york38 1950s Front Room This is the front room, or living room, of a semi-detached suburban house belonging to a working-class family at the time of Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953. Most of the furniture here dates from the 1930s and 1940s, but new, more colorful items are also present, reflecting the optimism of the "New Elizabethan Age", and contrasting with the austerity of the war years. Developing technology saw the spread of new forms of entertainment, such as television. Many people purchased television sets especially to watch Queen Elizabeth's coronation, but "T.V." soon became a familiar feature in the home, displacing the hearth as the focal point for the family.