Made in Canada: Craft and Design in the Sixties

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

These nine essays are more about design than craft, and more about the
1960s than either craft or design.

It was the decade of flower children, communes, hippies, going back to
the land, and alternative lifestyles. The values of simplicity and
“authentic choices” characterized the youth-dominated culture. The
baby boomers began reaching their early 20s in the 1960s and, by virtue
of their huge numbers, were able to affect the way Canada viewed itself.
Space exploration, the availability of plastics, and Scandinavian
influences were part of the movement to break with traditions and focus
on the future.

The nine contributors to this work present their take on what was
happening in Canadian society during the 1960s and each expands on how
that influenced an aspect of design. For example, for two of the
contributors, it was the design of the new Canadian flag that best
captured the search for a unique Canadian identity. For another, it was
the appearance of 22 new airport buildings, with new furniture designs
and dramatic artwork. Expo ’67 and Habitat ’67, “Danish modern”
teak furniture, stereo cabinets that looked like satellites, acrylic
used in furniture, lollipop chairs—each played an important role in
encouraging uniquely Canadian designs.

This thought-provoking book will help those who lived through the 1960s
see the common threads running through a complex era.