Museum gotta see ‘um

THE MODERN CONSUMER – 1950s PRODUCTS AND STYLE, AT THE SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT MUSEUM. A new wave of consumerism swept across the United States during the 1950s. Driven by a thriving postwar economy, designers utilized bold styling to transform everyday objects into visually expressive items, and manufacturers unleashed an array of products to keep pace with demand. Stores carried everything from portable televisions and pocket-sized radios to space-age toys and plastic dinnerware sets. Many families adorned their homes with modern furniture and automatic, push-button appliances. Consumers began to purchase items because they were the latest and greatest things. A selection of these objects is on view in The Modern Consumer – 1950s Products and Style, at the San Francisco Airport Museum. From tabletop jukebox selectors and portable record players to battery powered robots and space-themed lunch boxes, this exhibition presents examples of futuristic styling and innovative marketing from the golden age of consumerism.

AMERICAN CONSUMER-BASED CULTURE. A distinctly American consumer-based culture developed rapidly after World War II. As the population of the United States soared during the 1950s, median family income doubled and the gross national product grew by more than $200 billion. Advertising and credit replaced rationing and restraint, and a growing number of middle-class families engaged in a spending spree. Shopping centers and indoor malls with vast, paved parking lots catered to new suburban housing developments that extended from cities and towns. Often located at the intersections of major roads and highways, shopping centers offered easy access to a multitude of supermarkets and stores.