Vintage Film Reel Seems Sexist, But Proved Just How Hard Housewives Worked!

In the late 1940s, with so many soldiers returning home from active duty, the roles of the women who had been holding down the fort, in both factories and homes, were once again in flux. Women were ushered back into full-time care taking for their families. Many women were quite happy to do so, as working mothers during World War II were stretched particularly thin. Contrary to the assumptions some make today, this film reel shows that, at least for some, the role of housewife and mother was a serious one, worthy of consideration and respect.

The clip below outlines how, in every aspect of daily life, homemakers were the driving force of the family. Many of us have seen films like these, but few of these educational clips were as praising of so-called women’s work as this one. Check it out below. And, click the “Next Page” button at the bottom of the page to see the ideal kitchen of 1949!