Higher Aspirations

Seeing this portly refrigerator described as 'daring' and 'modern' might elicit a chuckle from us now, but in the 1930s, the machine definitely had some moxie. Unfortunately, the monitor-top appliance lacks the architectural elegance of skyscrapers of the day. But you can't blame a fridge [or a copywriter] for trying.

A side-note: The slice of the city depicted in this ad—imaginary, to be sure—reminds me of a view I enjoyed for several years as editor of Kitchens & Baths magazine. From my office on the 42d floor, looking east, I could spy on the rooftop gardens of Rockefeller Center, where GE née RCA currently is headquartered. Small world, isn't it?