Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium

What people wore

Frugal clothing maintenance habits

People often wore clothing until it was heavily mended; it was not considered shameful to wear a pant with a patch or a sweater with mended elbows. For special occasions, some men would still wear the black jacket and striped trousers they had first worn at their wedding twenty years earlier.

Getting around

Train travel times between Belgian cities

In 1926, a non-stop express train connected Brussels and Antwerp in 40 minutes, while a journey from Brussels to Cologne took 5 to 6 hours.

What it cost

Decline in food budget share

By the late 1940s, food expenses accounted for approximately 45 percent of a worker household's budget, a significant decrease from about 58 percent in 1929.

Music

The rise of jazz culture

Jazz became a major craze in the 1920s and 1930s, with Belgian cities hosting their first jazz concerts and tournaments for amateur dance orchestras.

Daily life

Daily Life: Water, Heat, and Toilets

Many working-class homes lacked running water and electricity, requiring families to fetch water from a public pump and use coal stoves or gas lamps for heating and lighting. Toilet facilities were typically located outside the main house, often requiring a cold walk to a backyard shed.

Work

Cost of beer in workers' taverns

Beer was a staple for workers, sold in taverns for 12 centimes per glass (3-4 deciliters) or 24 centimes per liter from the barrel.