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Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Space Age

 

Today I'm back at Art Journal Journey, where I'm joining my friend Erika, AKA BioArtGal.  Erika's theme at AJJ this month is In the good old summertime. 

Erika tells us we can create a page using something old, something summery, or both.  What is more summer than eating salads.  They are cool, refreshing, and don't heat the kitchen.  

The same can be said for the microwave oven.  Touch outside the oven and it is the same as the ambient temperature of the kitchen.  

The microwave was invented in the early 1920s.  Items were cooked using radio waves made possible by vacuum tube radio transmitters.  According to Wikipedia:

At the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, Westinghouse demonstrated the cooking of foods between two metal plates attached to a 10 kW, 60 MHz shortwave transmitter. The Westinghouse team, led by I. F. Mouromtseff, found that foods like steaks and potatoes could be cooked in minutes.

Even though meals tend to be lighter in summer, there were times on the weekend people wanted a hearty breakfast.  They also wanted sit down dinners.  That was when the microwave shined.  Therefore I give you the following tribute to the microwave.

This is the space age star of the kitchen.  Detail images are below.
 






I began with black 9 X 12 in (22.86 X  30.48 cm) 140 lb. watercolor paper I cut down to 8.5 X 11 in (21.59 X 27.94 cm).  I then found images of microwave ovens from the 1970s and printed them using my black only toner printer.  
 
I found these two wonderful images in a local magazine (The Union Central Advocate) from 1970 in my stash.  Normally when I print images I have to lighten them or they are too dark.  This time was different.  I may have lightened both images a bit too much.  The top image shows a weekend breakfast for four.  It included baked apples, baked eggs with sausage, graham cracker breakfast bread, jams and jellies, and coffee for four.
 
The bottom image shows a sit down dinner that included crab stuffed artichokes, salmon steaks with sour cream cucumber sauce, new potatoes, walnut buttered Brussels sprouts, and cherry pie for six.
 
The words were computer generated and printed using my black toner printer.  Microwave ovens today often include air fryers and convection ovens. 
 
Thanks ever so much for dropping by today.  It means the world to me. I hope you enjoyed this rather different look at my interpretation of In the good old summertime at  Art Journal Journey.  

 

8 comments:

  1. Wow, that is interesting! I grew up (behind a rock) without a microwave. Ingo had one, a Miele. It lasted over 20 years! 30? We have a Miele again, as our washing machine.

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  2. ...microwaves sure changed the kitchen!

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  3. I would go mighty hungry without my microwave….haven’t turned the stove/oven on in YEARS 😸‼️

    happee white fizh wednezday bleu N squiggles 💚🐾‼️😸

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  4. I think this microwave looks very similar to the first one I had a very very long time ago. It makes an interesting page though, and it works great for my AJJ challenge. I like that someone went vintage...and not just summer vintage. Thank you. higs-Erika

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  5. We have no microwave till today... but I love the vintage Collage about very much.
    Greetings by Heidrun ❤️

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  6. Yes, I use the microwave a lot in the summer!! A very beautiful collage... in general, I really like vintage-style creations!!

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  7. This is a lovely collage.
    Happy Thursday Wishes... this week is flying by!

    All the best Jan

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  8. I never saw a microwave until five years after the 1969 moon landing, but I sure learned how to use one quickly! I really like your collage, Elizabeth!

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