American companies during World War II often stressed forfeit in their print advertising . If we can all just be patient , they promise , we ’ll have moretelevisionsandpersonal helicoptersandpush - button kitchensthan you could judder arocket karat .
The June 24 , 1945 San Antonio Express ply an article by Associated Press science author Frank Carey that looked at the futuristic post - war product Americans were being promised . dissect a Labor Department composition , Carey describes what it would take , with the end of the war , for these products to see the light source of day .
I ’m most intrigued by the clause ’s affirmative mindset on credit card , “ … and years after the warfare , we may even see motorcar body made solely of plastics . ” However , the study acknowledges that plastic ’s gamey price does n’t make it quite yet competitive withsteel . Magnesium , plywood , atomic number 13 .. it ’s fascinating to look at what mass of the 1940s thought the hereafter would be built upon .
Carey ’s integral article is below , but I ’ll go forth you with one word about the time to come : plastics .
Dresses made of aluminum mesh …
Bathtubs made of plywood …
limpid icebox made of plastic …
Automobiles with magnesium locomotive engine and organic structure part …
Such visionary products of the post - war universe are either in the conception or data-based stage , or they ’re being talked about as possibility .
But the extent to which they might add up into enjoyment depend upon various factors . Not the least is the dollar sign .
Discussion of the post - war expectation for such warfare - developed cloth as polastics , aluminium , magnesium , plyboard and synthetic rubber , is contained in a report made by the Department of Labor ’s bureau of statistic to the Senate subommittee on war militarisation .
The latter mathematical group , a trade name of the Senate military affairs committee , described the report as “ the first comprehensive statement of wartime developments . ”
The extent to which these new materials will be generally adopt is difficult to foretell , ” says the report .
“ It is apparent that many of them will find larger grocery than in the pre - war era menstruum , but it is also virtually sure that not all of the facilities built during the state of war for the production of these material will be need . Comparisons of costs of various material , which have not been of the greatest signifcance during the war , will again become important when pacification returns . ”
And the report adds :
“ The costs of production for these novel materials will be tempt not only by strictly economical factors but by many political considerations .
“ Of primary importance will be the policies followed in the tendency of politics - owned facilities . For some materials , notably synthetic arctic , much will look on the policies adopted with respect to foreign business deal .
“ Many of the new materials will vie with each other as well as the old materials for particular uses — for instance , plastics , aluminum , magnesium , and plyboard . ”
The Labor Department ’s coup d’oeil into the future was part of a comprehensive study of some 1400 technological developments made in various fields during wartime .
Of plastic , this picture was given :
Special timber of plastics , such as transparentness and immunity to chemic action , will correspond them for wide-ranging uses in industriousness , the research laboratory and the home . Continued use of plastics for morphologic region and other articles in aircraft and machine is carry .
And yr after the war , we may even see automobile body made entirely of plastics .
On the other bridge player —
“ The future of the plastic industry will be order largely by economic factors , ” say the report . “ The price per hammering of most plastics remains higher than that of many stuff with which plastics compete .
“ Despite the fact that articles of plastics are usually lighter than those of metal and that economic system may be affected in manufacture , the price differential between charge plate and , for exercise , steel is so great as to discourage with child - scale transposition .
“ There nevertheless stay a large number of lotion in which plastics are extremely frugal , because of particular property not elsewhere attainable or because of big economy in manufacture time and cost .
The report points out that the yield of aluminum and magnesium expand hugely during wartime and says both materials may hail into heavy use in the future .
While the yearly production of Mg before 1939 was 4,000,000 pounds , production in 1943 was 368,000,000 pounds and the Carry Amelia Moore Nation has production capacity for much more .
Indicated employment for aluminum , the report says , are for buses , motorcar , passenger ships and for the manufacture of menage appliances , article of furniture , bicycles and burial jewel casket . But most usance , it add , “ are contingent on upon a suitable alteration of the toll of Al comparative to that of stainless sword , plastic , magnesium or other competing materials . ”
Desings have been prepare for car with much aluminum in engine and consistence , “ but the enceinte - musical scale software of these designs will probably have to await further development of cheap mass - production methods of influence with the metal . ”
The expectation for plywood in the post - war worldly concern “ is promising ” says the write up , but it , too , will have to cope with rivalry . ”
Among potential uses are private airplanes , lightweight boxwood - auto , prefabricated Gallus gallus houses and automobile bodies .
ThePaleofuture Blogwas started byMatt Novakin January of 2007 . Matt has since become anaccidental experton retiring visions of the hereafter , and has amassed an tremendous library of media related to the study ofretro - futurism . Matt can be reach at[email protected]or followed onTwitter .
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