Domestic Goods

Nonfiction, History, Canada, Modern, 20th Century
Cover of the book Domestic Goods by Joy Parr, University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Joy Parr ISBN: 9781487598112
Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division Publication: December 15, 1999
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Joy Parr
ISBN: 9781487598112
Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division
Publication: December 15, 1999
Imprint:
Language: English

Visions of life in the 1950s often spring from the United States: supermarkets, freeways, huge gleaming cars, bright new appliances, automated households. Historian Joy Parr looks beyond the generalizations about the indulgence of this era to find a specifically Canadian consumer culture. Focusing on the records left by consumer groups and manufacturers, and relying on interviews and letters from many Canadian women who had set up household in the decade after the war, she reveals exactly how and why Canadian homemakers distinguished themselves from the consumer frenzy of their southern neighbours.

Domestic Goods focuses primarily on the design, production, promotion, and consumption of furniture and appliances. For Parr, such a focus demands an analysis of the intertwining of the political, economic, and aesthetic. Parr examines how the shortage of appliances in the early postwar years was a direct result of government reconstruction policy, and how the international style of 'high modernism' reflected the postwar dream of free trade. But while manufacturers devised new plans for the consumer, depression-era frugality and a conscious setting of priorities within the family led potential customers to evade and rework what was offered them, eventually influencing the kinds of goods created.

This book addresses questions such as, who designed furniture and appliances, and how were these designs arrived at? What was the role of consumer groups in influencing manufacturers and government policy? Why did women prefer their old wringer washers for over a decade after the automatic washer was brought in? In finding the answers the author celebrates and ultimately suggests reclaiming a particularly Canadian way of consuming.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Visions of life in the 1950s often spring from the United States: supermarkets, freeways, huge gleaming cars, bright new appliances, automated households. Historian Joy Parr looks beyond the generalizations about the indulgence of this era to find a specifically Canadian consumer culture. Focusing on the records left by consumer groups and manufacturers, and relying on interviews and letters from many Canadian women who had set up household in the decade after the war, she reveals exactly how and why Canadian homemakers distinguished themselves from the consumer frenzy of their southern neighbours.

Domestic Goods focuses primarily on the design, production, promotion, and consumption of furniture and appliances. For Parr, such a focus demands an analysis of the intertwining of the political, economic, and aesthetic. Parr examines how the shortage of appliances in the early postwar years was a direct result of government reconstruction policy, and how the international style of 'high modernism' reflected the postwar dream of free trade. But while manufacturers devised new plans for the consumer, depression-era frugality and a conscious setting of priorities within the family led potential customers to evade and rework what was offered them, eventually influencing the kinds of goods created.

This book addresses questions such as, who designed furniture and appliances, and how were these designs arrived at? What was the role of consumer groups in influencing manufacturers and government policy? Why did women prefer their old wringer washers for over a decade after the automatic washer was brought in? In finding the answers the author celebrates and ultimately suggests reclaiming a particularly Canadian way of consuming.

More books from University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division

Cover of the book Business in a Changing Climate by Joy Parr
Cover of the book Canadian-Soviet Relations between the World Wars by Joy Parr
Cover of the book The Pioneer Farmer and Backwoodsman by Joy Parr
Cover of the book Kegan Paul – A Victorian Imprint by Joy Parr
Cover of the book Being Maori in the City by Joy Parr
Cover of the book Practising Social Work Research by Joy Parr
Cover of the book Body Failure by Joy Parr
Cover of the book The Oil & Gas Lease in Canada by Joy Parr
Cover of the book Pioneer Settlements in Upper Canada by Joy Parr
Cover of the book Knowledge and Practice in Mayotte by Joy Parr
Cover of the book On Oligarchy by Joy Parr
Cover of the book John Walker's Passage by Joy Parr
Cover of the book Keepers of the Code by Joy Parr
Cover of the book The Invisible Crown by Joy Parr
Cover of the book Businesses with a Difference by Joy Parr
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy