some fabrics, but stopped making nylon stocking altogether in order to make parachutes. Additionally, they had to abandon rubber-based stretch fabrics and elastics used in women’s undergarments. As a result of trade restrictions from Europe and Asia, decorative elements such as buttons and other trim were fashioned from scrap cloth. As seen here, this wool suit incorporates fabric-covered buttons and self-trim for the applique designs.
Showing Your Patriotism
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, American patriotism reached a high point. Every effort and focus was on the war and that extended to signs of patriotism in jewelry. “Victory” or “Sweetheart” jewelry was a popular accessory of the time. Whether elegant and tasteful, or loud and bold, the jewelry was often made with rhinestones enamel or early forms of resin plastics, celluloid, and Bakelite.
Censoring News
Public opinion of the war was incredibly high, however, great steps were taken to censor war news and images. Twenty-one months after Pearl Harbor, Life magazine from September 1943 included the first image of deceased Americans to appear in newsprint. Life magazine struggled to print these images over the objections of the U.S. government, ultimately requiring President Roosevelt’s approval. The article entitled Three Dead Americans depicts three soldiers face down on the beaches of Guadalcanal. While images of this nature are now deeply ingrained in the public consciousness, these images were shocking to 1940s Americans.
Staying Connected
In the first years of the war, the delivery of mail was slow and erratic. Too bulky to be given precious space aboard aircraft, sacks of mail were loaded into the holds of cargo ships and often took more than a month to reach the front.
In the spring of 1942, V-mail was introduced. Letters were addressed on a special one-sided form sent to Washington where they were opened and read by army censors who blacked out anything they thought might give useful information to the enemy, the photographed onto a reel of 16 mm microfilm. The reels — each containing some 18,000 letters — were then flown overseas to receiving stations. There, each letter was printed onto a sheet of photographic paper, slipped into an envelope, and bagged for delivery to the front.