Manufactured by the Pyrex/Corning Glass corporation in 1945 as an attempt to save metal for the war effort, the so-called Silver Streak glass iron’s beauty is matched only by its utter impracticality. It appears to embody a total contradiction of purposes, like a toaster made out of ice. And yet the result is a marvel of industrial engineering that has a reason for being beyond aesthetics, which is why I find it so inspiring—it’s a mundane household appliance transformed into a work of art. It was originally available in five colors: red, blue, green, silver, and gold, and was in production for only one year. Collectors trip over themselves to get one, or do whatever the Internet equivalent of tripping over oneself is.
First impression: Familiar function, surprising form. The ordinary can be made extraordinary.