“Vintage” is defined as “representing the high quality of a past time” as well as “old fashioned, obsolete”. The first definition seems a better fit for stories of what one publisher classifies as having happened from World War I through the 1950s—maybe even through the 1970s, depending on your age and perspective. As time passes, ‘vintage’ gets closer to what some of us consider ‘recent history’.
So what’s involved in writing vintage fiction? How does an author write real-life characters and situations relevant to a time period she hasn’t experienced. It may be elementary, but it’s not easy. Basic to writing a believable vintage story, one must become familiar with the particular era, and that requires research. Here are some random questions to consider:
• What names were popular for children? Visit the Social Security Administration and click on the decade you’re looking for.
• What were the educational patterns of the time? For example, eleven years of high school (preceded by eight years of grammar school) were common through the 1930s. What subjects did they study? Was going on to college a common expectation? Scroll down to the table of contents in this National Center for Educational Statistics report to find what you’re interested in knowing about.
• Names of diseases have progressed. What we now call ‘tuberculosis’ was once known as ‘consumption’—and more often than not, it was fatal. Polio epidemics were common until the Salk vaccine made its appearance in the 1950s. Roots Web has an interesting list of disease names, some more ‘historical’ than ‘vintage’, but you can start here.
• If the setting is a small town, check a city directory from that time to determine what kinds of businesses flourished. If you’re interested in a specific area, check with a library or the local historical society. I’ve gotten tons of information from these overlooked sources.
• How about crime statistics for the U.S. and/or the city chosen as a setting? What kinds of crimes were most prevalent? What types of sentences were commonly handed down? If the death penalty was used, was it hanging, the gas chamber, or the electric chair? Here’s a brief article on crime in the 1920s just as an example, but you’ll have to search individually for each era.
• What kinds of homes did people live in? What amenities did they have? Think about furniture styles and whether what we call a ‘sofa’ was a ‘divan’ or a ‘settee’. “An Overview of 20th Century House Styles” provides a good look at how architecture evolved. If you can lay your hands on The Vintage House Book: Classic American Homes 1880-1980 (Tad Burness, Krause Publications 2003—even better!
• What speech patterns might the characters use? (Certainly not ‘Dude!’) I Hear America Talking: An Illustrated History of American Words and Phrases is a true gem.
• What styles of clothing were popular among different economic backgrounds? “A Brief History of Fashion Trends” by Nancy Rosenberg will get you started. How was the use of cosmetics viewed, and what was available? Think hair styles for adults and children alike.
• When your characters sit down to dinner or grab a snack, what did they eat? (Please, nothing microwaveable!) This food timeline is not to be missed!
• What common food products could be found on the shelves in grocery markets? Consider popular brand names.
• What did your characters do for entertainment, and who entertained them? What movies did they see, or what radio programs did they listen to? How about ‘live’ theatre if it was available where they lived? What popular songs were on their lips? Here’s a great timeline for entertainment as well as world events. Try this site for the schedule of old time radio shows. Scroll to the bottom of this page for the top 100 songs by year, and go back to the site’s home page for movie information and a lot more.
• Etiquette—what was expected of children? Of young people? Of adults? Emily Post is up for research here, but the entire site, Vintage Allies, is a MUST.
• Economics—what was the dollar worth? What was the take-home salary for workers in various jobs and professions? What did groceries cost? What was the cost of a restaurant meal? Use this calculator to track the worth of a dollar. The People’s History site will give you consumer prices in various eras and much, much more.
• Transportation—public as well as private? What kinds of cars were on the road? Did your setting have buses, trolleys, taxicabs? How did people travel—train, plane? Read about it here.
• What about mail service? Do you even know when ‘special delivery’ letters and ‘air mail’ disappeared?
• How were holidays celebrated?
• What were common religious practices, and what part did they play in everyday life?
• Families—single parent, traditional families, or extended families?
• Moral values—how were ‘lapses’ viewed and dealt with? Here’s a look at the 1920s—again, search by specific era.
• What games did children play? Here’s a good list, but you may have to do more research for a game’s popularity during a specific era.
• What sports did people follow? What teams existed? There’s a lot to plow through here, but you may find what you’re looking for.
Try this timeline for everything else listed below.
• How did the ‘class system’ work—think race and economic status.
• What were the social issues of the day? (Child labor, votes for women, birth control)
• What political parties/views were popular/unpopular? Who was President of the United States or Prime Minister of Great Britain, etc.?
• What was going on in the world? War? Nation-building?
Now, you may be saying, “I don’t want to do all that research. I’ll ‘write around’ these things.” You can do it—but where is the flavor of your story? What makes it ‘vintage’?
Do you know what an anachronism is? A cell phone in a World War II setting is a good example. Watching television during the Depression is another. How about sagging pants in the 1920s? A manuscript full of anachronisms is definitely not the way to impress a reader—and yes, your reader may be more knowledgeable that you think!
Let’s face it—if one is going to create a world outside one’s own, it’s going to take research, and that’s hard work. The links in this article are only the tip of the iceberg—so pick your era and subject and start clicking!