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Favorite Era?

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, January 08, 2018, 04:23:36 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

Here's a good question: If you could travel to and live in any point in history (besides modern day) what time would that be? Another version of the question would be: What was your favorite era, that you wouldn't necessarily have to live in?

Mine would have to be either mid- to late-1950s to early- to mid-1960s. The fifties were hard to hate, but got a little excessive by the end of the decade (car fins, rocket cars, "future" inspired themes and clothing).

The early sixties were a mature, more down-to-earth version of the fifties, with great looking cars, and less excessive clothing. Society started to go downhill after 1964-65 IMHO... ;D

I think I could definitely handle living in the early sixties. My iPhone-dependent sister could not, however... ::)
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

TelePlay

Good choice, early 50s to about 1962 - pre -Beatles. Nothing better in the US from my point of view, I lived it, remember it well.

HarrySmith

I was born in 1957 so I was pretty young through the 60's. I would have liked to be 5-7 years earlier. I would have enjoyed the late 50's and the 1960's a lot more! Especially 1969, I had some older friends that went to Woodstock, I was wishing I could have gone. It is not too far from where I grew up in Connecticut!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: TelePlay on January 08, 2018, 05:09:46 PM
Good choice, early 50s to about 1962 - pre -Beatles. Nothing better in the US from my point of view, I lived it, remember it well.

That's true, I didn't factor The Beatles in there... :o

I was thinking of avoiding the Hippie Invasion in '66 or shortly before.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

jsowers

I would like to visit the late 1950s when I was born, but not live there. Just visit to see the 1950s cars on the road once more, taste the food, watch the TV shows, hear the music and use the telephones and then come right back to 2018 after I'd had my fill. I remember what it was like before central air conditioning was widespread, smoking was far too common and in your face and there were no computers, CDs, DVDs or cable TV. Those are just a few of the things I would miss.

As my mom, who's 88, says "it was NOT a simpler time." She lived through all that and then some and she says we have it a lot easier today than it was back then. Mom's family has a joke they like to tell about my six-year-old uncle Joe, the youngest of the family, coming home and declaring he wanted a "mode like Trish's" meaning a modern day toilet like at Trish's house across the road.
Jonathan

Slal

Good conversation starter.  Do I get a time machine than can bring things back?

In collecting antiques (but not phones) I seem to gravitate to 1900's through 1920's -- lots of cool stuff & have always liked art nouveau.


dlvh

Good conversation starter indeed,

I'd like to have been born in the mid 1930's, growing up in America just after the Great Depression. Just a few years later, America would be forced into WWII... a terrible time for our nation, in one sense, but one that united the nation in another, and winning the war, made our nation even stronger than it was prior to the war.

After the war, came the Baby Boom. Ike would build the roads that would connect America from east, to the west, and developers would build our suburbs...that a lot of us still live in to this day.

The jet-age era came to be after the war as well, which inspired futuristic designs in nearly every product, including our Trains, Planes and Automobiles, and possibly even our beloved telephones.

It certainly wasn't a perfect time period, but it would have been my ideal time I'd like to have lived through, if God would have given me the choice.

Blessing to you all,

David



AE_Collector

#7
I think post WW2 through to 60 something would pretty much be what most of us would like to see again (or for first time). I would love to go back to 50's 60's for phone related reasons, particularly to see pre-electronic switching CO's & PBX's  again. But I also have little interest in working again so I would like to see it, maybe stay for awhile but would certainly want to have booked a round trip back to the present!

Terry

ThePillenwerfer

I was born in 1970 but have always felt there was some sort of mistake and I should have been born in 1870.

TelePlay

Quote from: jsowers on January 08, 2018, 07:10:37 PM
I would like to visit the late 1950s when I was born, but not live there. Just visit to see the 1950s cars on the road once more, taste the food, watch the TV shows, hear the music and use the telephones and then come right back to 2018 after I'd had my fill. I remember what it was like before central air conditioning was widespread, smoking was far too common and in your face and there were no computers, CDs, DVDs or cable TV. Those are just a few of the things I would miss.

As my mom, who's 88, says "it was NOT a simpler time." She lived through all that and then some and she says we have it a lot easier today than it was back then. Mom's family has a joke they like to tell about my six-year-old uncle Joe, the youngest of the family, coming home and declaring he wanted a "mode like Trish's" meaning a modern day toilet like at Trish's house across the road.

I was going to add to my previous post that, yes, it had great cars and nothing electronic so all communication was done at an ice cream social, sock hop, prom, high school events or by way of the party line telephone. The cars had a feature not found on today's aerodynamic designs, triangular vent windows that would rotate near 180 degrees to capture air at speed, and anything in the air, and direct it right at the driver - worked well on hot days in black cars before air conditioning was put into cars. Houses were the same way. Shut the windows during the day to keep the heat out and open them at night to cool it down for the next day. But, as I remember it, 90-100 wasn't that bad since it was expected and we learned to live with it. Garden hoses were a great relief. Simple times where life had a personal, deeper aspect and the clock ticked a lot slower for everyone (no FedEx, fax, or 2 day priority mail).

The transistor came available for the general public in the late 60s, the IC followed close behind. AM/SW tube radios, tube TVs and vinyl records were state of the art. I remember my college room mate converting over from building tube amplifiers to transistor amps that hissed. The exception would be The Google of today for back then, the library was always a painful research experience yielding partial information - but who cared back then. Life was living it, not having stuff.

It wasn't a simpler time but it was a safer, more friendly time with people still enjoying the relief and prosperity that came about after the war ended. Many of the advancements that came from the war effort were made available to the public, growth was substantial on all fronts and every year there were better improvements to life. And on the most part, no drugs, diversity, violence and flagrant lawlessness. It was hammock time under two large shade trees, Normal Rockwell Americana, what many refer to as the good old days regardless of personal comfort and lack of silicon based electronic devices.

But, that's me impression of living in a upper mid-west small town. I'd go back if I had some plutonium for the flux capacitor in my 1951 Ford 2 door Custom sedan and stay for a summer, or two.

HarrySmith

Agreed John. Time was slower, no instant communication. Mom would kick us out of the hopuse after breakfast and we would be out all day. She had no idea where we were and did not have to call every hour. If we were at a friends house and di something wrong we would get a smack from his mother, then she would pick up the phone, a554 on the kitchen wall, and call our Mom so we got hit again when we got home! As long as we were home when the streetlight came on for dinner everything was copastetic! Nobody locked their front doors or thier car doors. people on the streets gave friendly greetings. Much nicer & simpler.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

RotarDad

It is fun to think about returning to an earlier time when design of products was much less encumbered by legal and regulatory constraints.  I remember when the 5 mph bumper law and emission controls effectively destroyed automotive art as we knew it (early 70's).  However, the 50's & 60's suffered from very serious pollution and discrimination issues, and many people died in that era of much less safe factories and cars and the primitive healthcare tech then available.  I think I'll stay right here, while admiring the technology and engineering of the past.....

Great conversation starter, Christian!  I will admit to thinking I would have greatly enjoyed working at the Indy WE plant in the 50's making 500s and the company-family culture they promoted....  Those days are gone, and I was born too late to participate......

Paul

Argee

My favorite decade from an industrial design standpoint is the 1930s.  On a separate note, I've always considered the Kennedy assassination the beginning of the modern era.

WEBellSystemChristian

Wow, I really sent everyone down Memory Lane, didn't I? :o

I do agree, that the simpler times 50 years ago also came with simpler safety technology. I guess I'll stay right where I am because of that!
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

Dan/Panther

Mid 50's to Mid 60's.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson