Aluminum was first extracted from bauxite ore by the Danish chemist Hans-Christian in 1825. The material determined to be strong, cost-effective and lightweight was produced on a mass scale by the end of the century. By the early 1900s, aluminum found industrial use in engines and as a prominent material in aircraft construction. Aluminum alloys were developed in 1911, expanding production capabilities of the material. [1]

In the period between World War I and World War II, manufacturers worked to push aluminum as a modern material to be utilized by all. In the 1930s the Aluminum Association was formed. Aluminum tableware and utensils were advertised to housewives as well as aluminum furniture, produced as an alternative to steel due to its lightness and ease of adaptability. [2] The promotion of aluminum as an everyday material was part of a larger design movement, termed streamlining, which occurred during the late 1920s and 1930s. Developed in response to the economic hardship of the Great Depression, the movement was the exact opposite of the earlier ornate Victorian and Art Deco movements. Influenced by the Bauhaus in Germany and the modernist movement in Europe, streamlining was an aesthetic which focused on industrial design valuing smooth, aerodynamic lines modeled after ships, airplanes, and automobiles. Streamlining promoted the middle-class consumer and advances in technology allowed for the mass production/availability of goods even during the Depression. Popular streamlining materials such as plastic and aluminum would continue to change the lives of everyday Americans as they could be manufactured and adapted for a wide variety of purposes.

 

Aluminum was one of the primary materials utilized during World War II for ships, airplanes, and even mess kits. America was one of the largest manufacturers, producing over 2,000,000 tons over the course of the war. [3]  The end of the war saw a decline in the production of military equipment, specifically planes, and a surplus in aluminum. The United States seeking a solution shifted production in the post-war economy to pre-fabricated houses. A number of pre-fabricated homes were developed during this time. Examples include Buckminster Fuller’s second and last Dymaxion House prototype, Fuller’s military-style Dymaxion Dwelling Units, and the short-lived Lustron homes manufactured from steel.

In  1958, Hawaii’s ‘Primo’ introduced its first all-aluminum beer can. Aluminum Christmas trees were especially popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The majority were produced by the Aluminum Specialty Company. The Charlie Brown Christmas tv special which aired in 1965 is credited with the death of the aluminum Christmas tree although they can still be found today. [4]. During the 1960s and 1970s, aluminum wiring was briefly used to electrically wire houses.  As of 2014,  the United States remains one of the top Aluminum producers in the world. [5]

 

By: Tara Seaver

[1] “History of Aluminum.” The Aluminum Association. Accessed March 3, 2018 http://www.aluminum.org/aluminum-advantage/history-aluminum

[2] Penny Sparke, An Introduction to Design and Culture: 1900 to Present ( New York: Routledge, 2004), 49.

[3] Trevor Williams, A Short History of Twentieth Century
Technology (New York: Oxford University Press, 1982)

[4] David Murray, “How Charlie Brown Killed the Aluminum Christmas Tree,”  The Great Falls Tribune, December 8, 2017. Accessed March 3, 2018. http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/life/2017/12/08/charlie-brown-aluminum-christmas-tree/927643001/

[5] Terence Bell, “The Biggest Aluminum Producers 2014”, The Balance, November 11, 2016. Accessed March 3, 2018. https://www.thebalance.com/the-10-biggest-aluminum-producers-2014-2339724