The 1940s Home

The history of the British home in the 1940s is dominated by the impacts Second World War. In the first five years of the decade, homes were adapted to better survive the affects of bombing. The 1930s home became the wartime home with the addition of anti-blast tape on the windows, sandbags around the door, and a Morrison shelter in the kitchen. In the garden, the lawn and shrubs gave way to vegetable plot and chicken coop. For those lucky enough to have a home left unscathed by the war the second half of the decade was likely a time of consolidation snd continued rationing. The policy of "make do and mend" continued. But for those whose houses were damaged or destroyed, or those moved out of their homes by post-war rehousing schemes, the picture was very different. For many the pre-fab became home, and new designs of furniture made under the utility scheme furnished rooms cheaply and stylishly. New estates, different from anything tried before the war, arose from the bombsites, offering state of the art sanitisation and modern facilities to thousands.

Paul Evans is a specialist dealer in twentieth century art and design, having a particular interest in posters, graphics and the propaganda arts. He is co-author (with Peter Doyle) of The Home Front, 1939-45 and Tommy's War in Europe - British Military Memorabilia, 1939-45. He lives in London.

Peter Doyle is a scientist and military historian. He is the author of several books, including The British Soldier in the First World War (Shire 2008) and The Home Front: 1939-45 (Crowood, 2007, with Paul Evans). He is co-secretary of the All Party Parliamentary War Graves and Battlefield Heritage Group, and is an elected member of the British Commission for Military History. He lives in London. The author lives in London, England.