Nothing Changes

When my husband and I ripped up the old linoleum floor in the kitchen of an 1860 era house we rehabbed in Lawrence, KS; we found layers of old newspaper (apparently insulation over the original flooring). I couldn't bear to throw all those 1935 newspapers out, so saved them in big plastic bags to do something incredibly wonderful with them...some day. So far, this is the only 30's era collage, but there are plans for many more. What strikes me when I pull these old papers out is the similarities between these newspapers and the ones today. There are numerous ads for pills and secret diets to help us ladies reduce, and just as many for potions that will make us look movie star glamorous within ten days. Girdles to hold us in, brassieres to push us out. Sketches of men and women in all-the-rage outfits coax us to get to that store asap. Then there are the appliances, cars, and big ticket items with payment plans. Even the society page doesn't look much different. Of course, the classified ads haven't been politically corrected. I gasp as I read "white only," "colored man wanted," or "young ladies only." And the news -- Roosevelt's wrong, Roosevelt's right, taxes are too high, prices aren't what they used to be, what is this country coming to, Hitler's eliminating his competition, and oh my, Eleanor gave another speech, just stirring up trouble. Over seventy-five years have passed, yet it seems all we need to do to update these papers is to change the names.


Image: Broken Story, 1935
Janice Nabors Raiteri