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“Empire” Shaker - Image 1
“Empire” Shaker - Image 2

Norman Bel Geddes, Norman Bel Geddes & Co., and others

“Empire” Shaker

1929-1939

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“Empire” Shaker

1929-1939

Physical Qualities Chrome, steel, bakelite, 12 1/8 × 3 × 6 3/4 in. (30.8 × 7.6 × 17.1 cm.)
Credit Line Friends of Art Fund
Object Number 1986.77.1
PLASTIC  These objects made of Bakelite, the first synthetic plastic, are lightweight yet durable. Invented in 1907, Bakelite was used in radios, clocks, machinery, household goods, and jewelry by the 1930s. Made in both factories and family-owned workshops, the material was popular during the Great Depression (1929–1939) as an alternative to costly metals and gems. Both department store shoppers and international celebrities, such as Josephine Baker, sought out its varied finishes. On April 28, 1941, Life magazine published a photo of a woman wearing a heart-shaped Bakelite pin with key dubbed the “MacArthur Heart.” This reference to U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and the Purple Heart medal became an emblem of female patriotism during the industrious war-time period.  

Designer

Norman Bel Geddes

1892–1957

American, 1893-1958
Meet Norman Bel Geddes

Design Studio

Norman Bel Geddes & Co.

1926–1957

New York, New York, active 1927-1958
Meet Norman Bel Geddes & Co.

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