INDEX
Italic page numbers indicate a figure.
Addams, Jane, 33
Adirondack Homes, 287
advertising, 3, 58–59, 124, 135–40, 164, 168; of building materials, 54, 65, 67, 146, 164, 171, 172, 195; of home improvement, 157, 161–62, 170, 193, 194, 195, 197, 205, 208, 220; of housing, 7, 37, 174; and markets, 3, 12, 14, 15, 146–47. See also American Lumberman; Building Supply News; housing programs (United States); J. Walter Thompson; radios. See also under automobiles; consumer magazines; Johns-Manville; kit manufacturers; lumber dealers; lumber manufacturers; manufacturers of building materials; newspapers; paint; trade journals
African-Americans, 40, 159, 337–38; homeownership and, 31, 46; owner-building and, 26, 243
Aladdin (company), 100, 102–5, 106, 108, 109, 111, 273, 274
alterations. See home improvement
amateur builders. See do-it-yourself (DIY); men; owner-building; women
American Bankers Association, 170, 172, 198, 304
American Builder, 18, 156, 165, 182, 332
American Council to Improve Our Neighborhoods (ACTION), 311
American Friends Service Committee, 168, 207
American Hardwood Manufacturers’ Association, 68
American Home, 187, 207, 222, 240, 243, 260
American Institute of Architects, 141, 172
American Lumberman, 27, 65, 83, 88, 94, 113, 116, 119, 120, 123–24, 131, 132, 145, 146, 164, 165, 166, 172, 175, 178, 184, 268, 279, 280, 302, 306, 314, 315, 316; character of, 17, 26, 75, 94, 113, 119; home improvement and, 149, 161; surveys by, 62, 124, 146; views of, 47, 66, 75–76, 88, 116, 138, 139, 144, 149, 161, 233, 268, 279, 285, 315, 317, 318, 365n5
American Radiator, 6, 54, 162–63, 187, 196, 204, 311, 339
apartment buildings, 32, 43, 44–45, 128, 129, 262
appliances, 6, 116, 137, 150, 154, 162, 192, 193
architects, 91, 113, 119, 141–42, 178, 179, 232, 235, 251, 184, 374n67
Architectural Forum, 72, 150, 217, 232, 249–50
asbestos, 54, 129, 130, 132, 134, 164, 165, 169, 177, 278, 280. See also Johns-Manville
asphalt shingles, 54, 55–56, 129, 132, 146, 272, 278, 280
Atlanta, 33, 93, 178, 197, 243, 278
Australia, x, 2, 17, 18, 103, 119, 338; owner-building in, 232, 338; retailers in, 278, 299
Australian Timber Journal, 299
automobiles: advertising of, 36; competitor to housing, 2, 14, 137–39, 337; complement to housing, 141, 206, 211, 272, 303; financing of, 193, 197; popularity of, 134, 137–39, 145, 291, 339, 341
Baltimore, 70, 223; home improvement in, 192, 310
banks, 36, 40, 92–93, 103, 120, 159, 191, 194, 197, 217; home improvement and, 197–202, 204–5, 224, 309, 340; Morris Plan, 162; owner-building and, 276–77. See also American Bankers Association; mortgages
batch production, 4
Bauer, Catherine, 395n5
Bauman, John, 31
BC Mills, 105
Beaver Lumber, 79–80
Beaver Mfg., 54, 56, 57, 76, 132
Beecher, Harriet, 31
Better Homes and Gardens, 18, 155, 186, 232, 240, 243, 252, 262, 317, 322, 332
Better Homes in America campaign, 37–38, 44, 52–53, 109
Better Homes program (FHA), 170
Better Housing campaign, 193–96
BILT-WELL Woodwork, 329
Black and Decker, 57, 326, 327, 329, 334
Borsodi, Ralph, 206
Brand, Stewart, 5
bricks, 54, 56, 59, 70, 77, 83, 128, 130, 134, 144, 195, 243, 244, 272, 280
Brown, Ian, 231
Brown, Lewis H., 164, 165, 169, 170, 171, 172, 175, 177, 193
Buffalo, 57, 92, 134, 135, 151–52, 197
Build America Better campaign, 308
builders, 25, 28, 185, 213, 214; 57–58, 61, 64–65, 91, 93, 111–13, 120, 142, 232; campaigns of, 33, 182, 186, 217; custom, 7, 147, 281–82; home improvement and, 156, 178, 179, 305, 311, 320; large, 15, 27, 57, 72, 80, 173, 190, 215, 222, 223–24, 237, 238, 254, 281–83; retailers and, 190, 198, 208, 233, 275, 281–83, 287, 299; technological change, 288–89, 305; trade journals of, 18, 112, 156. See also building industry; National Association of Home Builders; owner-building; prefabricators of houses; shell houses. See also under lumber dealers
building industry: efficiency of, 138; gender composition, 2; home improvement and, 148–51, 173–82, 336; organization of, 4, 6, 10, 73, 185; views about, 215–16. See also builders; building tradesmen; lumber dealers
building materials, 54–59, 69–70, 128–33; amateur builders and, 56–59, 204, 207, 242–44, 269–73, 325–26; innovations in, 27–28, 55–58, 182, 269–73, 271, 325–26; shortages of, 237–38; significance of, 6. See also specific materials; building regulations; Johns-Manville; kit manufacturers; lumber manufacturers; manufacturers of building materials; retailers of building supplies; tools
building regulations, 28–29, 44; amateur builders and, 28–30, 44, 211–13, 215, 217, 219, 238, 245, 265–66, 287, 331; effect on building materials, 129–30, 140–41, 144; enforcement of, 28, 47, 211–15, 359n53
Building Supply Dealer, 307
Building Supply News (BSN), 89, 120, 121, 174, 331, 333; character of, 17, 91, 116–17, 119; home improvement in, 122, 157, 196, 198, 202; views of, 91, 116, 122, 144, 182, 195, 202, 224, 279, 280, 282
building tradesmen, 52, 55, 83, 111–12, 154, 188, 203, 223, 237–38, 274, 275, 295, 312, 319; home improvement and, 50, 156, 161, 255–56. See also under builders; do-it-yourself (DIY); kit manufacturers; lumber dealers
Build Your Own Home program, 269
Burgess, Ernest W., 25
Burns, Fritz, 310
Business Week, 322
Butler, Ovid, 61, 63, 65, 72, 77, 80, 91, 96, 98
Calder, Lendol, 139
Canada, x, 17, 63, 138, 33; building industry, 30, 91, 100, 119; home improvement in, 47, 203, 231, 302–3, 338; housing in, 23, 24, 25, 41, 43, 149, 151, 243, 274; housing programs of, 202–3, 205, 237, 264, 268–69; manufacturers of building materials in, 57, 67, 70, 86, 103, 104, 105, 109, 111, 131, 143, 177, 178; owner-building in, 111, 207, 221, 231–32, 243, 248, 249, 252, 257, 258, 277, 259, 270; retailers in, 76, 79, 118, 119, 121, 154, 177, 179, 184, 283, 289, 290–91, 297, 299, 307, 344. See also specific cities; Home Improvement Plan (Canada); Veterans Land Act (Canada)
Canadian Lumberman, 290
Carrier, James, 11
catalogs, 9, 100–102, 109; kit manufacturers’, 42, 103, 104–6, 108, 109, 111, 112, 114, 119; lumber dealers’, 90, 102. See also under lumber dealers
Celotex: amateurs and, 155, 269; company and marketing, 54, 56, 132–33, 164, 305, 331, 334; material, 58, 130, 146; retailer relations, 132–33, 145, 157, 171, 181, 183, 184
chain stores, building industry. See lumber dealers, organization of: line yards
Chandler, Alfred, 6
Chase, Stuart, 134
Chicago, 6, 25, 33, 36, 40, 65, 72, 91, 95, 96, 102, 104, 109, 114, 116, 169, 177, 178, 192, 202, 323; home improvement in, 155, 303, 311–12, 323; owner-builders in, 24, 207–8, 209–11, 222, 223, 242, 267; retailers in, 70, 77, 83, 84, 90, 91, 93–94, 121, 122, 131, 157, 158, 208, 282, 283, 285, 287, 288, 297, 314, 320; wholesalers in, 60, 63, 70, 99. See also Hines (Edward) Lumber; Sears, Roebuck
Chicago World’s Fair, 102
Christian Science Monitor, 258, 319, 323, 324
cities: building in, 9, 16, 213–14; retailers in, 3, 12, 77, 80, 83, 91, 112, 118, 157–59, 180–81, 280. See also specific cities
Cleveland, 105, 135, 240, 267, 277, 285, 288; home improvement in, 313; owner-building in, 209, 211, 214, 240, 268, 285, 286, 313; retailers in, 177, 178, 289, 304
coal: chute and basement, 58, 304; domestic heating, 52, 136, 150; lumbers dealers stock, 76–77, 82, 88, 129, 150
Cohen, Liz, 6
Cole, Albert, 311
commodity chains, 14–16
comparative research, 16–17
Compton, Wilson, 35, 95, 99, 100, 131, 140, 143, 185, 186. See also National Lumber Manufacturers Association (NLMA)
concrete blocks: amateurs use, 42, 56, 240, 242, 254, 255, 260–61, 262, 272, 280; as a material, 55, 58, 130, 273
consumer finance, 14–15, 93, 139, 162, 194, 197–99, 201–2, 205, 309, 335–36. See also under home improvement; lumber dealers; mortgages; owner-building
consumer magazines, 49, 188; advertising in, 58, 88, 105, 135, 142, 164, 174; and amateur builders, 42, 49, 150, 155, 234, 238–43, 255, 258, 301, 311, 322, 324, 332, 340; as a source, x, 18–19. See also specific magazines; mass media
Consumer Reports, 308
consumers: affluence of, 2, 134–40; ignorance of, 55, 58–62, 73–74, 226; interpretations of, 2, 6–7, 10, 11–14, 339; power of, 3–4, 6, 10, 13, 15, 134, 136. See also under lumber dealers
contractors. See builders; building industry; building tradesmen
Cooperative League, The, 207
Corey, Paul, 230, 231, 238, 242, 251, 254, 255, 257, 260, 261, 262, 263, 277, 326, 328
Country Life in America, 42, 50
Cox, Reavis, 69
culture: economy and, 6, 11, 13–14, 16; home improvement and, 2–3
data. See statistics
Daunton, Martin, 32
Deane, Albert, 193
De Grazia, Victoria, 11
Department of Commerce, 29, 35, 61, 64, 114, 129, 141, 149, 181, 186, 301, 323
Department of Labor, 34, 35–36
department stores: building supplies in, 65, 73, 280, 282, 297, 299, 332, 342; importance of, 10, 148–51; interpretations of, 6–7, 10, 12
Depression, the: effects, 14–15, 249, 251; effects on home improvement, 2, 14–15, 19, 148–51, 153, 190–91, 202, 220, 247, 278, 314, 337, 341; effects on lumber trade, 95–96, 148–51, 232, 337, 341; effects on owner-building, 206–15, 210, 217–23, 230, 258. See also under home improvement stores
Detroit, 43, 250, 267, 276; home improvement in, 311, 313, 314; owner-building in, 24, 27, 209, 211, 212, 257, 258, 267–68; retailers in, 195, 223, 290
developers, 15, 27, 33, 53, 72, 189, 190, 215, 224, 232, 275, 281, 287–89. See also builders; National Association of Real Estate Boards (NAREB)
do-it-yourself (DIY): advice and information for, 53, 245, 285–87, 289, 340; building tradesmen and, 3, 4, 47, 49, 83, 151, 155, 219, 226, 232, 237, 251, 256, 301, 313, 315, 345; concept of, 48–53, 301; emergence of, 9, 12, 49–53, 151–61, 204, 205, 226, 231, 301, 313–14, 323, 337, 340, 344–45; gender and, 50–52, 225, 241, 319; interpretations of, 6, 9; market for, 287, 307, 323–25, 323, 330, 333–34, 340–41; owner-building and, 313–14, 321; reasons for, 50–51, 154–55, 315–19, 321; resistance to, 319–21, 344–45; social norm of, 48–53, 151–55, 231, 301, 314–21, 324, 325, 340. See also home improvement; lumber dealers. See also under manuals; men; owner-building; women
Dominion Radiator, 204
Douglas, Mary, 6
Douglas Fir Plywood Association, 329, 334
earth, as a building material, 207, 242, 272, 273
Eastern States Lumber Dealers Association, 114
Eisenhower, Dwight D., 308, 311
Fahey, John, 192
families: division of labor in, 2, 3, 5, 10, 50–52, 341; labor while owner-building, 260–63, 261, 270. See also housework; men; owner-building; women
farmers, as customers, 67, 77, 88, 92, 105, 108, 109, 117, 129, 138, 146, 157
Federal Housing Administration (FHA), 8–9, 15, 16, 117, 169, 170, 172, 215–17, 218, 237; and home improvement, 19, 169, 185, 190, 191–205, 196, 200; and owner-builders, 215–26, 266–68, 308. See also housing programs (United States)
Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), 222
filtering, 28–29, 190–91, 221. See also housing programs (United States)
Fisher, Ernest, 28, 217, 218, 220–21
Fiske, John, 6
Flax-li-num, 130, 131, 132, 164
Flint (MI), 207, 211–14, 215, 268, 291
Foley, Raymond, 203
Ford, James, 38, 46, 48, 51, 53
Forest Products Laboratory, 63
Freedell, 328–29
Fresno (CA), 27
Gelber, Steven, 9, 48, 51, 52, 151, 152, 154, 226, 314, 319, 321
gender: building industry and, 2, 3; home improvement and, 2, 3, 9, 239, 319, 322. See also do-it-yourself (DIY); families; home improvement; lumber dealers; men; owner-building; women
General Electric, 187, 311, 163
Gereffi, Gary, 18
Gimbel’s, 342
Goldstein, Carolyn, 9, 49, 200, 216, 314, 324
Good Housekeeping, 332
Gordon-Van Tine, 101–2, 103, 104, 108, 109, 111, 112, 114, 120
Gries, John, 28, 46, 50, 51, 53, 79, 80, 146
Halliday’s, 104–5, 109, 111, 208, 209, 216, 269, 273
Hamilton (ON), 249; case study of, xii, 18, 249; owner-building in, 249–52, 257, 258, 260, 262, 269; retailers in, 104–5, 208. See also Halliday’s
hardware stores, 7, 73, 83–84, 116–17, 159, 226, 279, 282, 299, 324, 332, 333
Harper’s Magazine, 316, 317, 323
Hart, L. C., 145, 164, 171, 176, 181
Harvard Business School, case studies, 18, 73, 79, 83–84, 96
Hechinger, 343
Hines (Edward) Lumber, 70, 77, 90, 93–94, 139, 157, 158, 190, 202, 282, 283, 314, 316, 320
Hole, Elmer, 116
Homasote, 56, 182–83, 188, 274
Home Builders’ Guild, 173
Home Builders Monthly, 232, 299
Home Building Service Plan, 198–99
home centers. See home improvement stores
home improvement, x, 47, 161, 302, 310–12. See also do-it-yourself (DIY); home improvement industry; home improvement stores; neighborhoods; owner-building; shell houses
—extent of, 7–8, 10, 47, 48, 75, 148–55, 159, 172, 231, 281, 287, 300, 301–5, 309, 314, 323, 335, 345–46; data on, 47, 149, 301–2, 306–7, 323; research on, 172, 183
—finance for, 92–93, 159–60, 162–63, 165, 166–67, 169–70, 190–205, 200, 308–11, 335, 339, 340 (see also under housing programs [United States])
—homeownership and, 2, 9, 18–19, 23, 39–40, 46, 52–53, 134–35, 148–55, 191–92, 314–21, 335, 345
—promotion: campaigns, 37–38, 44, 52–53, 109, 162, 170, 188–89, 193–96, 243, 306, 311, 312 (see also manuals); by governments, 8–9, 52–53, 190, 193–205, 203, 208, 307, 312, 334, 336, 337, 340; by kit manufacturers, 106; by lumber dealers, 300, 315, 320, 330–34 (see also lumber dealers); by manufacturers of building materials, 161–89, 190, 325–39
—significance of, x, 1–3, 4–10, 335–41
—social norms and, 1–3, 19, 23, 41, 46–47, 49, 55, 69, 127, 155, 300–301, 303–4, 306, 314, 316
—types of, 47, 48, 148–55, 149, 302, 306, 311, 312
home improvement industry: definition of, 1, 5; emergence of, 1–2, 12–13, 15, 19, 52–53, 190, 205, 300, 301–13, 321, 334, 339–41; importance of, 5; neglect of, 5–9, 337; organization of, 10–11, 205, 312–13; prism on society, 4; uniqueness, 4. See also building materials; home improvement; home improvement stores; lumber dealers; lumber manufacturers; manufacturers of building materials; retailers of building supplies
home improvement market. See do-it-yourself (DIY); home improvement industry; housing market
Home Improvement Plan (Canada), 202–5, 203, 208
home improvement stores: idea of, 98, 116, 122, 139; in 1920s, 144–48, 339; in 1930s, 156–60, 178–81; in 1940s, 277–79; in 1950s, 278–84, 290–300, 292–93, 294, 306, 314–15, 330–34. See also lumber dealers
Home Improvement Year (1956), 312
Home Modernization Bureau, 162
Home Modernizer, The, 162
homeownership: advantages of, 30–33, 38–41, 249–51; disadvantages of, 45–46, 251; effects of, 40–41, 46–47; levels of, 1, 23–24, 24, 33, 43–44, 345; promotion of, 33–38; social norm of, 9, 14, 19, 23–24, 30–33, 38–46, 52, 211, 232, 314, 335–36, 339. See also under do-it-yourself (DIY); home improvement; middle class; owner-building; working class
Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, 191; and home improvement, 191–92, 223
Home Planners Institute, 188–89, 243
homes: cultural significance of, 6; sizes of, 303–4
home shows, 36–38, 182, 244, 283
homesteads, 42, 206–7, 208, 215, 230, 257
Hood, Arthur, 94–95, 119–20, 121, 122, 147–48, 160, 170–82, 268, 280, 297, 299, 306, 330, 331
Hoo Hoo (Concatenated Order of), 95, 145, 147, 148, 330
Hoover, Herbert, 26, 29, 30, 37, 38, 39, 44, 46, 61, 66, 68–69, 79, 129, 191
Hornstein, Jeffrey, 34, 37, 38
House and Garden, 49, 225, 226, 258
House and Home, 18, 274, 288, 302, 304, 307–8, 309–10
House Beautiful, The, 42, 49, 219, 240, 251, 310, 319, 345
house plans, 87, 102, 106, 113, 141, 163, 173, 220, 232, 239, 240, 249, 250, 256, 262, 265, 283
housework, 2, 5, 52, 317. See also under women
housing: as a consumer priority, 134–38, 136; costs, 138, 154. See also homeownership; homes
Housing and Home Finance Agency, 235, 264, 266, 311, 312
housing finance. See mortgages. See under home improvement; housing programs (United States)
housing market, 2, 9, 16, 27, 28, 40, 46, 134, 217, 267, 308
housing policy, federal: in Canada, 202–3, 205, 268–69, 270, 277, 285; in United States, 8, 11, 17, 19, 31, 33, 266, 307–8, 310. See also housing programs (United States); National Housing Acts; Veterans Land Act (Canada)
housing programs (United States). See also Federal Housing Administration (FHA); Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA); Home Owners’ Loan Corporation; Housing and Home Finance Agency
—co-ops, 259
—home improvement (Title I), 166, 169–70, 191–205, 343, 268; impact of, 199–204, 200, 307, 340; promotion of, 194–99; scams, 199, 308, 310; terms of, 193, 308
—insured mortgages (Title II), 195, 200, 215, 216–17, 221, 222, 289
—public housing, 31, 195, 215, 216, 221, 264, 266, 268, 307, 395n51
—small homes: Class 3, 216–17, 221–26, 265–67, 269, 274, 277, 289; Section 8, 267–68, 269, 278, 289
—veterans, 237
Huff, Darrell, 254, 260–62, 255, 256, 267
immigrants, 6, 33, 40, 220; homeownership and, 9, 23, 24–26, 31, 40, 46, 49, 159, 211; owner-building and, 30, 47, 49, 209, 219, 240, 254, 260, 266
Industry Engineered Housing Program, 288
Inglehart, Ronald, 14
insulation, 54, 56, 57, 58, 74, 130, 132, 180, 181, 184, 224, 269–72, 280, 329, 333
Insulite, 130, 132, 164, 182, 184
Insured Mortgage Portfolio, 185, 200, 222, 223, 252, 267
Johns-Manville, 6, 54, 132, 134, 145, 155, 163, 165, 186; advertising by, 132, 164–69, 166–67; case study, 18, 164–84; effect on federal policy, 193; home improvement finance, 163, 165–70, 190, 196–97, 204, 310; marketing by, 164–82, 187, 188, 329, 330, 334, 339; products of, 164–65; relation with lumber dealers, 170–82, 179, 196
J. Walter Thompson, 7, 138, 143, 168; campaign for Johns-Manville, 18, 164, 168–69, 172, 174–75, 182
Kains, Maurice, 206–7
Kaiser Aluminum, 329
Kansas City, 63, 79, 83, 282, 289
Katz, Michael, 31
Kentile, 326
Ketridge, C. H., 115, 117, 124
kit manufacturers, 12, 107, 209, 274. See also specific companies. See also under catalogs; lumber dealers
—advertising by, 101, 104, 105, 109, 112, 114, 119, 120
—impact of, 19, 101–4, 300, 339, 340, 341
—relations with: building trades, 108–13, 287; consumers, 105–7, 108, 269; lumber industry, 64, 79, 103, 108, 113–21, 124, 208, 209, 287, 289–90, 339, 340; owner-builders, 111, 208, 240, 265, 275–76, 288–90, 305
Kyrk, Hazel, 38, 45, 46, 47, 50
Ladies Home Journal, 32, 58, 239, 260
Lardner, Ring, 91
Lehigh Portland Cement, 131, 133, 145, 164, 171
Lembke, Con, 299
lenders. See banks; consumer finance; mortgages; savings and loans. See also under home improvement; lumber dealers
Levitt’s, 48, 283, 304, 308, 344
Lieber, Otto, 179
linoleum, 55, 56, 58, 132, 155, 273, 280, 326
Lipartito, Kenneth, 11
Loeb, Carolyn, 27
Long-Bell, 79, 81, 82, 94, 122, 141, 175, 272, 282
Look, 274
Los Angeles, 30, 41, 102, 111, 319, 323; owner-building in, 24, 208, 209, 211, 286; retailers in, 208, 224
Ludwig, Fred, 60–61, 85, 86, 118, 122, 133, 171
lumber: character of, as a commodity, 59–65; dimensions, 60–65, 121, 141, 288; distribution of, 62–65, 69–74; grading of, 60–65, 62, 96, 121, 141–43, 273; importance declining, 74, 127–29, 128, 130, 136–37, 186, 271; species, 59–60, 62–64, 67, 71, 101, 142; uses of, 59, 273. See also building materials; lumber dealers; lumber manufacturers
lumber dealers, 8. See also home improvement; home improvement stores; lumber; retailers of building supplies
—activities of, 108, 115, 119–21, 156–60, 175–81, 190, 219–20, 223, 226, 277, 284–90, 295–300, 306, 320, 330–34, 342, 343; advertising, 3, 85, 87, 90, 109, 110, 115, 117–21, 124, 147, 157, 162, 171, 174, 176, 190, 195, 224, 244, 274, 279, 282, 306, 315, 330, 332, 343; advice and instruction, 285–87, 289, 331–33, 340, 342; building, 27, 208, 224, 235, 284, 284, 288, 288, 304–5, 320; credit, 3, 7, 10, 26, 27, 55, 61, 75, 81, 90–93, 102, 103, 108, 121, 139, 159, 160, 161, 219, 276, 277, 280, 281, 286, 299, 366n26; kit-making and precutting, 287–89, 305, 315, 339; plan services, 119, 121, 122, 219, 220, 284–85, 289, 290, 295
—character of: location, 55, 74, 84–88, 224, 291–92; materials sold, 75–84, 96, 120, 121–22, 145–48, 157–59, 184, 190, 202, 220, 278–84, 283, 290, 292–93, 298, 300; showrooms, 2, 17, 55, 90, 120, 176, 202–3, 203, 204, 220, 224, 278, 279–80, 281, 282, 284, 290–95, 292, 293, 294, 297, 298, 299, 318, 330, 331; staff, 2, 88, 120–21, 176, 280, 285, 294, 295, 297–98, 298, 342, 334; yards, 17, 55, 71, 78, 82, 87–90, 89, 120, 123, 209, 278, 283, 290, 292, 295, 297, 330
—home improvement and, 19, 47, 53, 156–60, 175–81, 190–202, 224, 301–2, 305–6, 315, 339–40
—importance of, 19, 53, 72, 74, 186
—neglect of, 7
—organization of: business operations, 80, 87, 173–74, 175–76, 179, 282; line yards, 63, 70, 75, 78–83, 82, 87, 95, 119, 120, 121, 157, 163, 175, 282, 284, 288, 290
—relationships with: amateur builders, 26–27, 121, 208, 220, 223, 224, 233, 244, 263, 265, 268, 277–300, 330 (see also do-it-yourself [DIY]; men; owner-building); builders and contractors, 55, 73, 83, 90–91, 123, 174, 224, 281–84, 288–89, 299–300, 318, 343, 344 (see also builders; building tradesmen); consumers, 54, 55, 64–65, 73–74, 83, 84–93, 96, 115–24, 131, 145–48, 156–60, 190, 226, 277–300, 283, 292–93, 330–34, 339, 342–43; manufacturers, 62, 66, 93–97, 132–33, 141–48, 164–89, 179, 180, 329–30, 331–34, 339 (see also lumber manufacturers; manufacturers of building materials); women customers, 3, 54, 55, 83, 85, 86–90, 123, 124, 155, 157, 176, 226, 260, 261–62, 283, 295–97, 296, 298, 300, 330–31, 333, 342 (see also under women)
—threats to, 113, 117, 121, 124, 127–48
—women as, 86–87
lumber industry, 53, 336; challenges to, 113, 114–15, 143; organization of, 7, 54–55, 67–74, 93–100, 140, 141–43, 185–89, 299. See also specific organizations; kit manufacturers; lumber dealers; lumber manufacturers; lumber wholesalers
lumber manufacturers: advertising by, 54, 62, 65–66, 67, 94, 116, 131, 131, 140–43, 146, 184–88, 273, 329; associations of, 65–69, 140–45; attitudes of, 61, 336; marketing by, 7, 9, 10, 59, 63, 65–69, 70, 95–96, 141–43, 184–86, 188, 273–74; types of, 66–67. See also specific organizations; lumber; lumber industry; National Lumber Manufacturers Association (NLMA)
lumber retailers. See lumber dealers
Lumber Secretaries’ Bureau of Information, 114
lumber “substitutes,” 19, 55, 89, 96, 130, 132–33, 145–48, 278
Lumber Trust, the, 11, 13, 67–69, 98–99, 108, 114
lumber wholesalers, 35, 59, 60, 63, 70–74, 71, 80, 81, 94, 96, 98–100, 101, 114, 184, 281, 282, 283
Lynd, Robert, 26, 28, 44, 45, 138, 150, 151
Magna Engineering, 326
manuals: for do-it-yourself, 19, 49, 152–55, 305–6, 331–32, 337; for home improvement, 19, 49–51, 152–55, 153, 340; for home owners, 19, 31–33, 41–43, 50, 232; for household managers, 41–43, 52; for lumber trade, 59–60, 81, 85, 95, 147, 171; for owner-builders, 42–43, 49–51, 232, 239–43, 241, 245, 246, 255. See also catalogs
manufacturers of building materials, 10, 11, 18, 54, 55–69, 131–33, 196–97, 312, 325–34, 336; advertising by, 18, 54, 58–59, 65–66, 66–67, 76, 89, 130, 132–33, 166–67, 174, 175, 182–88, 271, 325, 327–28, 329, 331; marketing by, 2, 57–65, 105–7, 164–81, 327, 328–30, 336–37; market research of, 183; organizations of, 58–59, 70, 135. See also specific companies; building industry; building materials; lumber manufacturers; Producers’ Council. See also under lumber dealers
manufacturers of tools, 57, 152, 325. See also specific companies; Producers’ Council
marketing, x, 3–4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14–15, 16, 54, 58, 67, 96, 143, 163, 165, 183, 188, 278. See also Johns-Manville; lumber manufacturers; manufacturers of building materials
market research, 3, 7, 15, 105, 168, 172, 183, 341. See also Johns-Manville; statistics
markets, construction of, 10–13, 339–46. See also do-it-yourself (DIY); home improvement; mass media
Marsh, Margaret, 14, 32–33, 40–45, 52
masculinity, 9, 52, 155, 229–31, 317–19, 324, 336, 341
Mason, Norman, 117
Mason Fibre Company (Masonite), 54, 56, 131, 133, 164, 184, 187, 339
mass media: agents of change, 115, 116, 119, 120, 121, 122, 125, 144, 156, 172, 178, 202, 231, 237, 238, 251, 301, 314; markets and, 1, 5, 11, 12, 165, 183, 194, 203, 204, 233, 287, 306, 314, 322–25; 340–41. See also consumer magazines; newspapers; radios; television
mass production, 4, 6, 11, 93, 108, 109–11, 173–74
McCall’s Magazine, 332
McCracken, Grant, 6
media. See mass media
men: as buyers of building supplies, 3, 176, 283; as do-it-yourselfers, 2, 35, 39, 48, 51–52, 151–55, 225, 226, 314, 316–21, 324, 336; as owner-builders, 25, 26, 42, 229, 255, 259, 260–63, 261; as shoppers, 3, 295. See also do-it-yourself (DIY); families; gender; lumber dealers; masculinity
Middle Atlantic Lumbermen’s Association, 85, 99, 144, 178, 186, 268, 330, 342, 382
middle class, 14, 84, 134, 139, 150; home improvement and, 51–53, 134–36, 151, 155, 159, 204, 233, 314, 319, 321; homeownership and, 2, 9, 19, 23–24, 30–33, 41–46, 88, 92, 105–6, 233, 239–40, 335, 339; lumber dealers and, 83, 86, 265, 300; owner-building by, 287. See also men; women
Middletown (Muncie, IN), 26, 44–45, 148, 150, 151
Mintzberg, Henry, 12
Mississippi Valley Lumberman, The, 64, 94, 101, 102, 114, 115, 120, 124
Mississippi Valley Lumbermen’s Association, 67
modernization. See home improvement
Moffatt, James, 194
Montgomery Ward, 102, 103, 104, 109, 113, 120
Montreal, 26, 131, 162, 231, 248
Mortgage Bankers’ Association, 310
mortgages, 38, 92, 148, 150, 163, 169, 176, 192, 221, 247–48, 276, 308–10, 336; attitudes towards, 139, 377n21; construction, 27, 92, 103, 159, 254, 276; open-end, 308–10; remortgaging, 138; second (junior), 1, 5, 92, 93, 159, 221; secondary market, 222; sources, 159, 192, 197, 219 (see also banks; savings and loans); terms, 11, 15, 92, 176, 190, 221–22, 249, 252–54. See also consumer finance
Moskowitz, Marina, 40
Murphy, Paul, 34
National Association of Home Builders, 173, 233, 307, 310, 311, 319
National Association of Real Estate Boards (NAREB), 33–38, 44, 53, 58, 173, 185, 187, 191, 193, 308, 311, 312
National Bureau of Standards, 58
National Committee on Reconditioning, Remodeling and Modernizing, 191
National Gypsum, 155
National Hardwood Lumber Association, 60
National Home Workshop Guild, 154, 173, 315
National Housing Acts: (1934), 166, 169, 170, 190, 192, 215, 340; (1949), 259; (1954), 9, 277
National Housing Association, 35
National Lumber Manufacturers Association (NLMA), 34, 35, 37, 48, 62, 65, 67, 68, 94, 95, 99, 131, 134, 140–43, 161, 185–87
National Recovery Administration, 62, 67, 69, 99, 128, 130, 173, 193
National Retail Lumber Dealers Association (NRLDA), 8, establishment of, 117; and home improvement, 172, 173, 175, 182, 184–87, 282, 302, 309, 310, 311; promotes change, 80–81, 145, 171, 184, 186, 187, 188, 288, 289
National Thrift Week, 36–37
neighborhoods: character of, 7, 10, 33, 45, 50; city, 8, 83, 84, 188, 191, 287, 306; conservation and improvement, 157, 159, 192, 198, 203, 184, 188, 307; middle class, 86. See also shacks and shacktowns; suburbs
Nelson, Herbert, 185
New Competition, the, 14, 133–40, 145, 146
newspapers: advertising in, 142, 157, 205, 220, 239, 274, 276, 287, 289, 329, 332; amateur builders and, 220, 224, 235, 239, 243–45, 258, 260, 314, 324; home improvement and, 168, 174, 205, 208, 220, 243, 301, 311, 323, 324, 340; influence of, 118, 143, 168, 325; retailers and, 120, 157, 174, 220, 224, 276, 287, 332. See also Hamilton Spectator; mass media; New York Times, as a source; Peoria Journal-Transcript
New York (City), 30, 34, 118, 138, 151, 162, 163, 170, 172, 177, 178, 187, 197, 199, 207, 218, 278; home improvement in, 312, owner-building near, 42, 230, 231; trade shows in, 35, 36, 65, 323, 324
New York Times, as a source, 18, 323
New York World’s Fair, 175, 182
1920s, the, 133–34; and building industry, 9, 19, 127–51, 232, 337, 341. See also under home improvement stores
Northeastern Retail Lumbermen’s Association, 59, 85, 184, 324
Northwestern Lumberman, 99
Northwest Lumbermen’s Association, 99, 115, 118, 184
Olney, Martha, 139
Ontario Retail Lumberman’s (later, Dealer’s) Association, 118, 307
Operation Home Improvement, 306, 312
Owen, David, 86
owner-building, 244. See also do-it-yourself (DIY); shacks and shacktowns; shell houses; Veterans Land Act (Canada). See also under building regulations; kit manufacturers; manuals
—impact on do-it-yourself trend, 250, 313–15
—incidence, 19, 24–30, 205–15, 229–63, 300, 340, 344–45
—outcomes: health, 211, 212, 213–14; landscapes, 248, 253; quality of construction, 252–55
—process of: cooperatives, 257–59, 259, 264; descriptions, 25, 26–28, 207–8, 211–13, 219, 240–42, 246, 250, 253, 255, 256, 261, 247–63; family and friends help, 256–57, 258, 286; men, x, 25, 26, 42, 229, 233, 240–43, 247, 249–63, 255, 259, 261, 270; occupations of owner-builders, 251–54, 257–63, 285; tradesmen used, 255–56; women, x, 18, 25, 210, 212, 233, 240, 242, 247, 249–63, 253, 261, 270, 313
—resources for: advice, 3, 7, 12, 19, 32, 41, 49, 220, 242, 271 (see also under manuals); commercial services, 213, 217, 244, 284–90; finance, 190–91, 215–23, 276–77, 286–87; government assistance, 190–91, 215–23, 237, 264–69; kits, 111–12, 209, 212, 288–90. See also under lumber dealers
—views about: attitudes of contemporaries, 232–38, 245, 247–63; motives of owner-builders, 248–63, 315; neglect by scholars, 9
Own Your Own Home campaign, 34–38, 35, 41, 49, 117
Pacific Ready-Cut, 102, 103, 104, 105, 108, 111
paint: advertising of, 143; amateurs use, 39, 49, 51, 152, 162, 226, 242, 254, 260, 321, 331; manufacturers of, 54, 59, 143, 325, 333, 334; retailers stock, 55, 73, 78, 81, 82, 84, 116, 144, 146, 157, 202, 279, 280, 290, 297, 306, 321, 331
Parents Magazine, 18, 233, 234, 238–39, 257, 303, 304, 305, 322, 332
Peoria (IL), 16, 18, 112, 236–37, 218, 265, 274–76, 275, 287; case study of, xii, 16, 18, 217; Federal Housing Administration studies, 217–18, 220–21; owner-building in, 217–21, 231, 240, 243–45, 248–57, 250, 259, 262–63; retailers in, 145, 219–20, 244
Peoria Journal-Transcript, xii, 220, 243, 244, 245, 274, 276, 287
Perloff, Harvey, 306
Perry, Clarence, 214
Philadelphia, 31, 33, 34, 104, 105, 159, 181, 192, 288; home improvement in, 149, 150, 159; retailers in, 84, 159, 288
plan books, 26, 42, 105, 119, 173, 239, 284. See also catalogs
plywood: amateurs use, 272, 313, 326, 331, 334; as a material, 56, 272, 276; retailers stock, 74, 280, 329, 334
Popular Homecraft Magazine, 313
Popular Mechanics, 49, 154, 240–42, 241, 242, 251, 260, 272, 276, 321, 329, 331
Popular Science, 49, 50, 154, 207, 240, 332
Porter, A. L., 90, 115–16, 119, 122, 123
postwar boom, the, 235–38, 236; effects on home improvement, 301–5, 337, 341; effects on owner-building, 235–47, 251, 275. See also under home improvement stores
prefabricators of houses, 12, 182, 188, 189, 268, 273–76, 275, 277, 287. See also under lumber dealers
President’s Conference on Home Building and Home Ownership, 26, 29, 30, 52, 53, 135, 141, 159
Printer’s Ink, 124, 135, 164, 314, 317, 322, 325
Producer’s Council, 70, 182, 187, 196, 288, 307
Progressive Era, 2
public housing. See under housing programs (United States)
Radford, Gail, 29
radios: consumer good, 44, 116, 137, 139, 144; home improvement and, 165, 166–67, 168, 169, 172–73, 174, 182, 185, 194, 198, 205, 224, 243, 289, 311, 314, 330. See also mass media
railroads, 100; locational influence on lumber dealers, 71, 78, 79, 84, 85, 100, 101, 291; shipments by, 63, 72, 84, 101, 274, 291
Ratcliff, Richard, 30, 195, 266
Readers Digest, 208, 239, 240, 251, 256, 260
repairs. See home improvement
retailers: function, 10, 15, 98; interpretations of, 7, 13, 339; operations, 80
retailers of building supplies, 7, 54–55, 70–74; role of, 3–4, 10, 11, 13, 53, 70, 108, 339. See also department stores; hardware stores; home improvement stores; lumber dealers
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 15, 31, 96, 165, 170, 173, 192, 207, 215
Rosenberg, Harold, 116
Saley, Met, 75–76, 79, 80, 88, 91, 96
Saturday Evening Post, 58, 105, 142
savings and loans, 92–93, 120, 151, 188, 198; home improvement and, 309; owner-building and, 219–20, 222, 277, 286. See also lenders; U.S. Savings and Loan League
Schumpeter, Joseph, 17
Sears, Roebuck, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 108, 109, 112–13, 122, 124, 275–76, 279–80; and home improvement, 112, 163, 196, 311
Serviceman’s Readjustment Act (1944), 252
shacks and shacktowns, 24–30, 33, 135, 206, 213, 215, 226, 230, 354n11. See also neighborhoods; owner-building; suburbs
Shaw, A. W., 78, 82, 96, 103, 110, 118
shell houses, 27, 186, 208, 223, 224, 226, 254, 304–5, 308–9, 313. See also under home improvement
Sherwin-Williams, 54, 329, 333
Small Homes Council, University of Illinois, 233, 243, 288
Small Homes Demonstration Project, 185–86, 217, 222
Small Homes Guide, 18, 235, 238–39, 245, 248, 256, 257, 261, 266, 276, 288, 303, 319, 321, 322, 327, 332
small towns: building in, 9, 16, 104–5, 112, 277; owner-building in, 25, 26, 27, 28, 244, 267, 272–73, 287; retailers in, 3, 12, 71, 76, 77, 80, 82–83, 91, 110, 118, 157, 279, 280, 283, 288, 289, 291, 298, 305, 342, 343
Southern Pine Association (SPA), 63, 64, 68–69, 239; and do-it-yourself, 220; and home improvement, 161; marketing by, 65, 66–67, 119, 129, 142, 144, 145
Southwestern Lumbermen’s Association, 133
Stanley, 327–27
statistics, 2, 68, 218; on building materials, 68, 69, 94, 128–29, 128, 130, 140, 272, 280; on construction, 5, 47; on credit, 162, 198, 200; on do-it-yourself, 47, 256; on home improvement, 46–47, 48, 148–49; 301–3, 306–7; on homeownership, 24, 43; on housing, 5, 15, 135, 151, 217, 221, 254, 259; on kits, 102–3; on lumber dealers, 78, 172 (see also under lumber dealers); on owner-building, 214, 232, 398n6
Steffan, Roger, 197
St. Louis, 177, 178; retailers in, 66, 95, 121, 155, 226, 278, 279
Stockholm, assisted owner-building, 264, 285
Strong-Boag, Veronica, 263
“substitutes” (for lumber), 19, 55, 89, 96, 130, 132–33, 145–48, 278
suburbs, 32, 33, 44, 45, 53, 104, 105, 138, 190, 231, 266, 277, 291, 303, 316; developers of, 8–9, 53; owner-building in, 25–26, 29–30, 33, 42, 47, 49, 206–15, 217–21, 222–23, 230, 231, 248, 249, 254, 257, 258; retailers in, 3, 77, 83–84, 91, 92, 157–59, 158, 265, 279, 282, 285, 287, 290, 291, 300, 342, 343
Taylor, B. E., 27
Taylor, Frederick W., 25
technology: interpretations of, 5, 9–10; markets and, 12. See also building materials; tools
television, 331
Thompson Yards, 63, 79, 95, 118, 147
Time, 18, 165, 181, 182, 238, 239, 307, 313, 316, 324, 325
Title I. See under housing programs (United States)
Title II. See under housing programs (United States)
tools: amateur builders and, 57, 152, 229, 241, 254, 255, 277, 321, 322, 326–27, 329, 331, 333; new, 57, 272, 285, 319, 325–27; power, 272, 319, 321, 326–27, 334, 327, 328
Toronto, 28, 29, 30, 33, 103, 104, 235, 245, 343, 345; home improvement in, 149, 150, 159; owner-building in, 24, 254, 257; retailers in, 84, 159, 288
trade-at-home movement, 108–9, 110, 113, 122
trade journals, 88, 94, 102, 114, 131, 306, 314, 324–25, 332; advertising in, 4, 112, 131, 164; as a source, x, 17–18, 75. See also specific journals
United Kingdom, 32
United States Gypsum, 6, 54, 55, 56, 181, 184, 188, 311, 333
United States Housing Corporation, 34
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 37, 170, 185, 186, 191, 312
U.S. Plywood, 331
U.S. Savings and Loan League, 185, 188, 193, 309
veterans: as amateur builders, 23, 230, 237–38, 243–44, 247, 253, 268–69, 270, 277; housing needs of, 188, 235–38, 236, 240, 243, 249, 252–54, 258–59, 265
Veterans Emergency Housing Program, 237
Veterans Land Act (Canada), 268–69, 270, 277, 285
Wahlfeld Lumber, xii, 219–20, 244
Walker, Platt, 102, 115, 119, 120
wallboard, 55, 56, 57, 76, 132, 272–73, 278, 280, 282, 304, 328, 333
Washington, D.C., 42, 101, 185, 187, 218, 219, 285, 343; home improvement in, 198; owner-building in, 25, 231, 245
Wehrwein, G. S., 214
Weiss, Marc, 8
West Coast Lumbermen’s Association, 64, 69
Western Retail Lumberman, 90, 115, 116, 119, 120
Western Retail Lumbermen’s Association, 80, 87, 115
Weyerhaeuser, 60, 79, 94, 95, 119, 146, 222, 272, 284; marketing by, 65, 77, 141, 184, 187, 196, 197, 201
Whitman, Walt, 30
Wiese, Andrew, 338
Wilson, M. L., 207
women, 2, 5, 87, 168, 194, 212, 336, 341; as buyers of building supplies, 2, 83, 86–93, 89, 106, 123–24, 157, 164, 176, 194, 226, 260, 261–64, 283, 295–96, 296, 298, 319, 330–31, 333, 342–43; as do-it-yourselfers, 2, 48–52, 155, 225, 225, 226, 247, 251, 295–98, 313, 314, 319, 326, 333, 336; as homemakers, 5, 31, 37, 44, 49–52, 175, 260, 263, 322; 336; as shoppers, 3, 86, 164, 176, 195; as store clerks, 297–98. See also under do-it-yourself (DIY); families; housework; lumber dealers; manuals; owner-building
Women’s Home Companion, 303
women’s organizations, 34, 37–38, 195, 196, 203, 226, 311
wood. See lumber
Wood, Edith E., 30
Woodbury, Coleman, 38, 44, 45, 138
working class, 316; home improvement and, 152, 155, 159, 314, 317; homeownership and, 24–30, 31, 43–44, 211, 259
Yale School of Forestry, 60, 61, 69, 118, 122
YWCA, 227
zoning, 30
Zunz, Olivier, 43
Zweifel, George, 396n57