Full Description
An exploration of the complex and important relationship between the "ideal" and the "commonplace" in the social purpose of architecture and design intended for the family. Recognizing the importance of the 19th-century legacy and examining the cultural agenda to provide a better life, the study is defined by two major periods of national reconstruction. The core areas for consideration include: family homes and new neighbourhoods; the products and schemes for everyday life; and the housewife and family lifestyle. Identifying patterns of influence, the account balances the popular with the official publications, regional and national exhibitions, and municipal and speculative developments in cultivating a national belief in progress.
Contents
Part 1 Health, comfort and happinessthe home; new domestic landscapes. Part 2 Reconstruction and the ideal, 1918-1930: the housing question; new neighbourhoods and lifestyles; home comforts. Part 3 Rationalisation and new dreams, 1931-1939: schemes, settlements and speculation; efficient homes and things; new services and pleasures. Part 4 Emergency, economy and modernisation, 1940-1953: planning for the future; design matters. Part 5 Convenience to confrontation, 1954-1969: the post-rationed age; new Britain.
