2019-06-01 Homes and Gardens

HRHPrincessElizabeth’smarriage

toLieutenantPhilipMountbatten

in 1947 heraldedthestartofa new

optimismforthecountry.Homes&

Gardensdevelopeda rightroyal

obsession,withElizabethappearing

onthecover 16 times.Itwasasif the

magazinehadanaccess-all-areaspass

fortheseatsofpower,featuringnot

onlytheprivateroomsofClarence

HouseandWindsorCastle,but

alsoNo.11DowningStreetand

thehomesofWinstonChurchill

andpressmagnate

ViscountRothermere.

Anotherkeysource

ofoptimismwas

theFestivalof

Britain,which

inspireda

renewedfocuson

allthingsBritish.

Themagazinebegan

speakingtoa younger

audience,with

suggestions for

(Fromtopleft)‘TheQueenAnd

HerConsort’;a pickofcolourful

fabricsfromtheera;perfect

beauty;open-planlivingtook hold;

a hot look from 1951.

furnishingforthefirsttimeand

workingwithsmallspaces.Iteven

launcheditsowninteriorsproblem

page.Onesimplysentindetailsofthe

sizeandaspectofone’sroom,listing

existingfurnitureandfittings,and

thefurnishingseditor(latereditor)

PsychePiriewouldreplywitha stern

briefthatleftlittleroomforyourown

personaltouch.Thecomfortable

fictionofthewaryearsgavewayto

edgierreadssuchas‘WhatIsA

NervousBreakdown’and‘ShallWe

StayMarried?’.Fashionpageswent

outonlocation,celebritiesshareddiet

tips,andthefoodsectionfeatured

auberginesandsweetpeppers.

Televisions were everywhere.

40 s & 50 s

“post-war,anything

britishwasgrEat;

anythingfrom

ElsEwhErE,not

to bE trustEd”

The new elizabeThan era

100

years