Saturday, March 3, 2012

Homesteading: Vintage 1940's Style

Homesteading is not a new concept. Living a simple, self reliant lifestyle has been going on since... well, forever. My favorite historical time period for a peek at this "self-sustaining lifestyle" of course would be during the 1940's when planting a victory garden and making do and mending became an important role of every freedom loving American. Below are some wonderful early 1940s pictures from LIFE magazine depicting life on a farm.

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If only I could look as glamorous working around our homestead this Summer.

11 comments:

  1. Love this post. I have really been in this same frame of mind the last few months. Feeling blessed with what i do have, and working hard for the small things I'd like to make improvements on. I don't know what happened, but it seams like people are afraid to pull up their boot straps and really dig in these days. These photos are great reminders of that. Thanks for sharing!
    ~Monique

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  2. these photos are wonderful! thank you for sharing! x

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  3. I love the photo of the beekeeper! I keep bees as well, and love seeing vintage pictures as things have not changed much.
    Good luck on the homestead this summer. My neighbor has challenged me to a garden throwdown so I anticipate being very busy!

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  4. Great post!
    Those pix are fantastic...it's hard to pick a favorite, but I think I'll have to go with the lady and the big 'ol saw. Love it :-)

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  5. Love the photos.I looking into getting chickens in the summer.

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  6. These are such great photos! Thanks for sharing them :)
    -Andi x

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  7. I love gardening! I don't get house these women look so glamorous and gorgeous while tending the garden and chickens.

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  8. What great photos! My husband and I are living with my dad at the moment, and saving for a deposit for a house. The first thing I will be doing is setting up a nice veggie patch and herb garden, and getting some chickens. I spent alot of time on a farm as a child and collecting fresh eggs was the highlight of our morning. I can't wait to do that daily in our own home. It might be more work, but is so worth it at the end of the day!
    x Molly

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  9. Love these pictures, obviously Dig For Victory and Make do and Mend was huge in the UK, everyone was encouraged to grow their own as food shortages were terrible with rationing. I do regret that we've moved so far from this. I don't yet grow my own, but I really want to. However we have horrible thick clay soil so it will require me digging up the whole area I want to plant and mixing in different soil/grit :o(

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  10. I totally agree, even though I don't live in the country anymore, we still can from our garden, pick and freeze berries from local farms, and make as many items as I can from scratch like bread. Last week our entire family had the stomach flu so I bought chicken soup from a can, when I tried it the stuff was awful, tasted like water, I always make homemade, you just can't beat that taste!

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  11. I just wanted to say hello i have just found your blog. Those images are wonderful, hard working women but they also have so much style and grace. I love the fashion from back then and i also love their principles about home life. I try to make all my own food to, and i also grow a few vegetables and make my own chutney and jam etc. I also try to make do and mend and recycle a lot of vintage fabrics and sheets etc into homeware items and my own clothes it gives me far more satisfaction to. I have just started watching Land girls and its really moved me with how much they actually did and the prejudice they suffered. Love your charm bracelet also in your top post. Take care, dee x

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