photography
photography
modernism
Dimensions: 4 7/8 x 10 x 5 in. (12.38 x 25.4 x 12.7 cm)
Copyright: No Known Copyright
Clifford Brooks Stevens designed this -Petipoint- iron made of iron. The iron is a seemingly mundane object, but it speaks volumes about American culture. In the mid-20th century, streamlining designs were applied to a range of ordinary manufactured objects. Stevens' iron is a particularly sharp example of this craze. Made in the USA, it reveals much about the social aspirations of the time, its curvilinear form, and the highly polished chrome surface suggesting a certain optimism about industrial progress. The streamlined design may have been intended to convey efficiency and speed. The iron also makes a statement about gender roles at the time, evoking the image of the American housewife with freshly pressed clothes, sustaining the family. For the social historian, this seemingly simple object is a rich source of research, and an eloquent document of American life.
Comments
One could argue that Stevens’ Petipoint was the racecar of the ironing world at the time, with its streamlined wings on either side. They actually facilitated air-cooling, keeping the user’s hand and the thermostat area cool. The upswept back portion of the iron is the “petit point” for detailing ruffles and pleats. Knapp-Monarch advertised that its Flatwork Ironer, specially designed for flat linens like sheets and tablecloths, would “cut flatwork ironing time by ⅓.” Its round shape allowed it to move in any direction and it had versatile settings for linen, cotton, wool, silk, and artificial silk.The irony (pun intended) here is that although these appliances performed very well, they often increased the amount of in-home ironing done by housewives, who earlier would have sent linens out for pressing.
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