Hence, motifs of the atomic particles flooded the designs of middle-class households, from wallpaper to furniture, and what was depicted was a unique vision of the future. Some saw beyond the potential of the atom as a nuclear weapon, and saw its role as a new source of energy. CHARACTERISTICSīut within the political unrest of the 50s was a glimmer of hope. Schools demonstrated duck-and-cover drills in case of atomic bomb attack, fallout shelters were being built, media portrayal of nuclear attacks influenced the public conciousness and out came a design style that reflected the zeitgeist. With nowhere to run, Cold War anxieties permeated into every aspect of life. While the countries flaunted their firepower, citizens had no choice but to embrace the races on the sidelines, with fears of rising tensions leading to an all-out nuclear war. The 1950s were home to major technological advancement: the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War extended from nuclear weapons to the space race, with both parties eager to prove their superiority as innovators at the frontiers of technology. The style of these posters take heavy inspiration from the atomic age. Soaring on the wings of a private company – SpaceX – this is also the first time since 2011 that American astronauts have been launched into space from American ground.Īs we celebrate the significance of this scientific milestone, I’d like to throwback to a bygone era of design that stemmed from a time of changing technology and space exploration – the Atomic Age of graphic design.ĭid you know: Back in 2015, SpaceX unveiled three retrofuturistic posters for Mars travel. “The Glamorous Housewife,” last modified September 25, 2012, .As the Falcon 9 rocket launched on May 30th of this year, it ignited a new era of space travel. “1950s Decorating Style,” last modified March 29, 2013, Homeowners now had a lot more leisure time, necessitating picnic and outdoor furniture as well as grills and all the accessories to go with it. Home bars became important, now that the emphasis was on entertaining. Ranging from comfortable upholstered traditional furniture, to Scandinavian with light-colored woods and clean lines, to space age, organic shapes (think boomerang-shaped coffee table). Chrome and vinyl chairs paired with chrome-legged tables with Formica tops were both fashionable and durable. Laminated plywood furniture with very clean lines, bent into comfortable curved furniture (known now as “Eames” style, because of the remarkable influence of designer Charles Eames with his revolutionary designs). (A ’50s advertisement for Colorizer brand paints declared that their paint was available in 1,322 colors!) Black, white and red as a color scheme was huge! Turquoise was extremely popular. For the first time ever in the ’50s, paint colors were available in any possible hue. The Scandinavian color palette included shades of brown, cream, gray and green. Modern colors were clean and bright and included vibrant yellow, electric blue, orange, red, black and white. The Scandinavian color scheme was sophisticated and heavily influenced by nature. Pastel colors that were particularly popular were pink, turquoise, mint green, pale yellow and blue. There were three major color trends in the 50s pastel, modern and Scandinavian. Room and furniture designs were innovative for their time-yet endured throughout the following decades because of their modernity and classic appeal.īut Atomic style didn’t stop at just interior and furniture design it touched all aspects of design and everyday living with its instantly recognizable style of retro-futurism, atomic motifs, and space age symbols. Dynamic designs were influenced by science, space exploration, and new and improved technologies. The United States thrived in its post-war recovery and the outlook was positive despite the Cold War and the looming nuclear threat. The Atomic Age refers to the Fifties when design was in an exuberant time.
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