Etiquette Books Wanted Post WWII

Etiquette usage and knowledge of good manners were important to family life in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s in the United States 

Books on Etiquette in Demand by Patrons of Goodman Library

People do concern themselves with etiquette, according to the librarians at Goodman Library. Especially do the young people keep the books on the social usages always in circulation. One time honored book on this subject, of course, is Emily Post's Etiquette, the blue book of social usage. 

Several copies are constantly being taken from the shelves for home use and the reference copy is frequently consulted for a few minutes at the reading table. The original edition of this work was copyrighted in 1922 and it is now in its sixty-eighth printing.

The contents include: Good taste in the use of names, balls and dances, engagements, Christenings, funerals, conversation, restaurant etiquette, table manners, formal correspondence. games and sports, manners for motorists, visiting cards, etc…

A complete index enables one to find very minute points of etiquette that may be puzzling. For instance did you know that:

• You should never say, “Mrs. Smith, meet Mrs. Jones.” ?

• You should never say, “Mr. Jones, shake hands with Mr. Smith.” ?

• Usually a lady does not take a gentleman's arm in the day-time?

• The wife is the head of the table, though the man is the head of the house?

• When in doubt, wear the plainer dress?

• A lady never takes off her gloves to shake hands unless they are gardening gloves?

• A widow is never addressed by her own given name, always by the name of her late husband?

For complete explanations of all of these points and thousands of others, consult “Emily Post” at the Goodman Library. – By Mrs. Ella Pimentel for the News Napa Illustrated Weekly, 1947

  🍽️Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia