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of Trade building and the Old Post Office; and
the Eastern Columbia and Hollywood Bowl
structures in downtown Los Angeles are a
permanent homage to an iconic symbol of
the American Art Deco movement and
Modern America.
On a smaller scale, San Antonio and Miami,
two cities with distinct identities, have
historical districts celebrating the Art Deco
style. Rows of Deco-style hotels line Miami’s
scenic Ocean Drive. Deco buildings are also
scattered along Fredericksburg Road,
connecting several tight-knit San Antonio
communities. Both are now recognized as historic
districts and are under preservation protection.
Ocean liners and movie theatres also emerged during
this period as monuments to the design aesthetic, which was
Rare octagonal bronze medal (front and back shown), engraved by Pierre Turin for carried into the interior of these Art Deco buildings, structures,
the International Exhibition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts which and planned communities. The look was applied to everything from
was held in Paris in 1925. photo: souvienstoideparis.fr the interior design of a single room to the design of household
appliances, furniture, decorative objects, and lighting. It was a look that
The Take-Away required more than one piece to pull it off.
Art Deco fell out of fashion with WWII, often bookmarking the On a more personal level, Art Deco was also the fashion of the day,
design movement between the two world wars and the Great defining design trends in clothing and jewelry. Nineteen-thirties
Depression. Art Deco saw a resurgence fashion was heavily influenced by the
in the 1960s, and today enjoys a strong Art Deco aesthetic. It was always
collectors market across such fields as classy and integrated fine materials
poster art, ephemera, jewelry, desk and craftsmanship into its design. It
and vanity table accessories, fashion, relied heavily on beautifully textured
furniture, appliances, and more. richly dyed fabrics that lent depth to
Ephemera—from poster art to the simple angular lines of the dresses.
catalogs, illustrations, and postcards— These dresses relied on simple shapes
lead in market popularity. They idealize (think “flapper” dresses) combined
the essence of the movement in the with draping and bold colors and
images and stylized look that define the textured textiles to create an overall
era and the Paris Exposition of 1925 and effect which today is easily identifiable
can be found for varying price points. as “of the era.”
An important collection of graphics Although only a moment in design
created as promotional material for the time, the Art Deco aesthetic expressed
exhibition, comprised of one of each of a modern world view in a post-war era
the four posters commissioned for the that even today resonates with
exhibition, one commemorative certifi- consumers, collectors, and historians.
cate given to exhibitors and judges, a While the concept of Modernism
poster advertising the sale of bonds for continues to evolve and be reinterpreted
the exhibition, and an actual bond, sold by designers and admirers, the school of
at a Rago Early 20th Century Design thought that inspired the iconic
auction in January 2021 for $6,250. A designs of the Art Deco
collection of 11 various graphics catalogs era is forever anchored
from the fair is now selling on 1stDibs to this period of time
for $2,500. On the more affordable Nine-piece 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs and its international
level, a rare 27” x 21” bronze award graphics co llection for sale at Wright Auctions debut at the 1925 Paris
certificate to a Czechoslovakian Artisan Exposition.
for his sculpture in the Czechoslovakian Pavilion, sold for $225 in
November 2020 through Invaluable.com. On eBay, a variety of 1925
ephemera—everything from promotional poster stamps, photographs
from the fair, and pavilion postcards—can generally be found for less
than $25. eBay is also a good resource to search for other affordable fair
souvenirs such as medals, photo albums, and plaques.
The greatest takeaway, however, is more permanent than the
souvenirs and images that defined and promoted the 1925 Paris Expo,
especially in America.

The Art Deco Legacy in America
Despite coming late to the party in their embrace of Modernism,
American designers, artists, and architects took the precepts of modern
thought, respect for craftsmanship, and the use of non-traditional
materials infused with a uniquely American point-of-view. Coined
Streamline Moderne, this aesthetic dominated architecture in the years
following the fair and into the Depression.
Such iconic skyscrapers as the Chrysler building, the Empire
State Building, and the Eldorado Towers in NYC; the Chicago Board Evening clothes designed by Jeanne Paquin on display with stylized mannequins.

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