Disneyland's House of the Future

The House of the Future was an attraction that debuted in 1957 at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California. Sponsored by the Monsanto Chemical Company, the ultra-modern house was almost entirely synthetic.

Set in the year 1986, the House of the Future's 4 equal wings seemed to float above its beautifully landscaped grounds and waterfalls.

The house's designers, Marvin Goody and Richard Hamilton.

Designed by Marvin Goody and Richard Hamilton of the Goody Clancy firm in Boston, Massachusetts, the 1280 square foot structure took 2 years to develop. Originally members of the faculty or architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Goody and Hamilton were hired by Monsanto to find new markets for plastic products. They eventually formed their own private firm to take over the commercial planning of the project.

A 1966 magazine article describing Monsanto's futuristic plastic house.

The House of the Future was made from 8 prefabricated plastic modules, placed one on top of the other, forming the ceiling, floor, and wall (the remaining walls were windows). When the modules originally arrived at Disneyland for assembly, receiving clerks thought they were part of a boat!

The central core of the house contained the kitchen and bathrooms, while the four wings each contained one room. The entire structure was solidly anchored to an earthquake rated concrete foundation.

The House of the Future under construction, in early 1957.

Construction at Disneyland began on January 7, 1957, and was completed by early June. A special preview day was held on June 11, 1957, while the official public opening of the House of the Future was held the next day.

An estimated 60,000 visitors toured the House of the Future each week.

Upon entering, visitors found themselves in the dining and family room, a place where the family of the future would play, rest, and dine on stylish plastic furniture. Nearby, the Atoms for Living Kitchen awed guests with futuristic amenities such as the microwave oven.

The 2 children’s bedrooms followed, one for the boy of the future and one for the girl of the future, as well as the shared kids’ bathroom. The master bedroom and the main bathroom were next on the tour, which concluded itself in the sleek living room, featuring a giant, wall-mounted television and built-in high fidelity equipment.

The futuristic kitchen featured an ultra-sonic dishwasher.

The dining room of the future... with plastic dishes, of course!

The ultra-modern bathrooms were completely molded in plastic.

A night view of the House of the Future.

An illuminated replica, in a limited edition of 1000, produced in 1996.

The House of the Future is yet another example of the retro-futuristic aesthetic that I adore, reminding me a bit of Jacque Fresco's designs...

Vanished today, there continues to be subtle tributes to the House of the Future both at Disneyland and Walt Disney World...




images: (1) yesterland.com
(2, 4 & 11) flickr.com
(3, 5 & 6) davelandweb.com
(7, 8, 9, 10 & 12) LIFE photo archive

GeoTour 67

In recent years, what remained of Expo 67's U.S. pavilion has become the Biosphere, an environmental museum dedicated to water issues and climatic change, as well as sustainable development and responsible consumption.

Last summer, the Biosphere launched a unique activity called GeoTour 67.

Using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, GeoTour 67 offers visitors an interactive exploration of two 4-kilometre circuits on Sainte-Hélène and Notre-Dame islands.

Available at the Biosphere's ticket counter for a rental fee of $5, visitors are given handheld navigation devices that enable self-guided tours of 25 points of interest on the islands. At each site, the pre-programmed device displays photographs, audio clips, anecdotes and diverse information, illustrating the significance of the specific location. Each tour lasts about 2 hours.

Not surprising, the tours focus a lot on Expo 67 (much of the grounds themselves did not exist before Expo)... as well as the evolution of environmental awareness over the past 42 years.

Click here to sample GeoTour 67.

images: (top) cyberpresse.ca
(bottom) ideeclic.com

Piknik Électronik Announcement

Piknic Électronik's 2009 DJ lineup was announced today... Expo 67 style!

Expo 67 Opening Ceremonies

Expo 67's official opening ceremonies were held exactly 42 years ago today.

The invitation-only ceremonies were held at Place des Nations on the sunny Thursday afternoon of April 27, 1967. Expo was officially inaugurated by Governor General Roland Michener, with over 7,000 guests in attendance, including 53 heads of state.

Over 1000 reporters covered the event, which was broadcast in color, live via satellite, to a world-wide audience of over 700,000,000.

The Governor General of Canada, Roland Michener.

12 cadets from the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean carried in a torch that was lit in a ceremony 2 years prior. The torch bearer was Joseph Philip Lonuel, who passed it on in order of hierarchy of governance. It was passed to the Commissioner General of Expo 67, Pierre Dupuy; who passed it to the Mayor of Montreal, Jean Drapeau; who passed it to the Premier of Quebec, Daniel Johnson, Senior; who finally passed it to the Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson.

The Prime Minister used the torch to light the Expo Flame, which would burn the entire duration of Expo 67.

The Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson, lighting the Expo Flame.

The Golden Centennaires, the forerunners of the Snowbirds, closed the opening ceremonies with an aerobatic performance over the Expo 67 site and the Montreal harbour...

From left: Lester B. Pearson, Roland Michener, Daniel Johnson, Sr., Jean Drapeau

images: (1-2-3) expo67.ncf.ca
(4) wikipedia

Labatt 50

The Labatt Brewing Company was founded by John Kinder Labatt in 1847 in London, Ontario.

In March 1950, Labatt introduced its 50th anniversary ale, commemorating a half-century of business under the leadership of the founder's grandsons, John S. and Hugh Labatt.

The first “light” ale was called "Annie", and later "50". It quickly gained a dedicated following and eventually became Canada’s most popular beer.

Labatt 50 was the working man's beer of the 1960's. From 1968 to 1979, it was the country's best seller.

50's distinctive label, a red 5-0 with green and white background, has remained relatively unchanged over the decades.

A Labatt 50 ad for Expo 67.

In the late 70's, popular taste shifted towards lagers, and 50 fell out of favor. In 1979, Labatt Blue became the company's best-seller, and has been ever since. To this day, the top selling beers in Canada are all lagers (Labatt Blue, Molson Canadian, Coors Lite, Budweiser)...

An ad from 1977, featuring both Labatt 50 and Labatt Blue.

In the early 80's, Canadian brewers started to phase out the iconic stubby in favor of the long-neck beer bottle. By the mid 1980's, 50's reign was over.

Nowadays, Labatt 50 is the has-been of the beer world. While Molson Breweries successfully revived it's classic ale, Molson Export, Labatt 50 has yet to make a true comeback. Loved by some and loathed by others, it's nevertheless a beer that evokes strong emotions... Here in Quebec, "Cinquante" remains popular, and available at any fine dépanneur!

I have very fond childhood memories of my grandfather and his Labatt 50. Whether it was habit or what he actually preferred, the ubiquitous green and red logo will always remind me of him.

The 1976 Canadian Grand Prix, held in Ottawa, and sponsored by Labatt 50.

images: (1) canadiandesignresource.ca
(2 and 4) stubby.ca
(3) author's own
(5 and 6) ebay.com

Fashion at Expo 67

From Expo Inside Out, a look at fashion at Expo 67:

"Some of the most contemporary styles are those worn by visitors to the site, but for more formal fashion presentations, go inside a number of pavilions. One of the most interesting takes place in the USSR pavilion several times a day. The Russians are trying to break into the international fashion world market, and their hem-lines, faltering nervously above the knee, reflect a concession to decadent mini-skirts and western tastes.

Russian fashion exhibited at Expo 67, designed by Vyacheslav Zaitsev.

"The French put on a magnificent display of magnificent clothes from Balenciaga, Balmain, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, St. Laurent - the list is endless. The ground floor is devoted to the City of Paris and its current modes; upstairs, selections from the fall collections of the greats are shown with typical Expo film flare. Some of the most spectacular jewelry in the world are shown here, too, at times manages to eclipse the fashions.

"You can see a fur fashion show and eat at the same time in the Scandanavian pavilion restaurant. A collection of native furs is modelled twice daily, at lunch and dinner-time, by assorted Canadian and Scandanavian beauties.

"Pucci, a favorite of Jacqueline Kennedy and the jet set in general (they're the only ones who can afford him), and the Fontana Sisters are featured in Italian fashion presentations. The Sisters also did the hostesses' bright red, swinging uniforms. They're nice to look at but the most dramatic uniform is, appropriately enough, worn by the French Pavilion hostesses who are done up in silver lamé packages.

Expo's hostesses were fashion plates in themselves.

"Fashion shows at the Canadian pavilion are held every Thursday afternoon in the outdoor theatre. Some of the clothes are appealing, but too often a nationalistic fervor to show every Canadian designer whether he's good, bad or just plain awful, prevails over good taste. Hostesses here, as in most other pavilions, are dressed in modified national costume - sedate, simple little dresses, nice but definitely unspectacular. For national dress, the African hostesses top the list.

A dress display in the Swiss pavilion.

"There are also fashion and jewelry displays at many of the other pavilions. The most important of these include Belgium, for diamonds; Czechoslovakia, for jewelry; India, for gorgeous materials; and Switzerland, with a display of exquisite watches."

images: (1) author's own
(2) z3000.livejournal.com
(3) Life magazine online archive
(4) the Bill Cotter collection

Tupperware

Tupperware was invented by Earl Silas Tupper in the mid-1940's. Originally a DuPont chemist, Tupper developed his liquid proof, airtight plastic containers by mimicking the lids of paint cans.

Tupper experimented with department store sales, but as Businessweek reported in 1954, "in retail stores [Tupperware] fell flat on its face."

Plastic containers were still a new phenomenon at that time, and it became clear that they required explanation or demonstration... Enter Brownie Wise.

Detroit-native Brownie Wise had been selling household products for the Stanley Home Products company in the late 1940's. Purchasing through local distributors, Wise began to offer Tupperware as part of her product line, and by 1948, she was moving enough Tupperware to attract Earl Tupper's attention. The 2 met, along with several other distributors, to discuss a new distribution plan. Based on the home party plan pioneered by Stanley Home Products, Wise refined and expanded the concept, and the ubiquitous "Tupperware party" was born. Even today, this direct marketing strategy remains the exclusive outlet for Tupperware.

By the 1950s, sales and popularity of Tupperware exploded.

At a time where women came back from working during World War II, only to be told to "go back to the kitchen", Tupperware became a method of female empowerment. Brownie Wises' influence among women, as well as the lavish gifts and parties designed to motivate Tupperware representatives, all contributed to the company's success.

Tupperware's biggest party was the yearly Jubilee. To this day, the Jubilee continues, with rallies being held in major cities to recognize and reward top-selling demonstrators, managers and distributorships...

images: (1 and 3) tupperdiva.com
(2-4-5) flickr.com

Expo 67, Through Rose-Colored Glasses

A view of Canada's Katimavik and Ontario's groovy acrylic roof.

My good friend (and fellow Expo 67 aficionado) DC Hillier has drawn my attention to a stunning collection of Expo images.

In 2008, Google announced that it would host an archive of Life magazine's photographs, as part of a joint effort with the 126 year-old publication. The archive contains millions of searchable images, many of which were never previously published.

My favorite shots from the "Expo 67" search results are the ones that have discolored to pink... an aging deterioration specific to slide photography.

The Montreal skyline with Habitat 67 in the foreground.

A small foot bridge in the park located in the south west tip of Île Notre Dame.

Inside Man in the Community's conical roof.

The interior of the Cuban pavilion, a display that was anything but "rosy"!

Left to right: pavilions of Australia, Ethiopia, U.S.A. and India.

The U.S. pavilion's ever-popular space exhibit.

A stunning detail shot of the cable system used for Germany's massive tent.

The interior of the imposing U.S.S.R. pavilion.

The Minirail winding its way around Ontario.

A scuplture in the Île-Notre Dame park.

Left to right: Ontario, Quebec, France, Great Britain and Germany.

The Expo-Express tracks circled around the pavilion of Germany.

The cable car system at La Ronde, known as the Sky Ride.

Another view of the Sky Ride and La Ronde.

images: Life magazine online archive

TV Dinner Packaging

Here's a groovy little montage of some vintage Swanson product packaging from the golden age of TV Dinners... As a kid, I used to always eat the "Chicken and Whipped Potatoes Entrée" (at 0:28, in the video).

I love the international flare (TV Dinner style) of the "English Style Fish and Chips Entrée" (at 0:16); and the "German Style Dinner" (at 0:46), which included "Sliced Beef with Sauerbraten Gravy", "German Style Whipped Potatoes", "Bavarian Red Cabbage", and "Applesauce Cake" for dessert...

Guten appetit!

Small, medium, large: 3 convenient formats of fried chicken TV Dinners.

The European Communities Pavilion

The European Communities pavilion at Expo 67 was presented by the European Common Market, the Steel and Coal Community, and the European Atomic Energy Community. These institutions promoted social and economic progress through joint action among its 6 member countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

Located on Île Notre Dame near the Expo-Express station and facing the pavilion of Germany, the steel-blue structure was reminiscent of a diamond, evoking the radiant multi-facets of the European Community. Steel, one of Europe's first common market products, was used to emphasize this.

Inside, the pavilion sought to clear up the complexities of the European Common Market (E.C.M.) with a rundown of its institutions and its history. A spectacular mosaic map in the entrance hall helped illustrate this to visitors.

In a section called "Europe Yesterday and Today", an antique tapestry and a modern nuclear research device were displayed side by side, symbolizing Europe's glorious past as well as its current and future progresses.

An exhibit entitled "Six Countries Decide to Live Together" traced the E.C.M.'s growth, from Winston Churchill's appeal in 1946 that France and Germany work together, through the 1957 Treaty of Rome, to modern day 1967; where 65 countries had appointed diplomatic missions to the E.C.M.'s Brussels headquarters.

Economics aside, a portion of the pavilion was dedicated to arts and culture. A section named "The Great Europeans" payed tribute to 140 Europeans that had influenced western civilization in such disciplines as music, fine arts, literature, philosophy, science, technology and medicine.

Another section displayed 60 examples of contemporary art, selected by members of the 6 European Community countries. A catalogue of this collection was available for visitors to purchase.

A bookshop offered a wide range of publications concerning the various aspects of Europe. A record library allowed visitors to listen to masterpieces of European music either by loudspeaker system or by individual equipment. A non-stop film presentation enabled visitors to further acquaint themselves with the E.C.M.'s principal activities.

The pavilion's restaurant offered a wide variety of European specialties, served on the visitor's choice of table service. Cheeses, fine cooked meats, pastries, etc. were sampled on Europe's finest china, while exquisite wines and liqueurs were sipped from Europe's most delicate crystal...

images: (1) author's own
(2 and 5) DC Hillier
(3) flickr.com (magstb67)
(4) library and archives canada
(6) Bill Dutfield