“Toastmaster” Toaster, c. 1932 Chrome plated steel, plastic Manufacturer: WATERS GENTER COMPANY, Minneapolis, Minnesota (founded 1912) Gift of Gail G. Markley, Columbia, Maryland, in Memory of her Mother, Margaret Conolley Gotsch BMA 2002.595 World War I inaugurated major societal changes, as women who had worked as domestic servants before the war, were drafted into the civilian work force to replace conscripted men. Opportunities for independent employment in the post-war era resulted in permanent shortages of domestic staff. To meet this challenge, American industry developed a range of novel domestic products that cast home labor in a romanticized, enticing light. Shiny with chrome, and appealing to the hand and eye, these products harnessed the power of electricity for domestic purposes and launched an era of self-reliance in the home. This “Toastmaster” Toaster as well as the “Moderne” Iron (on view nearby), are two example of such labor saving appliances. “Moderne” Iron, late 1930s Nickel with chrome plating, chrome, plastic; original cardboard box [will box be on view?] Manufacturer: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, Bridgeport, Connecticut (1892 present) Gift of Karen Nielsen, Baltimore BMA 1995.229