Everyday Design: The Compact Mirror

The everyday object that I chose to look into the design history of was the compact mirror. Ever-faithful in a pinch after eating on the go, or on the rare occasion that I'm actually wearing makeup, my compact is an everyday essential.

A compact is a small two-part case in which a mirror, and sometimes face powder (and an appropriate applicator, like a puff or sponge) is enclosed. Compacts first came into common use in the early 1900s.

The use of mirrors for personal grooming seems to have existed since ancient times. Early humans are thought to have been dark, still water or collected water in a container. Mirrors made of polished obsidian stone have been seen as early as 6000 BC in Anatolia. Polished copper mirrors have been dated to Mesopotamia in 4000 BC.

The coating of metallic surfaces with silver-mercury mixtures has been dated circa 500 AD in China. This then led to the mirrors we know and use today.

Hand-mirrors are a step closer to the compact in that they are both handheld objects for checking one’s appearance, rather than a standing or wall-mounted mirror.

The early 1900s were a time when it was not deemed appropriate for women to be seen openly using makeup, however women were beginning to enjoy more mobility and their makeup would require touching-up/refreshing throughout the day or night. This lead to  the need for makeup and mirrors to be concealed in a woman’s purse. Prior to the invention of the compact as we know it today, powders and mirrors were hidden inside walking sticks, jewellery, hatpins, and compartments in handbags (such as Whiting & Davis bags).

The first compact as we know it was advertised in a 1908 Sears’ catalogue. It was silver-plated and advertised as “small enough to fit in a pocketbook.”

 

In 1911, R. R. Debacher filed a patent for a small hand mirror and vanity case.

The design of the compact as we know it was inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922, and so compacts became more embellished with inset gemstones and designs.

The design of the compact has not changed much since the 1920s. They usually consist of two double sided discs (one side being the outer casing and the other a mirror or tray of pressed powder) connected by one or two hinges so that they can open and close -much like a clam shell.