Shawnee, Kansas -
All-Electric Model House Tour

Arrived just in time to miss the last tour. But I did sneak a shot through the back door. Pretty much looks like any house in my mom's neighborhood. Wait. Is that my mom's china? And aren't those her lyre-back chairs? Are those Mom's clean and cleared kitchen surfaces? Definitely not.

If you look close on the photo's left you can see the access to the "hidden" area behind the fireplace where the TV resides. The baseboards have built-in electrical outlets every 3ft. [Hardy, 06/02/2010]

From the Johnson County Museum of History web site: "Whether you're a child of the '50s or just curious about lifestyles from this nostalgic era, The 1950s All-Electric House at the Johnson County Museum of History offers an eye-opening look at the technology of the times. Futuristic features include: hidden televisions, electric curtain openers, trendy appliances and 'moon glow' lighting. Step inside this 'house of the future' and it's suddenly 1954 all over again! " [L C, 07/21/2004]

The Johnson County Museum of History has an exhibit "Seeking The Good Life," and a tour of a 1953 "all electric" home. The exhibit was interesting, and the house was fun. The house has been renovated back to '50s splendor, and the electric amenities were great: electric curtain closures and pulls, television behind a slide-away picture panel above the electric fireplace. The television remote controls are hard wired, and there are cables to the remotes. There is a remote for the television outside on the patio, so the television could be watched and the channels changed while barbecuing! The tour of the home was given by a young woman dressed in a 1950s suit, with hat and gloves, no less. She seemed to like her job and was looking forward to hostessing a '50s Christmas party with aluminum tree with revolving color wheel and plenty of Jell-o snacks for everyone. [Naomi, 06/20/2001]