History of American Technology and Culture

List of Media:

“From the Archives: When Denim Was Dangerous.” Levi Explore. April 11, 2013.  Accessed March 16, 2017.                                                                                                                                                    http://explore.levi.com/news/culture/from-the-archives-when-denim-was-dangerous/.

“From the Archives: When Denim Was Dangerous.” Levi Explore. April 11, 2013. Accessed March 16, 2017.                                                                                                   http://explore.levi.com/news/culture/from-the-archives-when-denim-was-dangerous/.

“Fashion Display Milestones .” Fashion Display Milestones. November 2013. http://digital.history.umass.edu/dress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Levis-jeans-billboard.jpg.

“From the Archives: When Denim Was Dangerous.” Levi Explore. April 11, 2013. Accessed March 16, 2017.                                                                                                   http://explore.levi.com/news/culture/from-the-archives-when-denim-was-dangerous/.

Iconic Image:

The timeline is under the history tab.

 

We will be creating our documentary using the Production Studio in the Hurley Convergence Center.

Below I have outlined the basics for how we will complete our documentary.

The 1st person will sit down and talk for about 3-4 mins about the early history of blue jeans and Levi Strauss, the Antecedent to jeans (why jeans were needed). While they talk, the green screen behind them will have pictures of early pants used before jeans, Levi’s life and his jeans playing behind them, and possibly videos as well.

The 2nd person will talk for about 3-4 minutes about the advertisements Levi used and how his team advertised their jeans in the beginning for the working class and later moved onto everyday people. Behind them, there will be pictures playing of different posters that were used for advertisements and we will play a commercial for Levi jeans as well. Also, they will talk about factories being made for the production of jeans, because the advertisement was so heavily used, jeans became high in demand leading to bigger and more factories being made.

The 3rd person will talk about the competition shortly after Levi and how the other companies advertised in different ways and used celebrities to promote the jeans. Competition for Levi jeans forced expanding from just making jeans for the working man and became more inclusive to families. Behind them, we will show some other advertisements used for jeans like Lee Jeans as well as other brands that were emerging after Levis.

The 4th person will talk about the modern development of jeans. Now we have so many different companies, brands, and styles. Everyone wears them despite being created years ago. They will cover the impact overall jeans have had in history and in recent modern years.

Here is our Website Outline and our Documentary Outline!

Skeleton Outline

Proposals and Outlines- Under this tab we will post our project proposal as well as our skeleton outline for the website and documentary.

Antecedents- Here we will list the antecedents that were used before Tupperware was invented,  we will also be posting corresponding images so that viewers can see what the available items looked like.

Storage Antecedents:

• Mason Jars
• Pyrex (glass)
• Glassware
• Oval wooden shakers

Marketing Antecedents:

• Department stores salesmen (women)
• Door to Door salesmen (birth control)
• Home parties (Brownie Wise, Stanley)

History of Tupperware

1. This section will talk about how Earl Tupper invented tupperware while he was making plastic products for the war. Although he had his products sold in stores and in house parties, his sales were not taking off and he was struggling to turn a profit.
2. This section will also discuss Brownie Wise, how she became involved with Tupperware and her impact on tupperware sales and beyond. Brownie Wise, currently selling products for Stanley Home Products and wanted to help Tupperware by increasing sales in the home. She was later promoted to VP of the Tupperware company.

Impact of Tupperware

1. This section will discuss how Brownie’s home parties revolutionized sales, and empowered women to be entrepreneurs while working from home.
2. It will also discuss the impact that it has had on competing brands as well as how Tupperware has become a common household name for a product, even if they are a different brand.
3. Endorsed gender stereotypes by maintaining home space as a place for women, even though women could profit off of it.

Documentary- Here we will post our mockumentary and the sources we used to produce it.

Timeline/storymap

-Antecedents:

• Marketing: birth control during 1930s
• Brownie Wise marketing,
• Glass-precursor
• Plastics: After WWII

-Tupperware’s Evolution and Origin

• Tupper’s initial idea: playing with plastic
• Meet with Brownie Wise=TUPPERWARE PARTIES.

Documentary outline:

• Time frame: 10-15 minutes
• Yousef- Earl Tupper, narrator
• Emma- Brownie Wise
• Emily and Nicole- women at a Tupperware party
• 1950s era style and dress
• Mockumentary begins with Earl Tupper (a DuPont employee) tries to create a product with plastic
• Eventually creates Tupperware bowl and lid
• Struggles to sell product
• Mockumentary will show Tupper’s failed attempts to market and sell product
• Brownie Wise notices that Tupperware was not selling at department stores
• Brownie Wise and Earl Tupper meet on Tinder (maybe)
• Meets Brownie Wise
• She comes up with innovative way to sell Tupperware: Tupperware parties
• Mockumentary demonstrates Wise marketing Tupperware to women at parties
• Emma, Emily and/or Nicole bring up antecedents (ie glassware)
• Ex: “My food has gone bad!”; “My glass container broke AGAIN!”
• Wise also discusses how becoming a Tupperware entrepreneur is the best way for women to make money without
• A jealous Tupper grows resentful of Wise, confronts her and fires her after a year
• Flash-forward to modern age: Tupperware is a staple in kitchens across the country
• Talk about other products that have been influenced by tupperware or direct sales
• Companies like Glad and Pyrex enter the market and create their own “food storage containers”
• Talk about how even brands that aren’t technically tupperware (glad, ziploc, rubbermaid) people still refer to it as tupperware (common household name)  
• Impact of tupperware: flash forward to a present day kitchen with tupperware
• Emily and Nicole talk about how Tupperware is overlooked in our society
• Ex: “We take Tupperware for granted.”; “What would we ever do without Tupperware?”
• Ghosts of Tupper and Wise proudly reflect on their contributions (maybe)

List of media (image, videos, etc.).

Iconic image:

Steinmetz, Joe, photographer. “[Tupperware advertisement featuring a Joe Steinmetz photograph.]” Photograph. C1958. From State Library and Archives of Florida. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tupperware_advertisement_featuring_a_Joe_Steinmetz_photograph_(9005296853).jpg (accessed March 16, 2017).

Pictures and advertisements:

Brownie Wise Papers, 1938-1968, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. AC0509-0000003

Catalog Advertisement” scanned advertisement. Brownie Wise Papers, National Museum of American History Archives Center, circa 1949-1966. AC0509-0000066. .

“Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise at the Tupperware factory in Farnumsville, Massachusetts,” 1951, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

Tupper, Earl. Open mouth container and nonsnap type of closure. US Patent 2487400 filed June 2, 1947, and issued November 8, 1949.

“Tupperware Price and Order Form,” scanned document. Brownie Wise Papers, National Museum of American History Archives Center. Circa 1951-1959.

Antecedent pictures:

TwoScarsUp, photographer “[Glass canisters made by Sneath Glass Company for Hoosier Cabinets.]” Photograph. c2008.  From wikipedia commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sneath_Glass_Company_canisters_for_Hoosier_Cabinets.jpg (accessed March 16, 2017).

Wycoff, Carl. “[Images of items found at the Shake Village at Pleasant Hill.]” Photograph. Nevada, USA. c2009.From The Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boxes_in_the_Shaker_Village_at_Pleasant_Hill-RZ.jpg (accessed March 16, 2017).

“Look at What All She Got for Christmas!” Better Homes and Garden, 1958, advertisement. “Saltycotton,” Flickrcommons, taken 2010.

“[Unidentified stacks of home-canned food.]” Photograph. From Library of Congress: World War, 1939-1945 Home food processing United States. Transparencies– Color. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PreservedFood1.jpg (accessed March 16, 2017).

YouTube advertisements:

“The Tupperware Party – The Product & Its Many Home Uses – Storage to Gifts – 1950’s,” Historia – Bel99TV, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZyGasL0WYg

“Tupperware television commercial for their 10th anniversary,” Jeff Quitney, advertisement, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV-K9KfFwBs

 

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Eva, Bill. “Microwave Ovens for the Home – How They Work and What to Look for in Selecting One.” Popular Electronics, July 1976, 39 – 42.

This primary source provides information regarding the history of the microwave, including the top ten microwave companies, and statistics about the increase of microwaves in home kitchens. It also provides insight as to what people were considering when shopping for a new microwave and helps shed light on what was popular.

Kafka, Barbara. Microwave Gourmet – The Only Microwave Cookbook You Will Ever Need. New York: William Morrow and Company Inc., 1987.

This source is one of the many cookbooks published which focuses on cooking entire meals using only the microwave. It illustrates how popular the microwave had become, since there was a clear market for these cookbooks.

Radarange Microwave Oven – by Amana. 1972. “Make the Greatest Cooking Discovery Since Fire.” Advertisement. Accessed February 19, 2017. clickamericana.com/topics/food-drink/introducing-the-microwave-oven-1971.

This advertisement from the early 70’s, when the microwave started taking off for consumers. The head line “Make the greatest cooking discovery since fire” embodies how important and revolutionary this invention was for the American kitchen.

Spencer, Percy. Method of treating foodstuffs. U.S. Patent 2495429 filed October 8, 1945 issued January 24 1950.

This source of the original patent for “Method of treating foodstuffs” by Percy Spencer was issued in 1945 and filed in 1950. This gives us a better sense of the timeline between Spencer and his invention and its competitors.

Stocklin, William. “Be Cool: Cook With a Microwave Oven.” Electronics World, July 1971, 44. 

The primary source provides information about the early marketing and power of the microwave ovens. It also discusses the early safety features regarding this new technology.

 

Secondary Sources

Carr, Joseph J. Microwave & Wireless Communications Technology. Boston: Elsevier, 1996.

This source breaks down the makeup of the microwave by the individual parts, both tangible and cellular, to showcase the basic essentials of developing technology.

Cooper, Ken. “Microlessons: Toward a History of Information-Age Cuisine.” Journal of Technology Cuisine 36, no. 3 (2015): 579 – 609.

This article discusses how the technological companies behind new kitchen appliance such as microwaves sold specialized cookbooks in order to capitalize on their products and advance their industry. It also mentions some of the consequences associated with using microwaves.

 

Elizabeth, Erin. “The Hidden Dangers of Microwaves: and Inexpensive Alternatives.” Health Nut News. Last Modified January 4, 2016. Accessed February 19, 2017. www.healthnutnews.com/the-hidden-dangers-of-microwaves/.

This webpage discusses the possibles dangers of repeated and prolonged exposure to microwaves on one’s health. It also presents different alternatives to the microwave oven.

“Food for Thought: the History of the Oven.” hhgregg. Last Modified December 12, 2013.Accessed February 20, 2017. blogs.hhgregg.com/history-of-the-oven/.

This sources provides a timeline of the different antecedents that derived from the stove. It also includes the microwave and where it fits into the timeline.

Gallawa, J. Carlton. “The History of the Microwave Oven.” Who Invented the Microwave? Accessed February 10, 2017. http://www.microtechfactorservice.com/history.html.

This webpage gives a brief history of how Spencer discovered his magnetron tube could heat food and initial reactions to his invention of the microwave oven. Initial reactions to the product were unfavorable.

Ganapati, Priya. “October 25, 1955: Time to Nuke Dinner.” Wired. Last Modified October 25, 2010. Accessed February 10, 2017. www.wired.com/2010/10/1025home-microwave-ovens/.

This webpage traces the early history of the microwave including some if it’s antecedents. It compares the prices of its competition and antecedents.

Guenthner, Joseph, Biing-Hwan Lin, and Annette E. Levi. “The influence of microwave ovens on the demand for fresh and frozen potatoes.” Journal of Food Distribution Research 22, no. 3 (1991): 45-52.

This article examines the influence on the food market resulting from the microwave oven. Consumer food preferences and preparation habits adapted to this new invention and brought the development of microwave popcorn, pizza, and soup.

Gustaitis, Joseph. “The Explosive History of Popcorn.” American History 36, no. 4 (2001): 32 – 37. 

This article explains how popcorn and microwaves are linked together and how the industries grew together.

Hammock, William. “Microwave.” American Heritage of Invention & Technology 25, no. 3(2010): 25 – 28.

This article examines the invention of the microwave and also traces the history of the Raytheon Company and its transition from making supplies for World War II to making household goods.

Hine, Claudia. “The Father of  Modern Cooking.” Adhesive Age 40, no. 5 (1997): 66.

This article discusses that despite the fact that Percy Spencer invented the microwave, he did not profit much from it.

McFeely, Mary Drake. Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? American Women and the Kitchen in theTwentieth Century. Amherst: University of Massachusetts, 2000.

This book briefly mentions how the microwave was revolutionary in kitchens because it offered those who could not cook or did not have time to the ability to “cook” a meal. It also mentions how food writers created cookbooks specifically for microwaves.

McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking – the Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York:Scribner, 2004.

This source is a reprint of a 1984 cookbook, which explains both how microwave ovens work and also a brief history. It also provides cooking instructions for meats, fish, fruits and vegetables.

“Microwave Ovens vs. Commercial Ovens: a Comparison of Technology and Efficiency.” BiljiBachao!. Last Modified April 22, 2016. Accessed February 20, 2017. www.biljibachao.com/appliances/microwave-oven-vs-commercial-oven-a-comparison-of-technology-and-efficiency.html.

This sources provides a comparison between microwave ovens and commercial ovens and discusses the mechanics behind how a microwave oven works. 

Murray, Don. “Percy Spencer and His Itch to Know.” Reader’s Digest, 1958, 114. 

This article from Reader’s Digest is written by Don Murray, a friend of Percy Spencer. Murray describes Spencer first hand giving us a personal look into his life and personality.

“Percy Spencer.” Famous Inventors. Accessed February 19, 2017. www.famousinventors.org/percy-spencer.

This source provides information about the life of Percy Spencer as well as providing information regarding the creation of the first microwave.

Ross, Rachel. “Who Invented the Microwave Oven?” Life Science. Last Modified January 5, 2017. Accessed February 19, 2017. www.lifescience.com/57405-who-invented-microwave-oven.html.

This webpage gives an in-depth account of the history of the microwave, from Spencer inventing it to the initial fears surrounding using it on the side of the public. It then talks about the eventual acceptance by the public and how it became one of the most widely used kitchen products.

Smith, Andrew F. Eating History – 30 Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine. NewYork: Columbia University Press, 2009.

Eating History has a chapter describing the history of the microwave oven – including the story of how Percy Spencer discovered it, its various antecedents, and how it affected households.

Tweedie, Steven. “How the Microwave Was Invented By a Radar Engineer Who Accidentally Cooked a Candy Bar in his Pocket.” Business Insider. Last Modified July 3, 2015. Accessed February 19, 2017. www.businessinsider.com/how-the-microwave-was-invented-by-accident-2015-4.

This article features an interview with Spencer’s grandson as he recalls the process by which his grandfather invented the microwave.

Wilson, Bee. Consider the Fork – A History of How We Cook and Eat. New York: Basic Books, 2012. 

This book features a section specifically examining the microwave. It covers its invention and early models and concerns, examines how prevalent the microwave is in today’s kitchens, and also talks about its ability to actually cook edible food quickly.

Project Proposal

HIST 325

The Typewriter

 

Our group decided to do our project on the typewriter because it played a big role in recording history and allowed people to write more efficiently. It continues to play a role in today’s culture as it paved the road for many future inventions. Our group wants to delve deeper into learning about the typewriter’s roadway to where it is today. We are going to explore the typewriter’s antecedents and its path leading up to the first successful mass production of the typewriter by Christopher Latham Sholes and Samuel W. Soule. We will also analyze its different patent proposals. Furthermore, we will talk about the typewriter’s modifications after its original model and modern-day electric typewriters.

There are a few antecedents to the typewriter, such as the printing press and typographer. Typography is the organization of written language to make it legible while the printing press began the mass production of written works. Typography and the typographer allowed for the organization of letters making the typewriter writing legible. The printing press used a stamp system to create pages of text while the typewriter allowed people to gravitate away from pen and paper. In addition there are also alternatives to the typewriter like the stenotype machine. This invention, mainly used in courtrooms, is similar to a typewriter in that you can type words onto paper, however, the stenotype has less keys and is not able to type every letter in the alphabet, making it less useful for everyday writing. All three of these inventions came together to make the typewriter the success that it was. These inventions then lead to later inventions such as the modern day keyboard.

We also are going to cover how the typewriter impacted American culture from the past to present, especially in the shift from industrial work to “office” work. Specifically, we will focus on how the typewriter played a role in securing women a role into the office environment. The typewriter also affected writing in the home. Previously, people had been limited to writing by hand, however, with the invention of the typewriter, stamped writing became more accessible than it had even been with the printing press. In present day society, the typewriter is still used by many authors and even in the classroom setting as an alternative to desktops and laptops for many reasons. Some of those reasons have to do with less distractions and others have to do with the “personal touch” typewriters leave for writers.

For our group’s website, we are going to separate posts by time-period and subject matter. For example, the first post will be focused on the typewriter’s antecedents prior to Christopher Latham Sholes and Samuel W. Soule’s invention model. Then the second post will be about how Christopher Latham Sholes and Samuel W. Soule used those antecedents to make their model. We will keep the posts brief but frequent with between 500-600 words and we will have around 5-6 total posts. Within each post, we will take advantage of the digital format by incorporating primary source documents and images such as advertisements, model sketches, and patents. We will also embed video footage from the documentary referenced below when posting about the typewriter’s modern day influences.

For the documentary, we would like to film a present-day infomercial for the typewriter by incorporating all of its beneficial impacts to society from past to present. As of now, we’re planning on taking a more creative, comedic approach to the documentary. We will mainly be using a GoPro camera to film scenes as well as editing our footage using Final Cut Pro and AfterEffects.

 

 

Bibliography

 

 

101, T. (2017, February 20). Typewriters 101. Retrieved from Typewriters 101: http://www.typewriters101.com/

This site sells reprints of old typewriter ads that would be helpful for looking at the intended audience most typewriters were meant to be sold to.

 

Allen, Jay. “Inefficiency with the Best of Intentions.” Quality Progress 38, no. 10 (October 2005): 96. ProQuest (accessed February 20, 2017).

This article discusses the change to the typewriters keyboard to QWERTY from an original alphabetical organization. It mentions a myth that the order was changed to make people type slower so that the typewriters wouldn’t get jammed.

 

“ASME Honors Sholes & Glidden Typewriter.” Mechanical Engineering 133, no. 12 (December 2011): 78. ProQuest (accessed February 20, 2017).

The Sholes & Glidden typewriter was the first commercially successful typewriter and paved the road for the models that followed.

 

Bollhoefer, F. W. (1947). United States of America Patent No. US2624535 A.

This is a patent for an elevated platform for typewriters allowing for more versatile storage and even compact travel.

 

Christopher Lockett. The Typewriter (In the 21st Century). n.p.: Janson Media, 2012. Online.

This documentary gives a brief explanation about the invention and rise in the typewriter. The documentary primarily focuses on the importance the typewriter still plays in our present day society regarding writers, collectors, and even students in the classroom setting.

 

“The First Typewriter Operator.” Christian Advocate (1866-1905) 80, no. 4 (Jan 26, 1905): 131. http://ezproxy.umw.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/125969526?accountid=12299.

This article has a brief interview from Mrs. M. A Saunders who changed the original typewriter keyboard to the “QWERTY” keyboard that is so popular today.

 

Lenssen, Philipp. “Vintage Office Advertisements of the 1930s (Page 5).” Vintage Ad Browser. 2010. Accessed February 21, 2017. http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/office-ads-1930s/5.

This website has advertisements that would have appeared in magazines for many different types and brands of typewriters.

 

Lyons, Martyn. “QWERTYUIOP: How the Typewriter Influenced Writing Practices.” Quaerendo 44, no. 4 (September 2014): 219-240. America: History & Life, EBSCOhost (accessed February 19, 2017).

Martin focuses on the cultural affects the typewriter had with authors since the beginning of its invention. There are differences in opinion from authors saying that the typewriter distances the writer from their writing and others saying it gives them more access. Either way, the article explores the large impact the typewriter had in the world of literature.

 

Madsen, Diane Gilbert.“‘To Pound a Vicious Typewriter’: Hemingway’s Corona #3.” Hemingway Review 32, no. 2 (Spring 2013): 109-121. Muse (accessed February 20, 2017).

This article discusses the effect of the typewriter specially on Hemingway’s writings. It discusses the path that Hemingway was able to take due to the typewriter that had been gifted to him.

 

Margolis, Ellie. “Is the Medium the Message?.” Legal Communication & Rhetoric: JALWD 12, (Fall 2015): 1-28. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 21, 2017).

This article discusses the typewriter and its antecedents and their role in the courtroom, and how they revolutionized note taking.

 

Overleigh, Herbert. “THE EVOLUTION OF THE TYPEWRITER.” Belford’s Monthly and Democratic Review (1891-1892) 8, no. 47 (04, 1892): 161. http://ezproxy.umw.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/124530468?accountid=12299.

This article goes through the different antecedents of the typewriter. It begins with the first patent request in Britain in 1714 up until 1892, when the article was written.

 

Polt, R. (1992, December 9). The Classic Typewriter Page. Retrieved from Typewriters: http://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/index.html

This web page is A resource for all aspects of typewriters ranging from history, parts, key manufacturers and collections.

 

Strom, Sharon Hartman. Beyond the Typewriter : Gender, Class, and the Origins of Modern American Office Work, 1900-1930. Women in American History. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1992.

Strom focuses on how the typewriter and other office machinery revolutionized the office environment. The typewriter specifically changed the lives of women and women’s  careers starting at the beginning of the 20th century.

 

Students Sit at Desk with Typewriter. 1964-04-21. Centennial Image Collection, Special Collections and University Archives. http://archive.umw.edu:8080/vital/access/manager/Repository/umw:2897

This image demonstrated how the typewriter allowed a switch from pen and paper to more efficient typed work.

 

Typewriterdatabase. (2011, February 25). The Typewriter Database. Retrieved from typewriterdatabase: http://typewriterdatabase.com/

This site is an online database that deals with the history of various typewriter manufacturers and models as well as serial numbers and pictures.

 

“Typewriter patents.” Extracts from Patent Office 24, no. 826, 561-839, 746. HathiTrust (accessed February 20, 2017).
This sources shows the many different patents for the typewriters. This demonstrates the variety of models and the enormity of the typewriter as a potential successful invention.

The topic of this research project will be the microwave, how it was invented, and how it changed food preparation. The microwave plays an essential role in everyday life. It helped change the concept of preparing and cooking food, and it helped shape the types of appliances found in modern kitchens. We chose this topic to not only heighten our appreciation for this modern convenience we take for granted, but to learn more about how the product has evolved into the phenomenon people cannot live without today.

The blog component of the project will consist of a home page and then four pages off of it. The homepage will consist of mostly videos and pictures of the different microwave styles over the years, as well as provide an overview of the topics covered on the other pages. The first page will discuss Percy Spencer, who invented the microwave somewhat by accident. Spencer worked at a paper factory plant and one day on the job he crossed through a radar set. He noticed a candy from his pocket had melted when he passed through. [1]  It was in this moment his fascination with this discovery took off as he begun to test other foods, like the popcorn kernel, and conduct experiments on the matter. After having great amounts of success in his research, he applied for the patent on the invention in 1945. [2] The first commercial microwave, 6 feet tall and 750 pounds, came out in 1947 and was made available for restaurants and businesses. [3] After continued research and editing of the product, the first home microwave came out in 1967. [4] The microwave could now fit on a kitchen counter, which made it more desirable for a broader market of consumers, and suddenly the microwave went from being a piece of technology that was impractical for most consumers, to being highly sought after.

The next page will cover the antecedents and as well as the possible alternative. The antecedents page will begin with the history of the original oven which was built in France in 1490. [5]  One of the next developments in the history of the microwave was the strew stove, which was a wood-burning stove that better contained smoke fumes created by the oven.  [6] Then, the iron stove was invented in the early 1800’s. [7] Next came the  patent for the electric oven in 1896, and the final the electric oven in 1920.[8]  At the time of the microwaves creation, there were a number of different alternatives that could have been chosen. One possible alternative is the toaster oven, a derivative of the toaster. One interesting note is that while the toaster oven was a possible alternative, it did not fade into the background. It can still be found in many kitchens today. The page will also include a timeline of all the events, not only leading up to the microwave but after the microwave as well, so that the information is easy to follow chronologically for the viewer.

The third page will be the basic science behind a microwave’s functions, both then and now. Microwaves operate by the creation of heat energy from friction between waves that penetrate the food within the microwave. Before, conventional ovens would have an electric current that flows through the metallic elements to create heat and cook the food inside. There is typically a thermostat in the oven to measure temperature and adjust the current to maintain it. Unlike a conventional oven, microwave ovens do not heat the entire space inside the appliance. They use electromagnetic energy and generate electromagnetic waves that heat up the food in the appliance. Because the waves heat up just the food inside, microwave ovens are much more electricity efficient than the traditional oven. [9] The purpose here is not to get into the fine details of the science behind the microwave, but instead to give the viewer the ability to have a basic understanding of the mechanics behind it. This will help their understanding as to why the microwave changed cooking.  

The final page will be the impact that the microwave had on American society. One interesting impact the microwave had on society was that it helped to build and cement the popcorn industry. Popcorn sales started commercially the year before Spencer gained the patent for the microwave. [10] In the original patent submitted by Spencer, popcorn was drawn inside the microwave. [11] This relationship between popcorn and the microwave is still seen today, as there are numerous microwave popcorn companies. Another impact the microwave had on American society was the change in cooking times. Before the microwave oven, it could a laborious task to prepare a meal when thinking about the time needed to prepare the meal as well as the having actually ability to cook it. But with the microwave came convenience. It allowed for full meals to be made quickly, and far less cooking ability was required. This led to a rise in the market for cookbooks which focused solely on the microwaves. The impact and staying power that the microwave had on American culture is clear – when initially invented, it had limited use in restaurants, however, today approximately ninety-five percent of homes in the United States contain a microwave. [12]

The documentary component of the project will cover the topics mentioned above, but with a humorous undertone. The intention of the documentary is to be light hearted and fun, in order to keep the audience engaged and interested. The documentary will be created using a video camera and iMovie. The video will highlight the importance of the microwave for students as well as others who use the microwave. For the documentary,  students on campus will be recorded talking about their experiences with the technology, both growing up and how they are utilized in college.

        As college students, we are always on the go from one thing to the next. Attempting to fit meals into a schedule can seem impossible sometimes. Because of the microwave, students have the ability to cook meals quickly and efficiently. It is primarily because of this convenience and ease that the microwave oven has become such a staple in kitchens across the United States.

Endnotes:

[1] “Percy Spencer,” Famous Inventors, accessed February 19, 2017, www.famousinventors.org/percy-spencer.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] “Food for Thought: the History of the Oven,” hhgregg, last modified December 12, 2013, accessed February 20, 2017, blogs.hhgregg.com/history-of-the-oven.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] “Microwave Ovens vs. Commercial Ovens: a Comparison of Technology and Efficiency,” Bilji Bacao!, last modified April 22, 2016, accessed February 20, 2016, www.biljibachao.com/appliances/microwave-oven-vs-commercial-oven-a-comparison-of-technology-and-efficiency.html.

[10] Joseph Gustaitis, “The Explosive History of Popcorn,” American History 36, no. 4 (2001): 32 – 37.

[11] Spencer, Percy. Method of treating foodstuffs. U.S. Patent 2495429 filed October 8, 1945 issued January 24 1950.

[12] Ken Cooper, “Microlessons: Toward a History of Information-Age Cuisine,” Technology and Culture 56, no. 3 (2015): 580.

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