Social history of women's romance with compacts and cosmetics. Asks why compacts were one of the few acceptable gifts from potential partners. Includes top makes and designers, plus vintage advertising, museums, specialist dealers and auctions.
Marilyn Monroe, rock 'n'roll, televisions, Coca Cola, refrigerators, science fiction, and teenagers all burst on to the scene in the 1950s, becoming icons of this brash, bold decade and marking the swing from post-war austerity to growing prosperity. Leading the way in design were new names such as Terence Conran in Britain, Charles and Ray Eames in North America, Christian Dior in France, and Arne Jacobsen in Denmark, producing a wealth of "modern" products, from high-priced furniture to high street fashion. A distinctive 1950s "look" soon developed that is enjoying a well-deserved revival in popularity.
This edition features a section devoted to fake antiques that have appeared on the market. The book combines authoritative collecting advice with some 6000 fully captioned photographs.