2019.030.002

This small book was created as a guide for consumers in 1942 on what to buy, where to buy it, and why they have a responsibility as American citizens to follow the ration regulations during wartime. The book explains the reasoning behind rationing certain products, why the factories that once created clothing, food items and vehicles must be repurposed to create ammunition, guns and tanks. This was, no doubt, a controversial topic for Americans during WWII, but as this book tries to explain, the very real need for tools of war in order to win overseas outweighed the need for a variety of consumer products. Pricing, inflation and what happens after the war are all other topics that the book addresses, all while maintaining a confident and calming tone that assures the reader and the consumer that the state of affairs in the U.S. will not stay this way permanently, but for now it was their duty to work with government regulation in order to preserve western democracy.

The book is part of The Eastman Family Collection. Additional informaiton can be found here: http://wdeastman.com/the-homefront-during-wwii/