After I finished that last story and hit publish, I thought, dang, what if my memory is faulty about dates and things? I started Googling, which I should have done FIRST, but, that would have messed up my thinking flow and as all of you know, I have enough trouble in that area, what with being psychotic and all. ~smiles~ But, anyway, it turned out my memory is pretty good for an old bag and the dates and songs and events mentioned all matched up exactly as I recalled them. I also tried to find the Formica pattern and I couldn't find ours which was a white with speckled gray background and red and black boomerangs, but, that's okay, it was probably a generic bastardized version of the popular Skylark Boomerang pattern for cheap poor people. I found out that so many people fondly recall the Skylark Boomerang period from their childhoods that Formica is now making it again. And people do NOT want their new improved "punk" boomerang, they want the original, so Formica gave in and just started selling the original again and it's popular. It would have been a lot less work and expense for the company if they just listened to people in the first place. Aint that the way is always goes?*
That boomerang pattern was supposed to represent space and our great advancement in the Space Age which America was so proud of at the time. This pride in the new fangled space program also spilled into the designs of other every day objects and into architecture and the movement is called Googie. I didn't know that, did you? Well, it won't kill us to learn something, will it? I studied art history and loved it and they taught us about The Deco movement and Dada and MoMA and Baroque and Rococo and Arts And Crafts and Industrial and everything else you can think of, but, no one covered this Googie thing! I think I recall one brief mention of it by a professor, followed by a quick "YUK!" ..and that was it. I always called that sort of architecture and design "Space Age" or just "Jetsons." I should have known it had a real name, it's very distinctive. The Googie Movement is not beautiful and not classic or classy for that matter, it's just plain fun. And it reminds a whole group of people of their childhoods. People who grew up in the late 50's and early 60's. If you'd like to see more examples of Googie, HERE's a site that has the best pictures on it. Check out thier gallery. I've been going through there and really enjoying it. I'll betcha there's some Googie near you, I even found some in this tiny town. Won't it be fun to be driving by a sign and say "Oh, look, there's a perfect example of the Googie Movement!" And you'll sound so smart to everyone else in the car and they'll all hate you, because most of them are still trying to figure out who Frank Lloyd Wright was and why Brad Pitt loves him. Heh.
*
***That second photo is by WesternLight and I know he's sick of people stealing his Googie photos and not giving him credit. WesternLight, facebook.***
25 comments:
I was looking at the pictures thinknig, "this looks like something straight out of Disney World's Tomorrowland..." and sure enough the website talks about them being part of that place.
Thank you DD for always sharing interesting items! I love it!
It's fun, isn't it? Man, they thought that junk was so modern and high class..lol.
I actually did know about the Googie Movement. I feel so smart now. The ONLY reason I know is because my darling boyfriend is an art history nut and can be an insufferable know-it-all about it. I was threatening to decorate our entire kitchen in the boomerang formica kitsch aesthetic. He promptly informed me that if I loved something so much, I should at least know what it's called. Somehow, I lost the urge to redecorate after that.
So that's what it's called. Who knew! I called it Jetson's too. I've seen that style everywhere through the years especially bowling allies, drive in movies and out of the way roadside hamburger stands.
My favourite, in my own backyard growing up, is the Starlight Drive-in, Summerside, Prince Edward Island. I do mean literally in my own back yard, too. I used to watch soundless movies from top bunk in my bedroom for hours just because I could. They closed down the drive in but kept the snack bar open in the form of a diner, complete with mini jukeboxes on the formica tables.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XlL8nqSJthW7aqi36LV1pQ
Forget Brad Pitt, I'm still trying to figure out why my brother J loves Frank Lloyd Wright. Since he was 14 (and he's now 69) he's thought Frankie was God. J even went to Taliesin, but alas, Frank had died 6 months earlier & it just wasn't the same. BTW, brother J is crazy.
Loved the Googie site, brought back a lot of memories of childhood. A&W Rootbeer drive-ins, HoJo's, all those 'modern' signs.
AlannaSmithie, if he's paying for the remodel, I'd do it! Otherwise, naaaaaa, not my taste. It's cute though. I like shabby 30's to 40's better.
CJ, I'd love to visit Franks houses. Have you ever read of the tragedies at Taliesin West? probably, your brother told you..over and over..lol. That's quite a history there. I'll bet that place is spooky.
Frimmy, bowling alleys seemed to love Googie. Starlight Dive In, now there's a Googie name.
i call pan "googie" :P
love these designs!!! i love the 50's/ early 60's designs!
I want a refund from art school! They never taught us about "Googie".
I saw the cutest 50's kitchen dining set with the boom-a-rangs at a antique flea market the other week. I just loved it. There was a young couple looking at it....they wanted it so bad but were heming and hawing and counting their hard earned "pennies" to see if they could afford it and discussing what they would go with out to be able to afford it.
I lent my unsolicited 2 pence and said whatever sacrifice, it would be worth it. This set was original, in mint condition and way below what most antique stores (at least around here) would be selling it for.
I wasn't able to stick around to see if they bought it. We were running late and I saw the two still discussing it as we drove off.
Had I the room and the decor for that set, I would have snatched it up in a second.
Oops, forgot to say that the set was silver and fire engine red too!
SWEET!
Right now we live in a beautiful old home built in 1865 but it doesn't belong to us so no major renovations for the time being.
I'm really excited because we're actually going to PA next weekend and are going to see Falling Water. I've never been so I'm super excited. I'm hoping there's a giftshop with the Falling Water lego set. I've been wanting it since it came out. Yes, I am a dork.
I ALSO went to art school and studied art history. I don't recall not learning this!! *(joke)
I love this Jetsons style. So glad I now know what it is. I'd much rather fill my brain with artsy designs and architecture history than some of the other crap that invades my brain!
The town I live in had a building boom in the 50's. Many motels , restaurants and stores were built in what we call the doo-wop or googie style. The architecture and signs were abundant, there was even a tour around town. Sadly, the builders came in about five years ago and bulldozed 75% of these buildings and put up generic condos-very sad.
The motel I own was built in the 50's and has some googie style to it, but it's not quite as cool as some of the ones that were torn down.
Pat ~ I've been to Falling Water twice. Once when I was about 10 then again when my kids were around that age. It's a spectacular house, but as with most of Wright's house there are major problems, usually structurally.
When the Ex moved his mother into a retirement apartment, my artist daughter was able to get grandma's formica table & chairs. All her artsy friends are jelus. I'll have to ask her if she learned about Googie when she got her BFA.
Alana, I just did a Lego search.
You can purchase his collection online at Lego.com. Online shopping is never as fun as being there, but a good back up plan, IMO.
Hope you an find it there!!
Pat, what a cool topic. Brings back so much, as has all your stories.
Well gawd, who didnt know some cool family that had a boomerang ashtray or skiny legged boomerang coffee table? It was the kewl-est! Kinda like the sectional curved sofas that came out then too. Very geometrical. The ashtrays were usually in shades of orange, maybe layers of glaze in browns & yellows drizzled on the ashtrays. I totally remember the hi-glazed ashtrays in that era & style. Very cool. The coolest. The Formica reminds me of it. It's fabulous. Angular & glossy. So cool. So 60's. I love it.
Rox
I am SOOO glad I wasnt the only art major that had never heard of Googie! See? They just skip over poor Googie. The kitchen sets are cool. Mom has one of the tables buried in her dining room, I don't know if she has chairs though. Her place is scary.
"My name is TVsnarkie and I am a Googieholic."
I'll be out taking photos this weekend. I see this stuff all the time but called it "Retro."
I got nostalgic and looked up the dishes my mom used in the 60's. Damn, are these things ugly. The funny part was how easy it was to find this puke pattern.http://i1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/889/865/81/02c7_1.JPG
Snark, I can't get your link and now it's driving me nuts. Can you send me a photo?
And I should have known I have ART PEOPLES on here. Like atracts like, eh? We're all a little loony. We're the ones that make a group stop the car so we can take a photo of cool trash cans in alleys while everyone else shakes their head and says WTF?
Anonymous said...
dirty disher- You need to move away from your mom or move her away from you. Is this how you want to spend the rest of your life? Lissa needs her grandma to be strong & putting up with your mom is taking time & energy that could be used on Lissa. Sit your mom down,look her in the eyes & tell her that the days of terrorizing you are over & you will put her in a home if she can't follow your new rules. No hesitating,no 2nd chances.Straight to a home.Don't pussy foot around it & beg her to call your bluff & her ass will be gone!
August 12, 2009 1:53:00 PM GST
I recall the, "googie" class. I may have had the only prof on Earth who offered a slideshow to drive home the concepts. I also remember dozing a bit during the presentation.
It does bring back memories though and I am a fan of a lot of retro designs and styles now. I also like a lot of Frank Lloyd Wright's
designs too!
If anyone's ever in Ohio, there's a beautiful FLW house in Springfield that was recently restored. It's called the Westcott House. I recommend a tour if anyone's ever nearby. I have some friends that were involved in the restoration and it's just amazing.
Pat ~ I checked with the artsy kid. She'd never heard of Googie, either. Thought someone recently made it up. Dumb kid. She wondered if I meant the Eames Era. I googled Charles Eames & he fits in the period, but doesn't cover all the Googie stuff.
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