The Antique Shop, History

Though ideas of the 1950s may come with chrome-trimmed cars and pastel-painted kitchens, and boom of the middle class, a quieter trend was quickly taking shape: one more interested in the old rather than the new. 

Post War Prosperity and Sentimentality

The post-war era of the 1950s saw a great many surges, economically, socially, and culturally, all of which ushered in a period of profound transformation in the way American life was portrayed while obtaining the “American Dream.” Many families sought the new, mass-produced and sleek styles that pointed to the stability they had long been seeking since the Great Depression and Second World War, and white picket fences seemed to promise just that. However, this frame of modernity gave rise to an unforeseen countercurrent, with echoes of nostalgia on the rise.  

While the craftsman was the goal of the period, once families were settled into their new homes, often they sought pieces that evoked heritage and a sense of continuity from their pasts.

Antiques, once considered outdated or another man’s trash, soon became hard won treasures: tangible links to earlier generations. 

According to a 1959 Life Magazine article found in Mrs. Fisher’s scrapbooks, titled, "U.S. Craze for all Things Past," the United States alone accrued “$250 million a year is being spent for yesterday's belongings” in reviewing that year (“US Craze for Things Past,” Life Magazine, June 29, 1959, pp. 94). 

The same experiences that had ushered in this dramatic shift in the country’s culture gave rise to antiquing as it gave those items an emotional significance and weight. And women, as keepers of the domestic spaces during this period, became the early champions of antiquing—browsing estate sales and markets, not just for the trade of it but the character and memory of each item.  

The popularity of the hobby produced a new trade and enterprise, with the article boasting nearly “1500” antique shows growing from the former annual event, and a greater abundance of literature on the topic:

“Thirty years ago there was only one yearly antique show in the U.S; today there are over 1500. Thirty years ago there were half a dozen books on antiques; today there are over 500 that sell well” (“US Craze for Things Past,” Life Magazine, June 29, 1959, pp. 94).

What today we see merely as a hobby would evolve into a national ambition, weaving together the ties of tradition with the personal creative.

This still-growing craze for furniture and accessories made in the past is based on several things. People today travel more than ever before, see more antique furniture in Europe, learn more about craftsmanship and style. There is a growing desire for furnishings that will give individuality to houses that are too often just like the neighbor's. With antiques a householder can express his personal taste. And, since age enhances the beauty and the value of antiques, they are a good investment.

        “US Craze for Things Past,” Life Magazine, June 29, 1959, pp. 94