I know this title could be a touchy subject with some, but I have to laugh. Why? Because I have been studying the history of one of my newest listings. I recently listed a 1912 craftsman home called Schiller Station in Gresham, Oregon. Inside the home's walls during the remodel were found love letters from World War II, and a Homes & Garden newspaper from the 1952 Oregonian newspaper.
One of the magazines from the wall was Woman's Home Companion that was published from 1873 to January 1957. This particular issue was from August 1951 and talked about being in a mixed marriage.
I really didn't know what to expect and thought it could be very offensive compared to what we expect from society. But, instead it gave my wife and me a real chuckle as we read about this mixed marriage and how, at the wedding, the mothers began to fight, but in the end they had been together 30 years and very happy.
Now, I quickly realized that in 1951, what I was thinking a mixed marriage was, and what was considered a mixed marriage then, were two very different things. What kind of mixed marriage were they talking about? Oh, the dreaded Catholic-Protestant wedding that was just un-heard of, and how dare they mix religions!
But, the article talked about contracts for how and what religion they were going to raise the kids in, just as we talk about having pre-nuptial agreements in today's marriages. A divorce wasn't even considered, it was how they were going to live, not how they were going to separate.
So, what will the world think of our magazine (or blogs) in sixty years? Will they laugh at them as much as I laughed at the idea of a mixed marriage from 1951? I guess only time will tell! Also, if you would like to read this article as well as the other insightful articles from 1951, you can purchase the Schiller Station house and get this magazine as well as the home and garden magazine and the World War II love letters.
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