Rating for Dating wheel

Titles: Rating for Dating wheel (Supplied title)

Description: Circular paper "Rating for Dating" calculator created by Elizabeth Woodward for the Ladies Home Journal. The wheel was given to Bartlett (Bart) Baker (a student at Central High School in St. Paul, Minnesota), by a girl at school, circa 1943. Years later he gave it to Marjorie Bingham, a teacher at Saint Louis Park High School. According to Bingham, both she and Baker served on the Minnesota Humanities Commission (renamed Humanities Center in 2007), and when he heard she was teaching an American History module on dating patterns of the 1940s, he offered her the wheel as a primary source example. The calculator consists of two wheels with a metal pin in the center holding them together. The top wheel spins to reveal different advice at each spot on the wheel beneath. The purpose of the wheel is to advise women on the best ways to interact with different types of men.

Dates

• Not earlier than 1931 - Not later than 1944 (In 1931 Elizabeth Woodward took over a column in the "Ladies' Home Journal" entitled "The Sub-Deb, a Page for Girls", which had been established in the late 1920s and would be the source of this dating advice wheel.) (Creation)
• Approximately 1943 - Approximately 1944 Date wheel was given to Bartlett (Bart) Baker, while a student at Central High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Use)

Creation

• issued by: Ladies' Home Journal
• made by: Woodward, Elizabeth
• received by: Baker, Bartlett James
• used at: Central High School (Saint Paul, Minn.)
• used by: Bingham, Marjorie Wall
• used at: St. Louis Park High School (Saint Louis Park, Minn.)
• about: Minnesota Humanities Center

Identifiers

• Accession Number: 1995.197.1

Notes

• The wheel is subtitled "THE SUB-DEB SUCCESS METER". The term "subdeb" refers to an upper class girl in her middle teens, before she becomes a debutante (making a formal debut into society). When Elizabeth Woodward took over the column "The Sub-Deb, a Page for Girls" in the Ladies' Home Journal, which would eventually produce this advice wheel, the tone of the column shifted to that of an older sister, with an emphasis on boys and relationships. This wheel offers a glimpse into the world of gender stereotypes prevalent when Woodward was writing. The male personality types on the calculator include: "FAST ONE", "SMOOTHIE", "PAL", "SHY GUY", and more. A red heart printed above each type lines up with a similar heart printed at the edge of the top disk. By aligning the hearts, the wheel provides examples of What to Talk About, How to Act, and What to Do on a Date. For an intelligent boy, or "Brightie", a girl should act "Wide-eyed and big eared. Be impressed and eager to learn - but stand on your own feet and discuss." For a "Strong & Silent" boy, she should talk about "HIM. Serious things like life, happiness, and the right way to raise pigs." And for dating a "Woman Hater" she should "Go in for the things he likes. Beat him at some sports. Don't do much sitting around. Get up and do things or go places. Do what he wants to do - even if it's trout-fishing."

Holding Type: 3D Objects

Quantity: 1 item

Format

• Content Category: artifacts

Measurements

• 10 inches diameter

Subjects

How can we help?

• Help / About Collections Online
• Learn about the Collections
• Contact the Gale Family Library for help with research, orders, and use/licensing
• Have feedback or comments on the new Collections Online system? Please fill in the Collections Online Feedback Form.