More macro shots and a journal page. More Mad Men Season 1. More crazy thoughts about life in the early 60’s. Seriously? That many smokers? That much sexual harassment? I’m fascinated. And horrified. Gives me a new appreciation for my mom’s life as a house frau. For that insight alone it is worth watching.
Belated Yes to Was it really like that in the 60s? I worked – after flunking out of college in my jr year – at a DC insurance firm. When it was noted that I was engaged, yes I was asked, I was then asked if I planned to use birth control when I got married. The pill had just come out. Any chance of moving up to an underwriter – a man’s job – kind of fell by the wayside. Oh the clothes…even the file clerks who did nothing but file papers ALL day long wore dresses, stockings with garter belts and heels.
btw, when I was going to college there were jobs for men, jobs for women, and jobs for ‘other’. Other was any minority not covered by just ‘women’. I often looked back over the years and wondered why I didn’t major in x, y or z and then reminded myself that those fields were not open.
Oh, yeah. I lived it too. I wasn’t smoker then, but there were even ads in magazines about Doctors pushing cigarette brands. Three career paths for most of us: nurse, teacher, secretary. High heel shoes that made pockmarks in the linoleum and deadened our toes. We weren’t allowed to wear pants to teach. We dressed up (even gloves) to board airlines, go to dinner, go to church When they found out I was pregnant I had to quit my teaching job, can you imagine that now? You girls who followed us fought the big fight, and much progress was made. But when I worked latelty at a college, the young girls didn’t realize what a battle it was and how it could disappear.
The sexual harassment was a given. I am so glad that I wasn’t an adult woman in the late 50’s and early 60’s. By the time I was in college in the late 60’s, things were starting to change (slightly).
Hi, It’s been awhile since I have visited, but I was thinking about you and decided to bop over. I have so enjoyed my visit! Those flower photographs are absolutely exquisite!
My Mom was an “executive secretary” at the Pentagon during the JFK years, then for the National Institutes of Health later on. It’s all true and they smoked…even at NIH!
I loved watching her get ready for work every day. You dressed. Oh Baby, did you DRESS!!!!
I have her pearls and a load of costume jewelry that I see (from the J Crew fall preview) I can wear again!
Keep the good 60’s stuff….toss the crap.
oh how funny! I read this post as I am watching the new episode of Mad Men 🙂
The smoking is not exaggerated…everyone smoked from young adult hood. I remember being very wierd in high school because I didn’t smoke. The door to the teacher lounge would open and this big cloud of smoke would hurry out into the hall. All women wore dresses and girdles and nylons. Ugh, thank God that went away too.
I remember a teacher of mine in high school who was married and had to take a leave when she started “showing” in her pregnancy. Too wierd. As for the sexual harrassment, I think it was just sexism in general toward women in every aspect of life.
But I do miss electric typewriters….
Your flowers compliment your page. and vice versa
Howdy….your journal pages always get my creative engine revvin’. I totally love the spirit of your pages, a visual safari into your creative process not to mention the garden. Far as Mad Men, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Season one is just the ‘rim’ of the cocktail tumbler. VBG!
I watch it for the IBM Selectric typewriter, which I used at my first jobs. It had a catridge of ribbon and correction tape. The correction tape was the bomb! And I smoked back then. In the office. How did people stand me, I wonder now… And the women wore dresses. And girdles. How did I stand ThaT, I wonder now.
Beautiful flower photos!
only the smoking is exaggerated…….the rest is true!! I have lived it.