Newspaper Insulation

Posted on | November 15, 2010 | 19 Comments

Over the weekend Greg and I gutted one of the rotten corners of the house. The rotten part is an addition that extends out the backside of the original house. In the walls we found old newspapers from October 28th, 1942 used as insulation.

On the cover of The Boston Post headlines read, Beat Back New JAP Drive In Solomons, Rationing Of Butter Is Certain, 40,000 Register For Oil Rations. In 1942, The United States was in the middle of World War II (1939-1945) and times were extremely tough.

In January 1942, tires were one of the first products to be rationed because supplies of national rubber were unavailable. “Soon afterward, passenger automobiles, typewriters, sugar, gasoline, bicycles, footwear, silk, nylon, fuel oil, coffee, stoves, meat, lard, shortening and oils, cheese, butter, margarine, processed foods, dried fruits, canned milk, firewood and coal, jams, jellies, and fruit butter were rationed by November 1943″ (wikipedia).

It’s crazy to think what life would have been like 68 years ago. No butter? I would have freaked. I can’t even imagine how frightened they were of the upcoming winter with the threat of necessities being rationed. I guess why not try insulating the walls with newspapers?

Category: found objects, house renovation

Comments

19 Responses to “Newspaper Insulation”

Monica Dunkley
November 15th, 2010 @ 11:40 am
oh how interesting! have you kept them/photograph them?
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chelsea
November 15th, 2010 @ 12:32 pm
wow! beautiful photos. so amazing,
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Rachel
November 15th, 2010 @ 1:06 pm
Oh wow! What a neat surprise.
Bisous,
Rachel
lovealamode.wordpress.com
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erin, reading my tea leaves
November 15th, 2010 @ 1:07 pm
be still my heart. love.
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Pamela
November 15th, 2010 @ 1:17 pm
What a find! The butter would be an issue for me. My husband laughs at my butter store but seriously, what can you make that you don’t need butter for?
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Ashley
November 15th, 2010 @ 2:01 pm
Have you thought about framing them, as a chronicle of your renovating process? I love reading about all of the surprises you’ve uncovered in your home.
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Renee
November 15th, 2010 @ 2:01 pm
We renovated an older home and found the very same kind of insulation, newspaper. We also found a really well preserved phone book in the walls from 1924 or around, and still recognized some of the family names. It was a small town!

I love those little hidden treasures. It almost makes the renovation worth it… almost.
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S@sha
November 15th, 2010 @ 2:40 pm
Fascinating! You have to remember that people had just lived through the Depression and most were used to going without. This at least was going without for a Patriotic cause! Nowadays it would be a much more dramatic adjustment. You would probably do better than most people, Katy, after all you’re used to wearing a hat and gloves inside, you can and pickle, and knit! It would just be an impetus to share a milk cow with your neighbors.
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Kim
November 15th, 2010 @ 3:42 pm
Don’t think of rationing my butter!

How great to find this time capsule in your wonderful home!
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Rachel
November 15th, 2010 @ 11:28 pm
My favorite part about your find is the headline, “First Lady Kept from Russia Trip – President as Husband and Executive Refuses – Says Russia is Man’s Country.” Classic.
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glenda b
November 16th, 2010 @ 9:31 am
When we were renovating our 1929 farmhouse I found a WWII rationing book in the corner of a shelf in the upstairs linen closet. (Among other things found in the walls, attic, and basement.) Really makes me wish these old walls could talk. Oh the stories I am sure they could tell. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like during the depression and the war years.
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Josephine
November 16th, 2010 @ 10:43 am
That’s so neat. I was hoping to find something good in our house, but no luck. I did find a previous owner’s high school photo from the 60s but that’s it. Not too exciting either – since it was the one previous owner I knew about.
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emily @ thirtyeight20
November 16th, 2010 @ 11:42 am
I found an old newspaper in our kitchen walls just a couple weeks ago! It was from 1928, and the main headline talked about the “Japs” as well. A coworker used to work for the same newspaper, so I gave it to him. (I’m accumulating way too many old keepsakes from this project…)

We also dug up literally over 100 old glass bottles from under the floor, some of which ebay tells me could be pretty valuable, and an old photo of some people posing with an American flag that only had a few stars. My favorite under-the-floor find was an old brass key that I polished and now wear on a chain as a necklace.

Makes me want to put together a little time capsule of stuff that someone 100+ years from now will dig up in excitement!
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Brittany Broas
November 16th, 2010 @ 11:54 am
Haha, hadn’t noticed the Russia headline until Rachel pointed it out. Hilarious! Man’s Country… haha!

I can’t believe the progress you two are making, every time I pop in you’ve added or removed something!
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annamaria potamiti
November 16th, 2010 @ 2:59 pm
What an amazing find- it really puts some things in perspective doesn’t it?
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Susan
November 16th, 2010 @ 3:47 pm
Wow…no butter?!! Just kidding. What an awesome and fascinating find!
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Susan
November 16th, 2010 @ 3:48 pm
Wow…….no butter?! Ha, kidding. What a fascinating find!!
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christine{bijouandboheme}
November 17th, 2010 @ 8:27 am
What a find! So cool- I wonder what people will be saying of our headlines in 70 years? xo
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kirsty
November 19th, 2010 @ 9:52 am
how cool is that, must be so interesting to have an old property and discover all these interesting finds. I am so jealous!
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