Tupperware

Is there any child of the early 1960’s who didn’t have a mother that had Tupperware parties at home?

Earl Silas Tupper was an American inventor, entrepreneur, and businessman who revolutionized food storage with his invention of Tupperware. Born on July 28, 1907, in Berlin, New Hampshire, Earl Tupper’s innovative products and marketing techniques transformed household food storage and kitchen organization, making him a household name across the world.

Earl Tupper grew up in New Hampshire and showed an early interest in inventions and business. He studied at the Deerfield Academy and later attended Bryant & Stratton Business School in Boston. After completing his education, Tupper worked various jobs, including as a tree surgeon and a salesman for the DuPont chemical company.

In the early 1940s, Earl Tupper began experimenting with plastic containers for food storage. He designed airtight, leak-proof containers made from a new type of plastic called polyethylene. In 1946, he founded the Tupper Plastics Company to manufacture and sell his innovative containers. Initially, the products did not gain much popularity, and the company faced financial challenges.

In 1950, Earl Tupper hired Brownie Wise, a saleswoman with a background in direct marketing, to promote and sell Tupperware through home parties. This approach allowed women to demonstrate the benefits of Tupperware to their friends and neighbors, leading to a surge in sales. Wise’s successful sales strategies led to a significant increase in the company’s revenue, and Tupper realized the potential of this direct marketing approach.

Under the guidance of Brownie Wise, Tupperware home parties became a sensation across the United States. Tupperware Ladies, as the sales representatives were called, hosted parties where they demonstrated the innovative features of Tupperware products and encouraged attendees to make purchases. The home party model proved to be highly successful, and Tupperware sales skyrocketed.

By the mid-1950s, Tupperware had become a household name and a staple in American kitchens. Earl Tupper’s plastic food storage containers revolutionized how people stored and preserved food. The company expanded its product line to include various sizes and shapes of containers, as well as other kitchen and household products.

In 1958, Earl Tupper sold the Tupperware Company to the Rexall Drug Company for a significant sum, and he retired to Costa Rica with his family. He continued to invent and pursue his interests, but Tupperware continued to thrive under new ownership.

Earl Tupper passed away on October 5, 1983, leaving behind a lasting legacy of innovation in food storage and direct marketing. Tupperware remains popular worldwide, and his contributions to the household products industry are still celebrated today.

Sources:
1. Bob Kealing, “Tupperware Unsealed: Brownie Wise, Earl Tupper, and the Home Party Pioneers,” University Press of Florida, 2008.
2. Jennifer L. Pozner, “Tupperware: The Promise of Plastic in 1950s America,” University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001.