display: lipstick

DateCirca 1955 - 1965

MediumMETAL

Donor credit lineKendall Whaling Museum Collection Transfer

Object number2001.100.2484

Institutional Credit LineCourtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum

Description1 of 9 items originally in Kendall for display purposes only.

This lipstick was likely chosen for the Kendall display case because whale blubber was often used as an ingredient in lipsticks, and this lipstick is of the time period that that occured.
Tube of Revlon lustrous lipstick in shade "Orange Float". The tube type is from Revlon's "Futurama" line, which was launched in the mid-1950s and remained popular through the early 1960s. There were multiple tube designs to choose from, and advertisements claimed that they were designed by the jewelry company Van Cleef and Arpels, thought it is likely that was a partnership in name only.
The novelty of the futurama lipstick cases were that they were easily refillable, and women could purchase refils in any Revlon color they preferred. Lipstick tubes had been refilliable since the 1920s, however this would require the lipstick itself to be touched when it was being replaced. Revlon's design put the lipstick refils in smaller tubes of their own, so only the tubes had to be handled. The refills would click in and click out quickly and without any lipstick getting on one's hands.

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