American Art Deco

296 Pages·1986·42.73 MB·English

by  Alastair Duncan

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Art Deco was the most important decorative
style of the late 1920s and 30s, and its expression
in America was seen in architecture, sculpture,
furniture, textiles, ceramics, silver, graphic arts,
—
jewelry in virtually every area of the fine and
decorative arts. This splendid book explores the
indigenous tradition of Art Deco in America
and, in over 500 illustrations, reveals the
beauty and extent of the style as it was mani-
fested in the United States.
Art Deco, which in its pure form reached its
climax at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des
Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris,
had an impact on art and design that was felt
throughout the Western world. When similar
exhibitions appeared in American museums
and department stores, American designers
were quick to take hold of the new style and
make it their own, and it became enormously
popular.
Most of the important buildings of the era, in
all parts of the country, were embellished with
strong Art Deco themes. William van Alen, Ely
Jacques Kahn, and Joseph Urban, among oth-
ers, created some of the most memorable archi-
tecture of the century: the Chrysler Building
and Radio City Music Hall in New York; the
Union Trust Building in Detroit; the Richfield Oil
Building and the Pan-Pacific Auditorium in
Los Angeles.
Furniture, whether in homes, offices, restau-
rants, or nightclubs, was revolutionized by Art
Deco's modernist stylizations (including the
uniquely American skyscraper motif), and
American designers from Paul Theodore Frankl
to Donald Deskeyto Russel WrighttoWaltervon
Nessen created sofas, screens, and dressing
tables in the Art Deco spirit. On radios, book
—
covers, fabrics, automobiles the influence of
Art Deco abounded.
This beautifully produced volume displays
and discusses American Art Deco in all its varia-
tions. Brilliant illustrations, including 233 plates
in superb color, make the period between the
world wars come to life in objects ranging from
cocktail shakers to the Trylon and Perisphere of
the 1939 World's Fair. Alastair Duncan, an inter-
nationally acknowledged authority on Art Deco
and Art Nouveau, and the author of ten books
on the subject, brings the style into focus in a
detailed and entertaining text. This is truly the
definitive volume on the American interpretation
of one of the most successful design styles of
the century.
502 illustrations, icluding 233plates in full color
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CIVIC CENTER 3 1111 00999 7741
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DECO
AMERICAM ART
JacquesSchnier "TwoDancers," bronzegroup, 15
in. (38cm)high, 1931 (collectionJohnP.Axelrod)
DUNCAN
ALASTAIR
I
DECO
AMERICAN ART
=
HARRY M. ABRAMS, IMC.
=
RUBLISHERS,NEWY()RK
—
K NICHOLAS
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-Publication Data
Duncan,Alastair, 1942-
Americanartdeco.
Bibliography: p.
Includesindex.
—
1.Artdeco UnitedStates. 2.Art,Modern
20thcentury—UnitedStates. I.Title.
N6512.5.A7D86 1986 709'.73 86-3561
ISBN0-8109-1850-1
Copyright©1986ThamesandHudsonLtd,London
Publishedin 1986byHarryNAbrams,
Incorporated,NewYork.Allrightsreserved. Nopart
ofthecontentsofthisbookmaybereproduced
withoutthewrittenpermissionofthepublishers
TimesMirrorBooks
PrintedandboundinJapan
COMTEMTSI
INTRODUCTION
7
1
2 EXHIBITIONS 20
3 FURNITURE 31
4 LIGHTING AMD CLOCKS ((
5 SILVER 79
6 METALWARE 95
CERAMICS
7 104
8 GLASS 122
9 TEXTILES
131
ARCHITECTURE
10 146
SCULPTURE
207
11
PAINTING AND GRAPHICS )34
12
JEWELPY
13 246
WOPLDEAIPS
14 258
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN )(7
15
NOTES ON THE TEXT 279
BIBLIOGRAPHY 286
APPENDIX )S7
INDEX )S7
IN WIN (AIINs
\(
Myverysinceregratitudetothemanywhoprovidedready AlanMoss,theMuseumoftheCityofNewYork(Jennifer
assistanceandinformationinthecompilationofthisbook. Bright),JanNadelman,VictorNardmi,theNationalMuseum
ofAmericanArt(Dr.ElizabethBroun,TomBower,PatriciaC.
These,inalphabeticalorder,includeLynnAbbie,HerbertS. Geeson,BarbaraNosanow,andRachelM.Allen),Albert
Adler,theArtInstituteofChicago(SherylBailey),theAtlantic Nesle,theNewarkMuseum(UlyssesG.Dietz),theNiagara
RichfieldCompany,theAuburn-DuesenbergMuseum MohawkPowerCorporation(JamesM.Cosgrove),the
(GreggButtermore),theAveryLibrary(JanetParks,Harriet NorthwestArchitecturalArchives:UniversityofMinnesota
Stratis,andJayHendricks),JohnP.Axelrod,BobBarrett, (AlanLathropandSusanBrown),theNortonGalleryand
BecketAssociates,JosephDuciBella,BillBenedict,Michael SchoolofArt,theMuseumofArtofOgunquit(HenryStrater),
Bleichfeld,RichardBohl,FrederickBrandt,WalterScott JohnPerricault,PfluegerAssociates(DebraHuskisson),
Braznell,CarloBreeze,BrookgreenGardens(RobinA. RussellP.Phillips,MaximePolack,theQueen'sMuseum
Salmon),TheBrooklynMuseum(DianePilgrimand (EileenShepherd),DonReed,AnthonyRobins,the
ChristopherWilk),Dr.AnnellaBrown,theBuffaloandErie RockefellerCenter(AnitaMcGurnandJamesReed),the
CountyHistoricalSociety(ThomasPayne),theButlerLibrary RockwellMuseum(BobbyRockwellandMichaelDuty),
(AlisonScott),BarbaraB.Capitman,TheCarnegieInstitute JosephRosenburg,WilliamRothschild,ChristineRoussel,the
(PhillipM.Johnston),CharlesH.Carpenter,Jr.,theCatalino SaintLouisArtMuseum(ChristinaH. Nelson),theSan
IslandMuseumSociety(PatriciaAnneMoore),IrwinS. FranciscoPublicLibrary(GladysHansonandPatriciaAkre),
Chanin,theChicagoHistoricalSociety(SharonS.Darling, RobertSchoelkopf,ViktorSchreckengost,ArlenePalmer
WimdeWit,ZabraClark,andRobertBreugmann),Christie's Schwind,SeveranceHall(DeniseHorstmanandTimothyD.
NewYorkandGeneva(DavidRobinson,PeterL.Daly,Karin Parkinson),AmyFreedmanSharak,JuliusShulman,
L.Willis,Mary-BethMcCaffrey,LeslieWeckstein,Carol Sotheby'sNewYork(JacquelineSamolsandAmyMurphy),
Haggerty,HansNadelhoffer,SueFiamma,DebiJackson, JewelStern,JohnStern,theSteubenGlassCompany(Chloe
GeorgesdeBartha,AxelleThijssen,andJosephSiejack),the Zerwick),WilliamStraus,DavidStravitz,RichardStriner,the
ChryslerMuseum(NancyO.Merrill),theCincinnatiArt TampaMuseum(RebeccaL.Wilson),JeffreyThier,Tiffany&
Museum(KarenZukowski),theClevelandInstituteofArt Co.(JohnLoringandKathyMurtha),KazTsuruta,Susan
(DennisBuckandRobertaA.Hubbard),theCleveland Tunick,CharlesUht,theUniversityArtMuseum: Universityof
MuseumofArt(HenryHawley),JoyceColton,theCooper- CaliforniaatSantaBarbara(ProfessorDavidGebhardand
HewittMuseum(ElaineE.Dee,DavidMcFadden,Timothy GavinTownsend),ElayneVarian,WilliamWarmus,George
Rub,WilliamClagett,DerekOstergord,MargaretLuchars, H,WatermanIII,WilliamT.Weber,LarryWhiteley,the
SarahA.Seggerman,ScottHyde,andCathyMartinez),The WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt(JodyErdman),Carol
CorningMuseumofGlass(PriscillaPriceandJane Willis,RobertWinter,DianeWolf,theMitchellWolfson,Jr.,
Spillmon),theCowanPotteryMuseum(VictoriaF.Peltz),the CollectionofDecorativeandPropagandaArts(Stephen
CranbrookAcademyofArt(SusanWaller),MichaelCrowe, Greengard,CarolAlper,andMercedesA.Quiroga),the
theDallasHistoricalSociety(PeggyRiddle),WilliamDavis, YaleUniversityArtGallery(PatricioKaneandKarenDavies),
Jr.,AnthonydeLorenzo,MonroeDenton,theDetroitInstitute andLarryZim.
ofArts(PatriciaK.LawrenceandMaryAnnWilkinson),
MartinDiamond,MartinEidelberg,RichardFarnan,CarlU. Particularthanksisextendedtothefollowingforspecial
Fauster,MarkFeldman,CatherineA.Fitch,BarryFriedman, assistance:RandyJuster,whosemanyphotographsattest
DenisGallion,VernonGay,LaurieGentile,VickyGold, admirablytohisabilitiesasaphotographerandhisbroad
RobertGoodman,DavidHalpern,RitaHanke,David knowledgeofAmericanArtDecoarchitecture;KatherineC.
Hanks,Hedrich-Blessing(WilliamThompkins),Tony Kurland,forinnumerablehoursofresearch,muchofit
Heinsbergen,TerryHelgesen,LloydHerman(theRenwick tedious,AlanMoss,forhisreadinesstoshareinformationin
Gallery),AdamC Heyman,PeterHill,WilliamHill,Hirschl afieldinwhichhehaslongbeenanacknowledged
andAdler(SusanMenconi),theIndianapolisMuseumofArt authority;TimothyRub,fortheselflessmannerinwhichhe
(JanetFeemster),Inglett-Wolson(DanInglettandGene offeredinvaluablearchivalandphotographicsourceswhich
Watson),CarlY.In,JamesJ Jennewein.theJordan-Volpe wouldotherwisehavebeenmissed,andAlice,mywife,for
GalleryIToddVolpe),RondyJuster,MurielKarasik,DunyB bothherexpertadviceonAmericansculptureandher
Kotzmon,GraceKeating,RonaldandLeeKeno,VickiLevi, supportthroughthreeyearsofresearch.Thanks,also,to
SydneyandFrancesLewis,theLibraryofCongress(Ford DonaldDeskeyandViktorSchreckengostfortheircomments
Peatros),MilesLoune,MichaelandWendyLubin,Mark onvarioussectionsofthetext Finally,thebookisatributeto
MacDonald,Mrs Malatesta,DonaldMcCormick,the thepioneerresearchbyKarenDavies,whose1983
MetropolitanMuseumofArt(CraigMiller,LindaG Lawson, exhibitioncataloguefortheYaleUniversityArtGallery,At
andAndrewSpahr),AllenMichaan,RandalMichelson,the HomeinManhattan,provided,inpart,theimpetusforthis
MinnesotaMuseumofArtIGlonaKittleson),DanielMorris, book