Golden time on wheels: American trailer parks in 50-ies and 60-ies
In the US, thousands of trailer parks: according to various estimates, they account for about 20 million people. But the heyday of trailer parks came in the 50-60-ies of the last century. Let's look at the photos taken during the Golden era of American mobile homes and learn their story.
Many caravan parks are generally not thought of as permanent residence: originally the site of the future Park was a great platform for travelers where they could stay together to the tent to rest.
For 30 years, Americans began to travel trailers — vans inside resembled a tiny apartment with everything you need. There was no water and electricity, but the campground was always the outlet, and the column with water. Often, these trailers inside was truly luxuriously finished with natural leather sofas, upholstered velvet chairs, elegant interior and expensive dishes.
By the mid-30's popularity trailers has grown, and with it, like mushrooms after the rain began to appear in company, engaged in manufacturing of trailers, which could afford a simple working-class family. As a result, very soon the trailer was a lot, but the sites for their Parking was not enough.
Americans began to Park a mobile home anywhere, even on the sidewalks and under the highway. The problem has reached such proportions that, for example, in Detroit hung signs prohibiting Parking house on wheels is longer than 24 hours.
Cheapness and portability trailers made them extremely attractive to the Americans who came to work in other States. By the early ' 40s, many States began to emerge whole trailer towns.
Finest hour trailer arrived during the Second world war. Across the country, opened factories and the workers needed a place to live. Came to the aid of trailers to build homes was ten times more expensive.
After the war, the trailer has not lost its appeal: the houses were expensive and many corny did not have enough money to buy them. For decades trailers gave Americans a sense of freedom and at home: you don't have to pay the mortgage, you can take your house and can go anywhere. The real American dream on wheels!
If we talk about the two poles of "trailer companies", it is worth mentioning wealthy people who use expensive mobile home to travel and the American poor, who huddled in the trailers simply because they are not able to afford decent housing.
Over the last 80 years trailers and mobile homes changed many roles: they visited and luxury houses on vacation and livelihood and the only shelters during the war and financial crises. And today, the trailer, the symbol of American freedom and movement, honors all those roles.
Keywords: 50s | 60s | Motorhome | Mobile home | USA