America: Refrigerators Like Airplanes and the Cult of Optimism

In mid-20th century America, design became the showcase of progress. Appliances looked sleek and aerodynamic, furniture was light and democratic, and advertising promised everyone "the life of their dreams." For the first time, mass-produced objects were not just utilitarian — they carried powerful ideas: freedom, prosperity, and belief in the future.

Mid-century modern was born in this very atmosphere of optimism and industrial power: plastic and aluminum became dream materials, and Charles and Ray Eames proved that the assembly line could produce true style icons.

In the lecture, we’ll discuss:

• Why American design was built on the cult of comfort and technology

• How advertising transformed products into symbols of a "better life"

• And why mid-century modern is still seen as a style of eternal youth