Figure 09: Article from Popular Science, February 1951.
1 media/fp3_thumb.png 2019-10-22T06:44:57+00:00 Gina Plumey c7bdb6b48ecbb34364302aeee300c6bd09f67510 1 2 The shift in vehicle design promoted in magazines by the 1950s shows a clear preference for elements artists and scientists had been envisioning on rockets and other space bound vehicles. plain 2019-10-23T01:48:54+00:00 Gina Plumey c7bdb6b48ecbb34364302aeee300c6bd09f67510This page is referenced by:
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History of Futurism: Pop Futurism - Urban Design, Streamline Design, and the World’s Fair
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Technical magazines such as Popular Science, first published in 1872, and Popular Mechanics, following in 1902, were both published with the purpose of sharing scientific and technological progress with the common, but still educated, man. While both publications began to emphasize rocket research, nuclear technology, and other pop futurist elements in as early as the 1920s and 1930s, there was a shift in the space race era that showed the influence of rocketry and atomic culture in the designs of vehicles, architecture and everyday products.[1]
The 1930s saw the emergence of streamline influence in architecture and vehicle design. This could largely be attributed to the growing industry and interest in flight transport. Local diners, train stations, museums, and big businesses like Coca-Cola, erected buildings inspired with aerodynamic design in mind. These designs were featured in magazines as representing modern aesthetics. Personal automobiles debuted at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933-1934, which reflected these elements as well. Pullman, Budd, Chrysler, and General Motors premiered new vehicles with this futurist design. Budd also introduced their stainless steel Zephyr train resembling the Zeppelin airship design. The designs of Normal Bel Geddes took these further and his influence at the 1939 New York World’s Fair predicted the future of motor highways.[2] The Second World War briefly shifted the focus of consumer goods and early visions of space to militaristic scientific progress with an emphasis on missiles and transportation. The research and development being done during the war years accelerated the progress that later made space travel possible. The streamline design of the 1930s would shift in the 1950s to feed off the space race fervor incorporating elements of rocket design.[1] Joseph Corn and Brian Horrigan, Yesterday’s Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future, (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996) 93-96.[2] Ibid, 76-77. Industrial designers Norman Bel Geddes and Raymond Loewy are largely credited with the early examples of streamline design of which the aesthetic later evolved into.
