....so, this blog tells the story of a very interesting object that we encounter every day. Some call it the wire coat hanger, others the wire clothes hanger, but its short name, which is massively used is simply the wire hanger. The etymology of the name is quite obvious and clear actually. It describes the material that it is made of (the wire), and the purpose it serves (the hanger). So it gets its name in a lot of languages just by translating this two words. Whether you call it a drahtbügel (ger), or cintre en fil de fer (fr), or even provolochnaya veshalka (ru), it is still a wire hanger you would be talking about.
And the funny thing is that it came into existence by accident. the story says that one ordinary worker by the name of Albert J. Parkhouse, in the distant 1903, didn't have a place for his coat in the factory he worked at, so he picked up a piece of wire and gave it the famouse shoulder-like shape with a hook, and hung his coat on it. The factory responsibles noticed it and thought it was a neat idea. They patented it into their own product and soon after it hit the world crowds. Parkhouse didn't get as rich as one would have imagined. Well, he wasn't given even one dollar, as the company took all the credit, but at least he gave something to the world.
After Prakhouse's invention and the booming increase of popularity of the wire hanger, a lot of other variations of the idea were made and patented as different inventions. A collection of fascinating models was made, untill the wire hanger reached the simplicity we know today.
Surprisingly, as simple as this object is, until today it has been given a variety of uses, and creativity never seizes to astonish us with all the possibilities that a wire hanger can give. Yes, its main purpose still is the hanging of our clothes, but beyond that, today we can see the wire hanger in places that we least expect it. People who get creative in their homes have found ways of twisting and turning and in a few easy steps reshaping it into something else, such as a newspaper holder. Artists that experiment in materials have found it to be perfect for their installations and sculptures. Scottish sculptor David Mach has done these marvels with it! The wire hanger has made it into the industrial design world, too. South Korean 101 design Studio has created a series of lighting fixtures while using wire hangers. The list is endless! Today we can even see it on stamps, the printing comapny Zazzle has issued a series of stamps with wire hangers. for an object that has no taste, no smell, no appealing site, it is amazing how much beauty can come out of it.
Apart from the experimental area, the wire hanger is constantly present in the high circles of society as a part of the fashion world. All the Haute Couture special pieces are hanging on one of these, waiting for their turn to be proudly presented to the rich and famous. Yes, there is a lot of pride in the wire hanger, and it is only growing as the elite is becoming more distinct of us, common mortals. Little do they know that they are commiting almost all of the seven deadly sins. It was also given bad publicity in the comic book series of Alan Robert, where the wire hangers is a symbol of horror. In fact, the wire hanger reached its very popularity as a pop-culture symbol, being a part of this elitist world, but unfortunately the role it was given was a very cheap one, playing the rejected object. In the movie Mommie Dearest, the scene with the wire hanger will be always remembered by the very dramatic phrase No Wire Hangers! Ever!!!!
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