“The Great American Kitchen 1900 – 2010” entertains and educates through exploration of the history and character of one of America’s most significant contributions to world culture – the modern kitchen.
The exhibition opens Gallery Night, July 24, and runs through February 20, 2010, in MIAD’s Brooks Stevens Gallery of Industrial Design, 273 E. Erie St., Tues. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
“The kitchen’s rise in importance over a century has paralleled the emancipation of women in our culture as well as the development of the consumer product industry,” said Mark Lawson, Director of Galleries. “Over the past 120 years, the kitchen has evolved from a room of toil to its current position as a place at the center of American family life.”
Five period kitchens containing a multitude of appliances and artifacts, such as recipe books and an apron collection, reflect the cultural evolution and innovative product developments of:
- 1900 – 1920
- 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s
- 1950’s – 1960’s
- 1970’s – 1980’s
- 1990’s – 2000’s
Most of the artifacts on view are from MIAD’s extensive collection of industrial design products, with numerous donations, such as a vintage apron collection, by individuals, and appliances from American and Electrolux.
