Today we’re leafing through the August 1942 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal. Although it’s just one magazine, it contains a wealth of information about women’s lives in World War II-era America: from hot fashion trends to newly available manufacturing jobs. There are beautifully illustrated soap advertisements, fiction by Pearl Buck, and a column in which First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt answers readers’ questions about why she never changes her hairstyle. Some of the content reads as humorously archaic today, while other sections could fit right into this month’s Vogue. Join us for a deep dive into homemaking on the home front in this victorious new #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #157 - James Michael Curley
Today in the studio we have a collection of letters and speeches from one of the most colorful political figures in Massachusetts history. James Michael Curley served four terms as Mayor of Boston, a single term as Governor, and five months, for mail fraud, in Danbury federal prison. An Irish Catholic from a working class background, Curley frequently clashed with the city’s WASP establishment, becoming known for his wit, generosity, and corruption. He got jobs for constituents, built beaches and parks during the Great Depression, and even took the civil service exam on behalf of a friend (technically that’s cheating). Listen to learn more about Mayor Curley’s fascinating career, and to decide if his story has any relevance to our current political moment.