Machine Age
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Machine Age is a term associated with the early 20th Century. Considered to be at a peak in the time between the first and second World Wars it forms a late part of the Industrial Age and was utimately eclipsed by the Atomic Age beginning in 1945.
Artifacts of the Machine Age include:
- Mass production of high volume goods on moving assembly lines, particularly of the automobile
- Gigantic production machinery, especially for producing and working metal, such as steel rolling mills, bridge component fabrication, and automobile body presses
- Powerful earthmoving equipment
- Steel framed buildings of great height (the skyscraper)
- Radio and phonograph technology
- High speed printing presses, enabling the production of low cost newspapers and mass market magazines
- Large hydroelectric and thermal electric power production plants and distribution systems
- Low cost appliances for the mass market that employ fractional horsepower electric motors, such as the vacuum cleaner and the washing machine
- Fast and comfortable long distance travel by railroad, automobile, and aircraft
- Development and employment of modern war machines such as tanks, aircraft, submarines and the modern battleship
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[edit] Social influence
- The rise of mass market advertising and consumerism
- Nationwide branding and distribution of goods, replacing local arts and crafts
- Nationwide cultural leveling due to exposure to movies and network broadcasting
- Replacement of skilled crafts with low skilled labor
- Growth of strong corporations through their abilities to exploit economies of scale in materials and equipment acqusition, manufacturing, and distribution
- Corporate exploitation of labor leading to the creation of strong trade unions as a countervailing force
[edit] Environmental influence
- Exploitation of natural resources with little concern for the ecological consequences; a continuation of 19th century practices but at a larger scale
- Release of synthetic dyes, artifical flavorings, and toxic materials into the consumption stream without adequate testing for adverse health effects
[edit] International relations
- Conflicts between nations regarding access to energy sources (particularly oil) and material resources (particularly iron and various metals with which it is alloyed) required to ensure national self-sufficiency. Such conflicts were contributory to two devastating world wars.
[edit] Arts and architecture
The Machine Age is considered to have influenced:
- Dystopian movies including Chaplin's Modern Times and Lang's Metropolis
- Cubism
- Art Deco decorative style
- Streamline Moderne appliance design and architecture
- Bauhaus style
