Shelf Space

Description by OLDIES.com:

The war is over, the economy's booming, and the shelves of the local supermarket are groaning under the weight of thousands of items vying for a place in the heart and home of the American consumer. New products and packaging - aerosol sprays, TV dinners, canned beer, and molded plastics - flood the stores, and the package designer's task has never been more challenging, or more fun.

Designers and pop culture buffs alike will revel in this outstanding portfolio of package design from the mid 1940s to mid 1960s. In more than 150 color photos, Shelf Space author Jerry Jankowski presents favorite pieces of the period - a Bing Crosby ice cream carton, a surrealist perfume bottle by Salvador Dali, "Astronaut: The New Game of Outer Space" (for boys), "Let's Do the Dishes" (for girls) - chosen for their strong graphics, classic fifties motifs, social commentary, or quirky humor. Readers will recognize familiar classics like the boldly designed package for Brillo soap pads, the Rice Krispies cereal box, and an early incarnation of the Frisbee. All are cultural time capsules from a rich era of design, reflecting an image of a nation caught somewhere between the old west and the space age.