INTRODUCTION
In the 1920s, bathrooms in the middle-class American house tended to be fairly small. However, the decreasing size did nothing to stop the increasing demand for extravagance. One such expression of luxury was colored bathroom fixtures, produced mainly by two companies: Kohler and Crane. These suppliers were benefitted by the excessive amounts of color beginning to be used in advertisements. In the early 1920s, color was limited to light pastels. However, by the end of the decade, saturated colors and blacks were also available. The advancement of bathroom decorations during this period is credited to Art Deco and modernism.
In the 1920s, bathrooms in the middle-class American house tended to be fairly small. However, the decreasing size did nothing to stop the increasing demand for extravagance. One such expression of luxury was colored bathroom fixtures, produced mainly by two companies: Kohler and Crane. These suppliers were benefitted by the excessive amounts of color beginning to be used in advertisements. In the early 1920s, color was limited to light pastels. However, by the end of the decade, saturated colors and blacks were also available. The advancement of bathroom decorations during this period is credited to Art Deco and modernism.
ORIGIN
PURPOSE
VALUE
LIMITATIONS
SOURCES
- The colored bathroom fixtures of the 1920s originated due to several factors, which occurred at almost the same time. These factors were: advertising printing's large amounts of color, the hiring of talented illustrators, a booming economy, and new innovations in manufacturing.
- Color was less a step away from the whites and beiges of the late 1800s, and more of an additional layer. There were still white tiles, but bathrooms would also have a bright color scheme to accent neutral colors.
- Immediately before the 1920s, bathing went from weekly to almost daily for most Americans. Also, the slight downturn in the economy after WW1 had been erased. These reasons, combined with the aforementioned factors, made the bathroom design game a more prominent hobby. Also, the introduction of Art Deco in Europe saw the beginnings of this more modern design.
PURPOSE
- The use of colored fixtures in everyday bathroom decoration was innovative for its availability. The very rich in previous decades might have been able to afford a green bathtub, but not until the color materials were widely produced did they become fashionable.
- The two main companies of the era, Kohler and Crane, made these new colorful products to appeal to the middle-aged and younger Americans in large-scale media promotions. During the early 1920s, many illustrators were hired to create alluring advertisements in place of boring black and white photos. Since bright colors look better than white and beige, suppliers in many areas expanded their production to hued versions of the same fixture.
- These brightly colored bathrooms were influenced by Art Deco, certainly, but they son became part of the art type and moved on to influence other fashions and modern decorations.
- The fixtures popularized during this decade included bathtubs, toilets, and sinks. The colors ranged from pastel pinks and greens to bright yellow and purple, even to a classy black. Manufacturing innovations of the time allowed for color to be infused into the appliances on the assembly line. Often, a company would match the colors of the fixtures it offered with wallpaper, tile, and linens.
VALUE
- The colored bathroom fixtures are a perfect representation of the "modern" style that invaded all aspects of life in the "Roaring Twenties". Just as home decorators went all out with color schemes in the bathrooms, many young adults of the Lost Generation boldly turned against prewar norms of polite society.
- The values and concerns of the 1920s changed even from the early years to the turn of the decade. In 1920, the 18th Amendment was passed, banning alcohol. Rebellious men and women patronized speakeasies, drinking, smoking, dancing, and throwing off the morals of the previous generations. The instances of severe law-breaking and mobs increased as the decade wore on. The economy also shifted, recovering from the war by 1924 and booming until the end of 1929. These shifting events are reflected on the saturation and choices in bathroom decor.
LIMITATIONS
- While colored bathroom fixtures inform the modern day person on many aspects of 1920s life, there are several views that cannot be seen from the bathroom. Yes, the economy and adventures of the younger generation are reflected, but the source cannot tell us about the factors leading to the Great Depression, or the decoration preferences of the insanely rich or horribly poor.
- Older people who grew up with Victorian ideals an kept them after the war are not a voice in this source. Neither are those of Americans who weren't in the 1920s middle-class society.
- The colored sinks, bathtubs, and toilets were fairly common in the 1920s, very popular and mainstream. Almost all houses built at the time would be decorated with the bright color schemes.
SOURCES