In the early years of the twentieth century, scientific progress constantly revolutionised our daily life. After cars and aircraft, it was time to improve comfort levels in the home and ease the burden of household chores. The idea of a houseware show, the Salon des arts ménagers was first suggested by Jules-Louis Breton (1897-1954), engineer and future minister for Hygiene and Welfare. The Salon made its home at the Grand Palais in 1926 and was an immediate success. A solution could be found to all manner of household tasks: from frying eggs to dusting, personal hygiene, heating and ironing could now gain from the use of machines or domestic devices.
The Show reached its heyday in the 1950s. In 1955, the attendance record was smashed with no fewer than 1,400,000 visitors. This festive event, which enjoyed wide media coverage, played a significant role in the growth of democratic consumerism, and also in the development of advertising and design, as well as serving as an excellent indicator of economic and social development in France.
