History Brief: Electricity and Its Impact in the 1920s

In this video, the impact of electrification of homes during the 1920s is discussed. Cleaner homes, new household goods, and improved health and eyesight are noted.

[scratchdog]

I'm working on a 100+ yr. old Victorian in Boston, Ma. USA. It has original gas and electric lights. Both fixtures are very pretty and ornate. Nice old stuff.

[rayfridley]

The one thing that I remember about electricity from the 1920s: Knob and tube wiring. My family used to spend their vacation in New England's beaches on the Atlantic. The cottage we rent were built either during or before the 1920s. Inside, one could see the separate, insulated wires that ran between small insulators on the ceiling to pull-chain fixtures. Sometimes, there would be a turn switch on the wall next to a door. Very few plug-in wall outlets. I thought, if we purchased a cottage with this, the first thing to do is to re-wire it.

[hebneh]

Not mentioned here, but very important: electricity changed the very basic rules of human existence that had always existed previously - that is, electric lighting (and the later electric-powered forms of entertainment) got people to stay up late at night and not immediately go to sleep when it got dark. If you've ever camped out or stayed someplace without electricity, you find yourself going to sleep much earlier.

[madbear]

You always put 100% good non half ass work in your videos. The decade was my favorite as far as history is concern. Great video

[geoben]

@ 2:42 the grocery store is a Atlantic Pacific (A & P) that became the huge grocery chain in the northeastern part of the country up to the mid 70's I believe.

[davidtosh]

Mazda Edison style light bulbs are popular in the 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s in larger cities and urban areas.

[Pluggit]

Electric lighting didn't improve eyesight, but it did improve visibility.

[daniellelei]

I love going to these videos my school has me watch only because I love reading the comments from a few months ago to like 6 years ago haha

[paulcheek]

wonder how primitive we will look in 100 yrs

[alphonsocarioti]

Disney's Carousel of Progress at 2:50

[krb]

I love that washing machine ad, "More manageable than servants."  Just try putting that in an ad now!

[marbleman]

There were many rural areas that did not get electricity until well after WWll and even into the 50's.

[DaveTexas]

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress wasn’t exactly a "model home." It was designed as a showcase for how electricity changed home life through the first 60 years of the 20th Century. Just a minor point of clarification.

[rosellaaalm-ahearn]

I was born in 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. We had a refrigerator at home. I didn't see an ice box until my mother and I came to Los Angeles, California in 1947. I thought it was amazing that someone would deliver Ice in a big block three times a week.

[gordgibson]

I'm in northern Ontario electricity is not so affordable now

[TheMinnie]

I bought a house in Oklahoma that was built in 1905. It was a beautiful home with lots of room. However, all of the light switches and electrical outlets were above the 3-12 to the 4 ft high mark on the wall. I investigated and found that they didn't get electricity until the 1907's. It was a wonderful home for me and I loved it. It was two story and the closets were made from any extra room between the rooms and the roof. The kitchen was made from a back porch so the floor was lower than the rest of the house. It was just delightful.

[alec]

Actually we spend just as much time cleaning our houses as they used to in the 1800s. It's just as a result of appliances they're far cleaner then they used to be.

[EsspressoMan]

And that was just the citys. Lots of farms that were away from towns never got power or gas till the 1950, s and 60, s my grandma told me in central canada

[nathanbbyrum]

My father was born in 1948. He grew up on a farm in a very rural area. They did not get electricity until 1957.

[marcseen]

My Paternal Grandfather, Matthew Mattinson, born in 1884, didn't have electricity installed in his cottage at Dent, Cumbria, until 1964!