The post-World War II evolution of the American kitchen was not simply a matter of design and technology. As the design writer Sarah Archer explains, it was largely driven by social changes, especially concerning the role of women. Ms. Archer starts with the history of the kitchen and then covers the evolution of its features, including the standardization of dimensions and of appliances, advances like freezing and tastes in color — avocado and even bright red, for everything. And though a sleek space-age look was heavily promoted at World’s Fairs and even in Moscow at the exhibition that led to the confrontation between Richard M. Nixon, then the vice president, and Nikita Khrushchev, it appears that vintage charm still has its champions.
“The Midcentury Kitchen: America’s Favorite Room, From Workspace to Dreamscape, 1940s-1970s” by Sarah Archer (Countryman Press, $24.95).
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