Hidden Killers

Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb explores the time when British people embraced modern design for the first time after years of austerity and self-denial. The look and feel of the postwar 1950s home - a 'modern' world of molded plywood furniture, fiberglass, plastics, and polyester.

It was a great age of exploration and science where adventurers returned from the New World with exotic goods previously unknown in Europe. An era in which the newly emergent middle classes had, for the first time, money for luxuries and early consumer goods, many of which contained hidden dangers.

Electricity, refrigeration and a whole host of different materials promised to make life at home brighter, easier and more convenient. But a lack of understanding of the potential hazards meant that they frequently led to terrible accidents, horrendous injuries and even death.

While the Victorians confronted the challenges of ruling an empire, the most dangerous environment they faced was in their own homes. Homeowners lapped up the latest products, gadgets, and conveniences, but in an era with no health & safety standards, they were turning their homes into death traps.