Cultural Modernism

I really enjoyed the way Tomes presented germ theory as part and parcel of the nascent mass-production and consumer culture of the early 20th century. It is evident from her work that the gospel of germs was the impetus for myriad products and inventions to aid the public in their quest for cleanliness as well as line the pockets of entrepreneurs, but more interesting to me was germ theory's profound impact on the decline of the Victorian aesthetic. Architecture and style help define an era, and it is no coincidence that the Victorian style of ornamentation, high detail, and plush interiors fell by the wayside during the early 20th century. "Antisepticonscious" Americans recognized these household environments as attractive to germs and dust as they were to the Victorians they housed. Tomes briefly touches upon this architectural and stylistic change on pages 158-161, but it makes sense to me that germ theory may have had a hand in the advent of Bauhaus and especially Art Deco styles of architecture and design that emerged after WWI. Specifically Art Deco construction with its emphasis on clean lines, polished metal and glass materials (easily cleaned!) seem to be intimately connected and driven by this cultural modernism Tomes ties in with germ theory.