Art and Graphics

1950s

Politics in The 1950s

Looking at the Past Through the Lens of Politics

During and immediately after Eisenhower's presidency, his critics painted him as a great general but a bumbling politician. In later years, many came to understand that his political skills were more formidable than they seemed.

During his run for president in 1952, Eisenhower adopted the slogan "I Like Ike." The phrase not only had a nice ring to it, it was true. Americans overwhelmingly did like Ike. He was a personable, down-to-earth, honest man with an infectious grin. He had been a great athlete—a knee injury ruined his promising football career while he was still at West Point. As an older man, he seemed like a pretty ordinary guy: he played golf and bridge, watched television, and read Western novels.

Many presidents, of course, have found that popularity is a tremendous asset in the White House. It aids a president when he wants to pass legislation and makes his political enemies think twice before attacking him. Eisenhower was one of the most popular presidents of the twentieth century.

http://www.shmoop.com/1950s/politics.html

Fashion in the 1950s

http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~mwaltos/lis506/project/1950s/fashion.html

Art in the 1950s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_art

Architecture in the 1950s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:1950s_architecture

Entertainment in the 1950s

Theaters worked hard in the 50s to recapture the interest of audiences after the introduction of the television. Epic fantasy films, such as The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur, were one approach. 3-D was another tactic, with 1952-1955 considered the “golden era” of 3-D films.

Audiences showed a strong interest in the unknown in the 1950s, which led to the success of the science fiction genre throughout the decade. Creature from the Black Lagoon, Forbidden Planet, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Blob, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The War of the Worlds were just a few of such films. People showed a similar interest in psychological thrillers, of which Alfred Hitchcock was a pioneer. His top films from the decade include Strangers on a Train, Vertigo, The Man Who Knew Too Much, North by Northwest, and Dial M for Murder.

The interest of the audience in the above genre was reflected by the television shows popular during the decade. Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone were first broadcast in the 50s. As the World Turns and The Guiding Light were also first broadcast in this decade. Sitcoms gained popularity, such as I Love Lucy; talent/variety shows, game shows, and westerns also had much success.

World Events in the 1950s

http://www.endmemo.com/events/1950.php

Music in the 1950s

Famous Artists in the 50s