Wedding bands

[FedoraFan112390]

A question:

Was it common for married men in the 1930s-1940s NOT to wear wedding bands? I ask because I was looking at some photos from that era and a lot of the married men on my mother's side--Italian men--aren't wearing wedding rings.

For example, in a studio picture of my great grandfather, my great grandmother, and his children, taken around 1934-1938, my great grandmother is wearing a wedding band or engagement ring, but not my great grandfather.

Similarly in casual pictures of him from April 1945, he isn't either, even though my great grandma was still alive.

Likewise, casual pictures of my great uncles (one through blood, and the other through marriage) taken in 1945-1946 showcase them not wearing wedding rings, even though they were married; In one shot, they're both wearing suits, yet no wedding bands.

 

[TimeWarpWife]

I can't speak as to whether it was "common" for men not to wear wedding bands in the 30s and 40s, but neither of my grandfathers wore wedding bands. In my maternal grandfather's case, he worked in a factory with a lot of moving parts and it would have been dangerous for him to wear one because it could have gotten caught on something. My paternal grandfather was in the Army and I would assume his job may have also been why he didn't wear one. Also, because of the Depression era, many men may have not been able to afford them. My paternal grandmother never had a wedding band for this reason and my maternal grandmother didn't get one until the 1950s - some 20 years after she married.

 

[Tomasso]

I recall a jeweler friend saying that while wedding bands for men weren't exactly uncommon in the Golden Era their use proliferated after WWII as a result of an extensive marketing campaign, about the same time De Beers started pushing diamonds engagement rings for women. They don't begin showing up on the men in our family photos until the 60s.

 

[Miss Golightly]

My Dad didn't wear a wedding band - instead he wore a gold ring with a square cut oxbloodstone (I think that's what it's called). Didn't men also tend to wear signet rings instead of wedding bands?

 

[scottyrocks]

If I remember correctly, a wedding band was to show that the woman was off-limits, so men didnt wear them. Therefore, I can understand the aforementioned post WWI marketing campaign.

 

[kpreed]

I asked my Father and Mom (married in 1943) and the answer was Men who worked in a trade like Dad did (Firefighting, heavy equipment & auto repair) and my Grandfather (Farming) did not tend to wear rings as a rule, because the rings got damaged or (ouch) got bent into the finger by a falling (like me and a car muffler) or lifting heavy items and needed to be cut for it to be removed from finger. (like mine did)
As most men worked outdoors then, a ring did not work well back then. It is so much different now.
They knew they were married or single, ring or not and a ring could come off if wanted.

 

[JimWagner]

My grandmother wore a ring but my grandfather, who was a machinist, did not. My parents, who were married in 1946, both wore rings. My father was a white collar worker. I believe that those of my uncles who were blue collar did wear rings, but not at work.

Besides the obvious dangers of wearing rings around machinery or electricity there is also the fact that as men who work with their hands age their hands and fingers tend to become larger and coarser, and even if they had a ring when first married young the odds are against that ring fitting more than a few years.

I'm a computer programmer, not blue collar, and my 39 year old wedding band has had to be made larger at some point.

 

[rue]

My grandfather (born in 1908) never wore a wedding band because he thought jewelry was unmanly. The only thing he ever wore was a watch, because it was necessary.

 

[pasnthru]

I remember reading somewhere that men when they were looking to court a lady would put their signet ring on their left pinkie. I read on to reveal that later they would move the ring to the right pinkie to indicate they were courting someone. Lastly they would have a wedding band. Ring etiquette. Who knew?

 

[Bill Taylor]

In the Emily Post 1922 edition of Etiquette, Ms. Post writes that the only acceptable ring for a man is a signet ring worn on the little finger of the left hand, a ring from West Point or a ring from Anapolis and, if required by religion, a wedding band. A man should never wear any other kind of ring. I was (probably unfortunatly) "brought up on Emily Post" and old habits and knowlege die hard.

Bill Taylor

 

[Edward]

My grandfather (born in 1908) never wore a wedding band because he thought jewelry was unmanly. The only thing he ever wore was a watch, because it was necessary.

I knew a girl at university whose father thought like that..... in Belfast in the 1990s! Personally it seemed a bit insecure to me, but then I grew up with my own father wearing two rings: a wedding ring, and a signet ring on his right hand ring-finger (still does wear both). I have been known to wear up to four at a time myself, but then I always was a bit of a dandy.

 

[rue]

I knew a girl at university whose father thought like that..... in Belfast in the 1990s! Personally it seemed a bit insecure to me, but then I grew up with my own father wearing two rings: a wedding ring, and a signet ring on his right hand ring-finger (still does wear both). I have been known to wear up to four at a time myself, but then I always was a bit of a dandy.

You Edward? I never would have believed it, not even with those pictures of you wearing makeup It's part of your charm though