RubberWare

A brief Tupperware history

Amateur inventor Earl Silas Tupper invented Tupperware in the US in 1942 using refined polyethylene. Initially, it failed to impress housewives despite praise from magazines who described it as “Fine Art for 39 Cents”.

In the early 1950s, it was saved by an American housewife Brownie Wise who introduced the Tupperware party; where women gathered in a hostess's home for an evening based loosely on product demonstrations.

By 1951, Tupper withdrew Tupperware from retail stores, making parties the exclusive distribution method. Wise became vice president, leading a multimillion-dollar enterprise.

Tupperware parties became a cultural hallmark of postwar America, embodying both thrift and abundance. Its success lay in its social appeal and the opportunity it provided for women to earn an income when workplace access was limited.

After a gradual decline over time, it finally filed for liquidation late 2024.