Tupperware : The Promise of Plastic in 1950s America,9781560988274

Tupperware : The Promise of Plastic in 1950s America

by Clarke, Alison J.
ISBN13: 9781560988274
ISBN10: 1560988274
Format: Hardcover
Pub. Date: 1999-09-01
Publisher(s): Harpercollins
List Price: $32.05

Rent Textbook

Select for Price
Add to Cart
There was a problem. Please try again later.

New Textbook

We're Sorry
Sold Out

Used Textbook

We're Sorry
Sold Out

eTextbook

We're Sorry
Not Available

Buy from our Marketplace starting at $8.65

How Marketplace Works:

  • This item is offered by an independent seller and not shipped from our warehouse
  • Item details like edition and cover design may differ from our description; see seller's comments before ordering.
  • Sellers much confirm and ship within two business days; otherwise, the order will be cancelled and refunded.
  • Marketplace purchases cannot be returned to eCampus.com. Contact the seller directly for inquiries; if no response within two days, contact customer service.
  • Additional shipping costs apply to Marketplace purchases. Review shipping costs at checkout.

Summary

From Wonder Bowls to Ice-Tup molds to Party Susans, Tupperware has become an icon of suburban living. Invented by Earl Tupper in the 1940s to promote thrift and cleanliness, the pastel plasticwares were touted as essential to a postwar lifestyle that emphasized casual entertaining and celebrated America's material abundance. By the mid-1950s the Tupperware party, which gathered women in a hostess's home for lively product demonstrations and sales, was the foundation of a multimillion-dollar business that proved as innovative as the containers themselves.

Author Biography

Alison J. Clarke is tutor in design history and material culture at the Royal College of Art, London, and visiting professor of design history and theory at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1(7)
one "To Be a Better Social Friend" Designing for a Moral Economy
8(28)
two Tupperware The Creation of a Modernist Icon?
36(20)
three "Poly-T: Material of the Future" A Gift of Modernity
56(22)
four "The Hostess with the Mostest" The Origins of the Home Party Plan
78(23)
five "Parties Are the Answer" The Ascent of the Tupperware Party
101(27)
six "Faith Made Them Champions" The Feminization of Positive Thinking
128(28)
seven "A Wealth of Wishes and a Galaxy of Gifts" The Politics of Consumption
156(29)
eight "Tupperware--Everywhere!" The Globalization of Tupperware
185(12)
Conclusion 197(6)
Notes 203(32)
Index 235

An electronic version of this book is available through VitalSource.

This book is viewable on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and most smartphones.

By purchasing, you will be able to view this book online, as well as download it, for the chosen number of days.

Digital License

You are licensing a digital product for a set duration. Durations are set forth in the product description, with "Lifetime" typically meaning five (5) years of online access and permanent download to a supported device. All licenses are non-transferable.

More details can be found here.

A downloadable version of this book is available through the eCampus Reader or compatible Adobe readers.

Applications are available on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and Windows Mobile platforms.

Please view the compatibility matrix prior to purchase.