Inventions from the 50's

As I have mentioned before the decade of the 1950’s is one of my favorites from the MCM period. The wonderful life that they lived amazes me every day I learn something new about it. After World War II there was a period of quite times which lead to tremendous growth and technological advances were happening more and more. People were enjoying of these advances and making their homes and lives more comfortable and better looking. I have found a series of inventions from the 50’s decade which you can read below but to start I would say that the 1950’s was the decade where more TV’s were purchased and more people had TV’s on their living rooms than in previous decades. Also an oral vaccine was invented to fight against polio and other crippling diseases. Rosalind Franklin used X-ray procedures to discover the structure of DNA.
Feel free to comment on this or to add what you think is important to mention about the 50’s.
1950
• The first credit card (Diners) invented by Ralph Schneider.
1951
• Super glue invented.
• Power steering invented by Francis W. Davis.
• Charles Ginsburg invented the first video tape recorder (VTR).
1952
• Mr Potato Head patented.
• The first patent for bar code issued to inventors Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver.
• The first diet soft drink sold.
• Edward Teller and team build the hydrogen bomb.
1953
• Radial tires invented.
• The first musical synthesizer invented by RCA.
• David Warren invented the black box - flight recorder.
• Transistor radio invented by Texas Instruments.
1954
• Oral contraceptives invented - the pill.
• The first nonstick teflon pan produced.
• The solar cell invented by Chaplin, Fuller and Pearson.
• Ray Kroc started McDonalds.
1955
• Tetracycline invented.
• Optic fiber invented.
1956
• The first computer hard disk used.
• The hovercraft invented by Christopher Cockerell.
• Bette Nesmith Graham invented "Mistake Out," later renamed Liquid Paper, to paint over mistakes made with a typewriter.
1957
• Fortran (computer language) invented.
1958
• The computer modem invented.
• Gordon Gould invents the laser.
• The Hula Hoop invented by Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin.
• The integrated circuit invented by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce.
1959
• The internal pacemaker invented by Wilson Greatbatch.
• Barbie Doll invented.
• Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce both invent the microchip.

Gre-stuff Update

Since I last wrote; there have been some amazing changes to our company. Some of these changes are probably only noticeable to us but it still amazes me how much our warehouse has changed since we started working out of it. We have tripled our warehouse space and now our showroom is available to brows by appointment. We have had a lot of great items that don’t even get to go on Ebay thanks to the people that come to our warehouse to browse. You can also keep up with us via Facebook and of course here. We will be updating frequently so you can get first dibs on all of our Mid Century Modern pieces. Some other changes include the lines that we carry. We carry lighting, case pieces, seating, accessories, art and we are expanding our lines to more Danish and Industrial so we can offer you more of what you like. If you are looking for a specific piece you can contact us and tell us exactly what you are looking for and we will add you to our search list and contact you as soon as we come across your piece.
In any case if you have any question or request for us feel free to contact us and let us know what you think about our MCM pieces.

Positive feedback from customers

Recently I wrote on our FB wall about how wonderful it is when our customers are happy with their pieces and our service. And how great it is when they give us positive feedback and send back pictures of how the items look in their new homes. As a collector and a dealer I’m not only happy to find the pieces, to be able to see them and to learn about them, but I’m also happy to find them a nice home where they can be appreciated.
A very nice customer told us a few days ago that it must be difficult for us to let the pieces go after all the work and time we put into them. And that let me thinking it is difficult but more so bitter sweet. We bond with some pieces more than others but we also know that all of our customers are collectors and therefore appreciate the design and quality of mid century modern pieces.
We are grateful for all the great comments and pictures we have received over the years and to celebrate the happiness we are spreading around with our pieces here are some of our customer’s comments for everyone to see. We hope we can get a lot more and feel free to post pictures or send them to us…
“ "The Mammoth" -- our GREAT desk -- arrived safely, and is unpacked, cleaned and being loved, as we speak. You really DO know how to pack them, great job on that!... I will def. come shop again! Thanks and best, Amy”
“Table received. It's perfect. We love it. Thanks for all your patience and work. The packaging was top notch. Thanks again for everything. Good luck in all your future endeavors. Derek”
“Hands down the best transaction I’ve ever had on eBay. Helpful and knowledgeable, Thomas”
“Fast, easy, reliable! Excellent eBay seller highly recommended! Many thanks!!! Greg”
“Lovely seller; very helpful and friendly. Good product and packaging. Thanks! Michelle”
“HIGHLY RECOMMEND INCREDIBLE SERVICE WOW! THANK YOU VERY MUCH, Gene”
“Everything went very well, GREAT EXPERIENCE! Lisa”
"I want to give you additional thanks for the wonderful set of tables. They arrived yesterday in perfect condition. My husband said he'd never seen a more perfect packing job. I'm sure we'll enjoy having these tables for many years to come. Thanks,Jane"

Our new warehouse

Driving, driving and driving to pick up a leaf to a dining table and shelf to a sweet looking china cabinet. From the open land of the Cape’s seashore through the rolling landscape of Eastern Massachusetts through small villages, large cities and the occasional strip mall towns…driving. Then the homes and store fronts become older, much older and quaint. “You have arrived at your destination” pipes the GPS. In front of us looms a 5 story red brown brick building that was once a textile mill. Now it’s a warehouse / work space for artists, furniture restorers and collectors. It is clearly over 100 years old. A large wooden door that looks to be as old as the building itself swings open. An older man wearing a Boston Red sox hat holds the door open with one hand and beckons to us with the other. I do not hesitate. I know that this is going to be a dream comes true.
We introduce ourselves to each other as we move inside. I know immediately that I want to be a part of this space. I feel like I deserve this space, this splendid place. I’m excited. The small talk begins. Small talk is an exercise in making us and the space around each of us real. The gentleman, Harry, and I talked for over an hour about regular “stuff” before we talked about the pieces that we came to pick up. He was more than happy to show us around. The windows are easily 4’ wide with sills large enough to sit on and they are 6’to 7’tall. The ceilings were every bit of 15’ away from the floor.
The Floors were random width pine or oak. I couldn’t tell what type of wood because of the 100 year patina on them. The floors had a nice gentle roll that comes with 100 years of settling. “Are there any spaces available?” I ask. “Yes” Responds Harry. “However, the landlord won’t be back until next week.” Well, next week can’t come fast enough. In the mean time I will imagine what it will be like to set up my business in this handsome old building. In my minds eye I already see the streams of sunlight angling down through the large windows washing everything in warm white light.

Well the week and then some has past. And yes we are now new tenants of the old building. Which I now know was a shoe factory since the civil war and by the way 50% of the union army’s boots were produced there. Once the landlord gets his construction permit approved our walls will go up and the electricity run. We decided on two spaces instead of one. In late November we will be working in a space of nearly1000 square feet. We plan on treating one wall for doing photo layouts another area for furniture restoration and because we are 30 minutes from downtown Boston, another area will act as an appointment only showroom.
We have already met quite a few of the tenants. They are furniture makers, artists and furniture restorers and they all are very friendly and helpful. We are already comfortable here but I knew that we would be the moment I stepped out of our truck. We expect only good things from this space; this special place.

Our most recent find

The other day we drove from Falmouth Ma to Greenwich Rhode Island for a sale that had 2 Robsjohn Gibbings mid-century pieces. One was a magazine table and the other was a round coffee table. Both were from 1951, both were bleached walnut and handsome.

There were probably over 100 people there. We were all sizing each other up and second guessing what we were interested in buying. Generally when I see people who are 60 years old and older, and that seems to be the current majority at most of these sales, I know that typically they are buying the “small stuff” to resell at flea markets. Or they are buying sterling silver or coins. They are not buying mid-century modern. They grew up with it and it has become invisible and uninteresting to them. On the other hand when I see 30-somethings and up to 50 plus, I become a little anxious. Quite a few of them like what we like and often times they will over pay for the items that interest them.
However, with this particular group of middle aged suburbanites didn’t know what they were looking at or John made nasty faces at them to keep them away. It was probably John making faces at them. Anyway we bought the two Gibbings pieces and 4 Thonet Bent Plywood Chairs and a totally cool mid-century plant stand with big brass knobs and an ebony finish.
Imagine, all these nice things were carefully thought out, designed by creative thinkers and made available for everyone.
I can’t wait to get back out there and hunt down more of Americas modern yesterdays.

Business and personal lives together

Having this business has changed our lives and how we interact with each other. As you all know by now my boyfriend John, Eli our dog and me do the traveling for our business together. We share so much time with each other; from long driving hours, to eating on the road to sharing our seat with the boy (Eli), to doing things in the house, with the furniture, online, etc. Eli and I have gotten closer, he is so used to me being in the same seat as he is that he falls asleep on my lap or uses me as a pillow/ cushion most of the time (even when we are not in the car).
Our crazy business schedule has forced us to do things like getting up in the middle of the night to be somewhere else by the time the sun rises, to come back home when the sun light is starting to hit the roof of our home, to eat just nuts and chips instead of meals, to make up songs about us going on a road trip just to break up the long hours. Sometimes sitting in heavy traffic breaks up the road time. We’ll look at the other people entertaining themselves while they sit in the traffic stew. Like in that picture of 495: we were supposed to go home and do some cleaning and prepare the things for the next day for SOWA but noooo, we were stuck there for almost an hour and a half and by the time we came back we were so exhausted we didn’t do anything.
When we go on road trips there is a certain excitement in the air, often I catch myself thinking about what would be good for our next trip, how to make it more comfortable, what to eat so we don’t end up at a fast food joint. Or what can we see at the towns and villages so it’s not too much business and more like a mini-vacation.
To be honest it feels like a mini-vacation a great percentage of the time. I get to day dream that we are going to get all the stuff we have planned and then some. And it helps that we thoroughly enjoy each others company. Which makes it easy for us to share our business and personal lives together. And yes that includes Eli our dog.

This is our chance!

John and I are always talking about Mid Century Modern; and how everything from the period seemed to be upbeat and new. I often say that my favorite decades were the 1950’s and -60’s. I just love the way everything was, for starters in the 50’s the economy was good, only one person had to work for a family and you could live comfortably, technology was progressing and giving luxuries to everybody, the fashion was amazing and the people were still able to trust others, there was also a certain innocence that I especially love.
In the 60’s everything continued to be new. Art, fashion and music continued to be innovative. Boundaries on all fronts were stretched and tested including the way government was run. It was a time to dream big, accept yourself and be whoever you wanted to be!
So what happened? It seems that as we moved into the post Vietnam War era we encountered gas lines, inflation, Watergate and record breaking interest rates. Along with these rough spots in our day to day lives we were spoon fed, or was it shoved down our throats, what to listen to, what to wear and in general told what was and wasn’t good for us. The era of the lemming was born and it persists to this day.
However, through the short lived trends in art, fashion and music and our lemming attitudes the qualities of the 50’s and 60’s still stand firm, a bit tarnished and dusty but still standing firm.
I would like to believe that as we come out of this horrible recession that we might return to, in part, the easier life style of the 50’ and 60’s, I firmly believe that this is our chance, this is the perfect time and we need to take advantage of it. Wouldn’t it be nice if your money had real value. And the people and things that you surround yourself with had quality and value too. I bet new artists and designers would be born from this improved age and they would create great design and quality products for everyone one like they did in previous decades.