In the years following its invention in the 1850s, aluminum was used in imitation of older, more established materials, like bronze, silver, and gold. Pittsburgh’s special relationship with the material dates to the founding of Alcoa (the Aluminum Company of America) in the city in 1888. In the 20th century, designers embraced the material for its own unique properties, exploiting its lightness, resistance to corrosion, and reflective surfaces. Between the two world wars, the material came to represent the Modernist ideal, epitomizing the streamlined, industrial world.
Aluminum production increased dramatically to support the war effort during the World War II. After the war, aluminum companies struggled to maintain production. To that end, the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) developed an “Imagineering” program, encouraging imagination in engineering.
As an effort to create incentive designers to continue to find new and inventive applications of aluminum, the Carnegie Museum of Art exhibit offers advertisements from 1946 related to the “Imagineering” program. The design collection at is especially strong in objects made in aluminum, an industrial material deeply associated with Pittsburgh.
Shanghai Metal Corporation is a leader in aluminum metal products. We offer aluminum sheet, plate, coil, strip, foil, tube, pipe, in varying forms and sizes.
Aluminum Music Instrument Co Inc. – Violin and bow, 1930
Aitchison & Co – Binoculars, 1900
Egmont C. Arens – “Streamliner” meat slicer, 1940
Marc Newson – Lockheed Lounge, 1985
Mathias Begntsson – “Slice” chair, 1999
Frank L. Wright – Armchair, 1956
Shanghai Metal Corporation is a leader in aluminum metal products. We offer aluminum sheet, plate, coil, strip, foil, tube, pipe, in varying forms and sizes. To learn more about our metal products, please visit our website. Please also follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Try also our new mobile application by scanning the QR code below.
You can also read more articles by our team at SMC:
THE NEW RECLOSABLE SCREW-TOP ALUMINUM BOTTLE FOR YOUR BEER
GIVE A LOOK OF LUXURY TO YOUR BEAUTY PACKAGE
LIQUID PACKAGING MADE FAMOUS BY A WATCH COMPANY
5 MODERN INNOVATIVE PACKAGING CONCEPTS
WORLD’S MOST ICONIC SPORTING VENUES UTILIZE ALUMINUM TO PORTRAY MODERN FEEL
FOR OUR SWEDISH READERS: TRÖTT? ANVÄND RULLTRAPPAN!
ALUMINUM ENSURES SMOOTH SAILING AT SEA
FOR OUR BRAZILIAN READERS: ANÁLISE DO SETOR DE ALUMÍNIO NO BRASIL
THE TRUTH IS REVEALED ABOUT THE HEALTH CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH ALUMINUM COOKWARE
FULL-METAL DRESS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
CORK OR SCREW CAP FOR YOUR WINE BOTTLE?
MIX OF ICE AND ALUMINUM AS ROCKET FUEL
FOOD TRUCKS INDUSTRY SWITCHING FROM CHEESEBURGERS AND FRIES TO LETTUCE WRAPS AND KALE CHIPS
AVIATION MADE POSSIBLE BY LIGHT WEIGHT ALUMINUM: A BRIEF HISTORY
2015 LUXURY VEHICLES EMPHASIZE ALUMINUM COMPONENTS
IN ECONOMIC TURMOIL, ENVIRONMENT REMAINS KEY
ICONIC ALUMINUM ROOFING AROUND THE WORLD
FOR OUR CHINESE READERS: 日本不锈钢产业进口
SMC #BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe
Source: tms.org, cmoa.org
Pictures: cmoa.org, flickr, artfixdaily, i3dbox,mbam.qc.ca, collectionsonline, 1stdibs
Camilla G.//SMC Editor
aluminumsmc 