Guest blog by Anna Lowry, University of Leeds
Introduction
During the mid-20th century, the concept of electricity was largely unappealing to families and households. While its potential was revolutionary, many regarded it as frighteningly dangerous—people often associated the new technology with electrocution accidents, and even for delivering death sentences via the Electric Chair in the US. Meanwhile for some, it was an unseen enigma, a mysterious and almost alien concept, something they used without fully understanding. As a result, it remained cloaked in fear and functional banality. The Electrical Age addressed these concerns, and the EAW not only worked hard to guarantee housewives ‘Safety First’ – that electricity could be safe to use in the home – but also to assure their readers of its trendiness!
The arrival of US troops and personnel during World War II brought an influx of American culture into Britain, sparking widespread curiosity and admiration for the United States. Hollywood films, popular media, and the higher consumer standards of living in the USA painted a picture of affluence and modernity that captivated the British imagination. This exposure to a romanticised image of the ‘American way of life’ offered British women—grappling with domestic challenges during wartime—a new ideal to aspire to.
The EAW saw this cultural fascination as a prime opportunity to sell the idea of domestic electrification to the public. It’s worth noting that as Britain’s housing and infrastructure had been heavily bombed during WWII, many people were looking toward a future of reconstruction and rebuilding of their homes and lives. This context made the vision of a clean, harmonious, electrified home particularly appealing. The publication cleverly used depictions of the ‘electrified’ American home to create a bridge between technological progress and the societal aspirations of British women, positioning the US household as an ideal to aspire to. Whilst Caroline Haslett, the editor of The Electrical Age, played a key role in promoting this optimistic picture of what post-war Britain might achieve, Dorothy Crook was arguably even more influential in her advocacy of US affluence.
Crook worked for the US Office of War Information at the American Embassy, and was particularly keen to supply pro-American information to the UK; in a letter to Haslett in 1943, she claims ‘I find a great deal of our material very closely related to the interests of your Association’, eagerly pitching the ‘Post War Plan and Program for the United States’, and publishing a sequence of American stories in The Electrical Age to depict the modern way of life in the US.
Selling the ‘Electrified American Home’
Despite being a publication aimed at educating women on the use of domestic electricity, The Electrical Age subtly tapped into the allure of American culture by introducing a whole narrative – separate from electricity – surrounding the US lifestyle.
The magazine often featured articles showcasing the idealised American family, with images of efficient, electrified homes that exuded modernity and comfort. These portrayals subtly reinforced the idea that electricity was the key to a better, more modern lifestyle.
In this article from The Electrical Age, ‘the average American family’ are depicted as enjoying the convenience of numerous household appliances, with ‘the table already laid’ embodying a subtle linguistic narrative that quietly drew on the appeal of US culture.
In illustrating the newfound effortlessness of tasks enabled by modern electrical devices, the articles weren’t just about showing the practicality of these innovations; they conveyed the image of an empowered woman as a homemaker – a notable leap in progress for its era – made possible by electrification.
As Caroline Haslett’s work demonstrates, the narratives woven through The Electrical Age were not just about selling appliances—they were about envisioning a better future for women. Her editorial leadership, as explored in ‘Caroline Haslett: Editor and a Whole Lot More’, exemplifies how strategic messaging can align with broader societal goals.
The narrative created around these US homes was one of leisure, freedom, and comfort. By showcasing appliances like washing machines, electric stoves, and fridges in these homes, the magazine painted a picture of an ideal domestic space—one that was both functional and luxurious. This was the ‘American dream’ applied to domesticity, and it sold the promise that electricity could make everyday life easier and more enjoyable.
More explicitly, the magazine highlighted how these electrical appliances freed up women’s time, enabling them to pursue other interests outside the domestic sphere. This theme was often tied to aspirational imagery: women baking pies, knitting rugs, or preparing hearty meals—activities that seemed effortless due to modern technology. These depictions reinforced the idea that a well-equipped, electrified home was a mark of progress and empowerment.
Although this ‘empowerment’ seems confining in our current period of Fourth Wave Feminism, The Electrical Age was a publication situated between the First and Second Wave – following the enfranchisement of white women, but before challenging the confines of their roles as wives and mothers – making electrification a groundbreaking development for its time in women’s agency.
Connecting WWII’s Domestic Pressures to Modern Solutions
As the wartime pressures of rationing and fuel shortages weighed heavily on the British public, The Electrical Age addressed the specific challenges British women faced. It positioned electricity as both a tool of convenience and a solution to the domestic burdens of war. Articles during this time highlighted how electrification could reduce the physical labour involved in household chores. One such piece noted, ‘The air everywhere being clean, no fuel being burnt, and most of the domestic work mechanised, the age-long battle of woman against dirt has resulted in an easy victory ‘ (The Electrical Age 1943, p.77).
This rhetoric spoke directly to the realities of wartime Britain, where many women took on additional household duties in the absence of men at war. Electrification offered immediate relief and painted an optimistic vision of post-war empowerment. The clean, efficient, and modernised homes depicted in The Electrical Age provided a glimpse of what reconstruction could look like—a beacon of hope amid the struggles of wartime. However, while the absence of men was a key narrative, the more pressing factor was arguably the decline of domestic servants, which forced middle-class women to manage their own homes in ways they previously had not. In this context, electrification was not just about convenience but necessity, making appliances less of a luxury and more of a practical solution to shifting household dynamics. This raises the question: Was the emphasis on men being at war actually more about legitimising women’s activities outside the home, rather than simply within it?
Framing these shifts within broader cultural ideals, The Electrical Age often drew upon aspirational imagery—particularly the American model of electrified living—to market these changes as part of a progressive, modern future. However, the fact that very few authors engage with the US narrative (other than Dorothy Crook, who repeatedly writes on the subject) raises important questions about editorial intent: How impactful actually was this cultural campaigning in advertising electricity – or was its subtlety a deliberate choice to mask the promotional nature of the material? It is worth reading the article ‘Exploring Advertising Techniques’ for providing insights into the magazine’s explicit marketing strategies from a commercial perspective, but in the context of indirectly selling ‘American’ technologies and lifestyles, the magazine seems to focus more on aspirational narratives than on tangible societal impact or substantial evidence.
On account of this, there was a clear tension between celebrating American modernity and adhering to the nationalistic pressure to promote British-made appliances over ‘foreign’ alternatives. This balancing act suggests that while The Electrical Age leveraged American imagery to sell an electrified future, it was also careful not to undermine domestic industry or alienate British manufacturers. Throughout the magazine’s articles and advertisements, there is a consistent emphasis on British-made appliances, with frequent references to leading domestic manufacturers, ensuring that electrification was framed as a national—not just imported—innovation. Many product advertisements explicitly highlighted their British origins, reinforcing a sense of patriotic consumerism at a time when economic recovery and self-sufficiency were paramount.
Additionally, the magazine regularly drew on the advancements of various regional branches of the EAW, spotlighting local initiatives, exhibitions, and training programmes to maintain its British heart. The Manchester District Branch, for instance, remained prevalent throughout The Electrical Age volumes, repeatedly championing its vital efforts in promoting domestic electricity across Manchester. In this way, by aligning technological progress with national pride, The Electrical Age carefully balanced aspirational international influences with a commitment to promoting Britain’s own electrical industry. Therefore, while The Electrical Age’s use of cultural campaigning was undoubtedly effective in promoting the electrification of homes, its influence may be better understood as part of a broader cultural shift rather than a direct catalyst of social change.
The Legacy of The Electrical Age’s Marketing Tactics
The magazine’s legacy lies in its ability to link electricity with personal transformation. By presenting technology as a pathway to modernity, leisure, and empowerment, it helped shape perceptions of electrification. This approach mirrors broader trends in advertising, where products are marketed not just for their utility but for the lifestyle they promise.
By presenting it as both a practical tool and an emblem of modernity, the magazine was instrumental in shaping attitudes toward electrification, aligning with the influence of US consumer culture on British advertising post-WWII. A classic example includes the ‘American-style diner’ branding used by Coca-Cola to sell the US lifestyle in Britain, mirroring The Electrical Age‘s strategies of associating modern technology with aspirational American culture —an approach that endures to this day.
Ultimately, the campaigning strategies employed by The Electrical Age remind us that technology, culture, and identity are deeply interconnected. Whether in the 1940s or today, the idea of marketing a product or idea through its association with a desirable lifestyle continues to influence consumer choices. In a globalized world, these strategies are more potent than ever, and understanding their historical roots helps us navigate the complex social evolution that technology brings.
About the author
My name is Anna Lowry, and I’m a second-year Liberal Arts student (majoring in English) at the University of Leeds. Alongside my studies in Leeds, I work online as the Digital Content Editor for a fine art photography dealer in London, and I balance my home-time between both Edinburgh and Brighton. Through this research project, I’ve become fascinated by how women’s vital contributions to the implementation of electricity in Britain have often been overlooked, especially being situated a male-dominated industry. I’ve always been passionate about 20th-century U.S. literature and post-war political and cultural movements, and it’s really exciting to explore this intersection of my interests through the EAW. I look forward to continuing my research with the IET and sharing this area of history.
