Main content

Marriage in the 1950s and 60s

After World War II, most women worked outside the home as part of the war effort - but as the men went back to their jobs, the women were expected to return to their role as housewives, dependent on their husbands for an allowance. This collection looks back at marriage in the post-war years of the 1950s and 60s, with emphasis on the role of women. It also shows the beginning of social changes, such as divorce reform and the introduction of the contraceptive pill, which impacted on wedlock.