PORCELAIN UTOPIA features many photographs of Lustron homes from all over the Midwest; Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, and Illinois. The exhibit includes homes in a variety of settings, some that look new and those that have not fared as well over the last seventy-five years. Many Lustron homes have been demolished to make way for the “new kids on the block,” and because their original ingenious design doesn't lend itself to modification or updating.
The Lustron ... view more »
PORCELAIN UTOPIA features many photographs of Lustron homes from all over the Midwest; Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, and Illinois. The exhibit includes homes in a variety of settings, some that look new and those that have not fared as well over the last seventy-five years. Many Lustron homes have been demolished to make way for the “new kids on the block,” and because their original ingenious design doesn’t lend itself to modification or updating.
The Lustron Home, or unit, as it was called, was designed as a mass-produced kit home to accommodate the deluge of returning World War II veterans and their families; a huge wave of demand for rapid construction of new houses that has been equated to the westward population shift of the California Gold Rush.
“Built for only three years between 1947 and 1950, homes made from square steel panels, with a hardened and glistening porcelain enamel outer shell, were peppered throughout the country in working-class communities. Homes designed to withstand the test of time, these porcelain homes have lived up to their lofty goal.” – Dirk Fletcher, the photographer.
The “Lustrons” were very unique in every imaginable way. Slick brochures touted a futuristic lifestyle in a modern home constructed of porcelain-covered steel – inside and out. The sleek interiors were designed with fitted closets, cupboards, overhead radiant heat (which turned out to be not such a good idea) and easy to clean surfaces in an era, and world, where the other options were more conventional frame and brick homes. These homes were viewed as the epitome of affordable modernity with over 50,000 people showing up to tour a model home in Chicago. There were long waiting lists to purchase these homes.
About the Photographer: Dirk Fletcher is an American photographer whose work focuses primarily on the built environment and transportation. He has several long-term projects underway, including the documentation of post-war era porcelain enamel Lustron homes that are located across the country.
He holds an MFA in Independent Filmmaking from Governors State University and a BA from Brooks Institute of Photography. In addition to shooting digitally, he is an avid designer, builder and user of 4×5, 8×10 and panoramic film cameras.
About the Lombard Historical Society: The Lombard Historical Society celebrates Lombard’s heritage by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history of Lombard and operates the Victorian Cottage Museum, the Carriage House and the Society’s Archives at 23 W. Maple Street, and the Sheldon Peck Homestead (a National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site) at 355 E. Parkside Avenue in Lombard. The Peck Homestead hosts activities and groups and is open for tours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The Victorian Cottage is open for tours on Saturdays by reservation only. For more information about membership and volunteer and donor opportunities, please visit lombardhistory.org, email info@lombardhistory.org or phone 630.629.1885.
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