Antoine, 13th Prince of Ligne

What people wore

First Communion Fashion Constraints

For a girl's First Communion, mothers pressured shopkeepers to pull corsets tighter to make her waist look as slender as possible. Girls also wore tight new shoes to make their feet appear smaller.

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

Brussels household expenditure breakdown 1922-1927

In the Brussels retail price index, food accounted for nearly half (49 percent) of the measured expenses, while housing made up 23 percent and clothing 10.4 percent during the 1922-1927 period.

Music

Radio listening became immensely popular

By 1939, radio listening became a widespread habit in Belgium, with the number of radio sets soaring to over 1.15 million.

Daily life

Memorable Survival Tactics and Tools

To save money and ensure winter food supplies, families bought potatoes in bulk, sometimes 1000 kg at once, which were stored in specially prepared cellar bins lined with straw. To carry heavy water buckets from public pumps, people used a 'reep', a modified bicycle wheel without spokes that helped balance the weight and kept the buckets away from their legs.

Work

Common Blue-Collar Jobs in Belgium

Blue-collar jobs were concentrated in industries such as metalwork, mining, transport, construction, and textiles.