Early twentieth century promoters of the Plastic Age envisioned a neverending flow of miracle materials conjured up by modern alchemy out of air, water, and coal. By World War II, celluloid, invented in 1869 as a substitute for ivory in billiard balls, had been eclipsed by such synthetic materials as Bakelite, Plexiglas, vinyl, and polystyrene. As plastic continued expanding into everyday life, it embodied the promise and the threat of limitless material abundance.Jeffrey Meikle traces Americans' ambivalent involvement with plastic from Bakelite radios and nylon stockings to Tupperware and polyester suits. He moves easily from the rise of the plastics industry to plastic's symbolic hold on style and the popular imagination. Meikle shows how America's enthusiasm for everything plastic has been complicated by environmental doubts and by the plasticity of postmodern existence. Throughout this witty, compelling history of material and metaphor, Meikle raises crucial issues in science and technology, manufacturing and marketing, design and architecture, and American consumer culture. A provocative conclusion suggests that plastic, endlessly malleable in the face of material desire, merges into the immaterial reality of future electronic media. American Plastic: A Cultural History is a highly sought-after resource that has been made available for free download in multiple digital formats. Whether you prefer reading on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, this book can be accessed in formats such as epub, pdf, azw, mobi, and more. Additionally, if you prefer an online reading experience, our ereader platform allows you to access the full text of the book directly through your web browser, ensuring seamless accessibility from anywhere.

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