7. SPACE AGE TV

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The “Space Race” of the 1950s and 1960s served as a source of excitement for the general public and as an inspiration for designers. After the launch of Russia’s Sputnik satellite and U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s pledge to send a man to the moon, the public’s obsession with space exploration took hold.

These events influenced a new generation of designs commonly referred to as “Space Age”. Fashion, furniture, automobiles and even common household items began to mirror “space” shapes. The JVC Video Capsule was inspired by the Apollo Lunar Module while the Videosphere closely resembles NASA space helmets. Different shapes may have influenced the design of the Panasonic Orbitel. Most people see a UFO or spaceship when they see it’s oval body and alien-like antennae. Keracolor took on one of the world’s simplest yet most important shapes – the sphere- after the main sources of life, the Sun and the Earth.

The invention of the transistor and new materials from the space industry responded to the demand for compact, lightweight and efficient appliances.