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Home / By the Decade / 1940s

1948: Gadgets galore for America

pam kueber - Updated: February 26, 2010

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

Vintage garage door

This week I will be spotlighting 1948 — the year that the world gave us The Dishmaster. What a great time this was for America. The war had ended…with peace and prosperity setting in for the first time in decades. It was also a time characterized by great faith in technology and invention.

And, it was a period of severe housing shortages. 1947 set a new record for home constuction – 750,000 new starts. And the industry could hardly believe the pace. As a result of all these convergences, there was a tremendous focus on innovation and efficiency in both building and outfitting homes.

It’s fun to look back – and see the awe that people had at features we take so much for granted today. Like the automatic garage door opener. Jee willikers, how the heck DOES it work? Click on the diagram below for a large view that explains all!

CATEGORIES:
1940s

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