Page 59 - AARF 2019-2020

Because America was the only still available, and collectors can
country with skyscrapers, their have fun hunting for examples in
first designs used skyscraper Florida’s antique malls, shows,
motifs. This was the heyday of the and auctions. Nearly every town
flapper 1920’s when short skirts, and city in Florida has a historic
the Charleston museum of
and Scott some sort, and
Fitzgerald style these are great
parties were places to be
all the rage. inspired with
But in 1929, what items
the Stock were in use
Market Crash back then and
and Great might still be
Depression found in local
changed shops.
everything. Because of
Suddenly, the popularity
in order American Streamline Moderne Telechron of inexpensive
to survive, Plastic Clock & Chrome Ashtray of motion
industry pictures
had to providing
make escapism
attractive from those
inexpensive grim times,
items that movie
would catch producers
consumers’ and theatre
attention owners
and were could count
affordable. on eager
They audiences
hired the and hired
“moderne” the more
designers flamboyant
– and we French Art Deco Exotic Zebrano wood coffee Table designers
see Kodak signed by Jules Leleu for their
cameras, lobbies and
Westinghouse clocks, Motorola stages – glamorous films like
radios, kitchen tools, furniture – Busby Berkley’s featured geometric
anything people needed – mass patterns in the dance routines
produced in the new look, with and Donald Deskey designed posh
curved silhouettes, bright colors, Radio City with the Rockettes
pottery and plastics, instead of precision dancers.
traditional rectangular carved and Eventually, because of the love
ornamented wood and expensive affair Americans had with the
smaller bejeweled and gilded automobile and aero-dynamic
porcelain items. Many of these cross-country passenger trains
affordable “modern” objects are Continued on Page 62

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