Category: Materials

Organic Cotton

  • subtitle: In Growing Demand

By Sebastian Kaufmann | 29 Jul 10 | Fabrics, Materials | 4 Comments

Cotton has a long history of being an immensely destructive crop, both ecologically and culturally, from its integral role in inciting the massive slave trade between Africa and the US Colonies, to its current boast as one of the most environmentally disruptive crops on the planet.

African American Workers in a Cotton Field

African American Cotton Workers, Courtesy of Voices Education Project (Click on Image to Enlarge)

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Exotic Leather

  • subtitle: Exoticism and Ethics

By Aurora Almendral | 24 Jun 10 | Leather, Materials | 1 Comment

Python Escalades, electric blue crocodile pimp loafers, and ostrich jackets are the very embodiment of tackiness—luxury writ large and rendered tragically cheesy. Exotic skins, the tidy stripes of silky eel, the beautifully imperfect patterns of snake, and the smooth rectangular gradations of crocodile, were treasured for their uniqueness and rarity. Used sparingly on cigarette cases tucked into the inside pocket of a flannel suit jacket, or as a delicate clutch in a gloved hand, restraint itself underscored the preciousness of each skin.

Crocodile Hunting for Leather. A dead Crocodile lies on deck of a ship

Crocodile on Deck of a Steamer in Africa, Courtesy of Gordon Mumford (Click on Image to Enlarge)

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Carbon Steel Knives

  • subtitle: Stained Steel

By Drew Huffine | 21 Jun 10 | Materials, Metal | 2 Comments

In college I was befriended by the only true playboy I’ve ever met. Roberto Cerinni. From Orange County, with an affected accent somewhere between Naples and Brooklyn, he presented himself as a foreign exchange student.

American folk hero and legend Joe Magarac

Joe Magarac Squeezes Steel Rails between his Fingers, Courtesy of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

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Reclaimed Wood, Part I

  • subtitle: Logging of the American Frontier

By David Vega | 16 May 10 | Materials, Wood | 2 Comments

When early American colonists begun penetrating the thick interior of the North American frontier, they discovered that the vast, untouched forests extended much deeper than previously imagined. About 1 billion acres of heavily wooded land stretched from the Atlantic to well past the Mississippi River and promised settlers a wealth of useful raw timber.

Forest worker standing in front of redwood

Lumber Worker in White Pines, Circa 1958, Courtesy of Sierra Nevada Logging Museum

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Teak Wood

  • subtitle: And Scandinavian Modern Design

By Allen C. Thayer | 30 Mar 10 | Furniture, Materials, Wood | 5 Comments

Scandinavian Modern furniture is often associated with teak, the ultra-durable hardwood from Southeast Asia. Before their discovery of teak, Scandinavian furniture designers used softer woods, like pine, which is native to the region. Teak is considered by many to be an ideal material for furniture because it’s one of the strongest woods, and at the same time relatively light. Its inherent color and oil gives it a soft, natural sheen, which mirrors the Modern emphasis on truth to materials and functionality.

Elephants Piling Teak, Burma, Courtesy of the University of Glasgow

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Leather Tanning

  • subtitle: Know Your Leather

By Aurora Almendral | 19 Mar 10 | Leather, Materials | 4 Comments

Leather can be strong or supple; it can drape languidly or provide structure. The memory of the texture stays with your hands, and the earthy fragrance reminds you of its closeness to nature. It responds to the curves of your skin, and grows in character and beauty with age. Fine leather is mesmerizing, and Nick Horween of the venerable Horween Leather Company in Chicago, helped us to understand how this incredible material is created.

Eddie, Horween Leather Co., Cordovan Department, Image by Brett Nadal

Eddie, Horween Leather Co., Cordovan Department, Image by Brett Nadal

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Mother Of Pearl

  • subtitle: Beauty and Brawn

By Aurora Almendral | 3 Mar 10 | Beauty, Materials | 8 Comments

Unlike its flashier progeny, mother of pearl is more than an accessory to a favorite pastel sweater set. As masculine as the grips on Wyatt Earp’s spinning six-shooters, and as feminine as the posy holder dangling from Queen Victoria’s tiniest finger, mother of pearl’s subtle elegance was valued for adornments and accouterments, and lent weight, permanence and beauty to the everyday objects now molded out of disposable plastics.

Gustave Young Engraved Navy Percussion Revolver with Mother of Pearl Handle, 1851

Gustave Young Engraved Navy Percussion Revolver with Mother of Pearl Handle, 1851

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The Power Of Gold

  • subtitle: Shock and Au

By Matt Poitras | 2 Mar 10 | Materials, Metal | 3 Comments

Let’s sidestep all the financial and psychological aspects of gold for a moment and just admire it for what it is. A freakishly beautiful material. Although this might seem obvious, it is not as universally accepted as one might think. The Gold Coast natives of Timbuktu believed that their heaping surplus of gold was actually only worth its weight in salt, and traded it accordingly.

32.15 Ounces of .9999 Fine Gold (24k), Today's Value: $ 35,898

32.15 Ounces of .9999 Fine Gold (24k), Today's Value: $ 35,898

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Aluminum

  • subtitle: Health Concerns and History

By Hans Schnier | 12 Feb 10 | Kitchen, Materials, Metal | 5 Comments

I say aluminum, you say (if you’re the rest of the world) aluminium – let’s call the whole thing off! At this point you would have to have your head buried in bauxite (aluminum in its naturally occurring form) to not be aware of the impact aluminum has had on the modern world.

Frozen Shrimp TV Dinner With Tangy Cocktail Sauce for Extra "Home Style" Touch

Frozen Fried Shrimp Dinner with Tangy Cocktail Sauce for Extra "Home Style" Touch

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Naugahyde

  • subtitle: Pernicious Plastics and Mid-Century’s Modernity

By Brion Paul | 10 Feb 10 | Furniture, Materials, Plastic | 6 Comments

Nothing better invokes the post war optimism and better-living-through-chemistry ideology of America than the most genuine of fakes, Naugahyde. A PVC coated vinyl fabric unleashed into the American marketplace as a replacement for leather, it followed in a long line of heavily and effectively marketed, laboratory launched imitations: Formica’s eclipsing of marble, Con-Tact paper’s mimicry and obfuscating of wood…

Naugahyde: The Great Impostor, 1967

Naugahyde Advertising, 1967 (Read Full Copy at Bottom of Article)

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Safety Razor

  • subtitle: The Indisposable Shaving Solution

By David Vega | 5 Feb 10 | Beauty, Materials | 3 Comments

I was walking on the beach not long ago and came across a sight not entirely uncommon in Southern California – a pile of trash. Scattered amongst this little hill of debris situated along the foamy line where surf meets sand, was: A plastic lighter, an empty Dasani water bottle and a Gillette disposable razor. Further down the beach lay a Bic ballpoint pen. Now, how is it that both Gillette and Bic, who’ve won over consumers with the offering of cheap lighters, razors and pens, keep us convinced that plastic is the material of choice? When did men’s little personal effects become so cheap, so… disposable?

Gilette Safety Razor Catalog, 1909

Gilette Safety Razor Catalog, 1909 / Razor Archive

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Aluminum Ice Cube Tray

  • subtitle: Faster Ice Cubes

By Sebastian Kaufmann | 1 Feb 10 | Kitchen, Materials, Metal | 9 Comments

I was excited when I found this 1950s aluminum ice cube tray. I couldn’t help but  imagine a wealthy Palm Springs divorcee lounging poolside, brightly colored fingernails on her sun-leathered hands, levering ice cubes for a Tom Collins. The best thing about using aluminum is that it makes ice much faster. Plastic and rubber trays are quite inadequate, as they act as insulators between the freezing cold and the water.

1950s Aluminum Ice Cube Tray with Lever

1950s Aluminum Ice Cube Tray with Lever

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Paper Making

  • subtitle: An Industry In Dire Need Of Change

By David Vega | 25 Jan 10 | Materials, Paper, Wood | 3 Comments

Paper has been a key factor in communication and learning and can be traced back to 3000 BC. In those days, Egyptian craftsman cut the stems of the djet or tjufi plant (papyrus in Greek), a tall freshwater reed belonging to a group of plants known in Biblical references as bulrushes. The Egyptians cut the reed into thin strips, softened them in the muddy waters of the Nile, then layered them in right angles. They then pounded the mat into a thin sheet and left it out to dry in the sun. It was clearly a labor-intensive affair, and most likely won the respect of producers and consumers alike; for this reason, it was saved for very important records, fine art, and religious texts.

Paper Stack

Image by John Hubbard

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