“The Australian Dream: Design of the Fifties” - Powerhouse Museum Publication

This is a comprehensive scholarly examination of 1950s Australian design, published by the Powerhouse Museum (Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences) in Sydney.
Description
Title: The Australian Dream: Design of the Fifties
Editor: Judith O’Callaghan
Publisher: Powerhouse Publishing, Part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences
Publication Date: 1993
ISBN: 1 86317 035 9
Sponsor: Generously sponsored by Commonwealth Bank
Printing: Griffin Press, Adelaide
This extensively researched publication takes a fresh look at 1950s Australia through the lens of design. The book explores ten chapters covering the role of design in creating the “Australian dream” - from do-it-yourself housing to architect designs, approaches to interior decor, mass media images, graphics, fashion, and even gardening.
The book examines how the 1950s represented a critical turning point in Australia’s cultural, social, political, and economic history. Behind a facade of stability and consumerism, complex changes were taking place. In design, the search for national identity combined with the influence of international Modernism prompted a range of uniquely Australian responses.
Special Features
The cover features a striking design using an original 1950s silk textile designed by Joseph Stanislaus Ostoja-Kotkowski for Prestige Ltd in Melbourne (1950-1958), from the Collection MAAS, gift of Gerard Herbst. The ochre, black, and cream color palette with abstract Australian motifs perfectly captures the era’s aesthetic.
This copy appears to be in good to very good condition with minimal wear. The covers show light shelf wear and minor edge rubbing. The binding is tight and square. The interior pages are clean and bright with no significant markings or damage. A well-preserved example of this important reference work.