I’ve always been a sucker for mid-century vintage modern, that period from about 1945 to 1965 when convenience trumped many other considerations and design tended toward the practical (except for automobiles, which became more bizarre). Post-World War II was a boom time; disposable income was high and the generation that had served in the war was looking for easy ways to do things.
This was a time when modern technology replaced the hand labor previously required for many tasks. Automatic dishwashers, clothes washers, and dryers were just a few examples of appliances designed to create more leisure time. Along with automatic functions came “automatic” names. Click on any image for a larger version.
I’m not sure when this trend first appeared; the oldest image here, from Williams Ice-O-Matic refrigerators, appeared in 1929. (A company called Ice-O-Matic still exists, and it produces ice-making machines.)
And how can you not include the great Kodak Instamatic camera in the list?
There seem to be more “O” matics than “A” matics, and quite a few just “matics.” I found quite a few “O-Mats,” too.
There were Walk-a-Matics, Roll-a-Matics, and even Fruit-o-matic vending machines. If it made life easier, it often incorporated some sort of “matic” into the name.
My favorite is the 1950s Bra-O-Matic, which was advertised heavily in women’s magazines. I can’t tell you what made these bras “o-matic,” but apparently they were.
There’s not much more to say about this trend in product naming. Best just to enjoy the names and remember the times when doing things manually was the norm. Now if only someone could come up with a “write-o-matic,” I’d have a lot more time on my hands.
This article was last modified on May 17, 2023
This article was first published on April 23, 2010
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