RCA-Whirlpool's 1959 Miracle Kitchen in Moscow - 16mm Film

[cadman]

Something a little more exciting this week, we check-in on how the Kitchen Debate is unfolding with a trip to Moscow and a visit to the RCA-Whirlpool pavilion to see their "Miracle Kitchen" of 1959. Integrated heating and cooling, adjustable lighting, ice at your fingertips, and, wonder-of-wonders, a pop-up potato drawer!

 

[KyletheApplianceGuy]

Seriously so kool! I wonder if anything yet exists or it was all destroyed?

 

[vacerator]

I'm surprised the Kremlin allowed the visitors to see American products. Not anything remotely like what could be accommodated in the average commie block apartment.

 

[cadman]

Seriously so kool! I wonder if anything yet exists or it was all destroyed?

I've wondered that, too and one day would like to put together a little history on it. Over the years WP updated or modified the original up to about 1970. This 1959 Miracle Kitchen was originally presented in the fall of 1958 and debuted in NY before traveling the country, but in its original form it had a large CRT over one of the kitchen counters instead of the small one on the control center, and it also featured the Tappan re-badged microwave oven on the backwall. I suspect some of these changes were made to accommodate an actual wall oven and conventional fridge for the baking activities in Moscow. After touring the globe and receiving annual styling updates, it was finally retired in 1963.

But if you look at the film "7000 Tomorrows", it seems they've re-purposed a number of the props, including the circular control center, now with a dishwasher that rises out of the center. The motorized cabinets also came along for the ride with surface changes and more woodgrain. Where it all went after that, is anyone's guess.