American Art Deco: An Illustrated Survey

One of the most popular forms of twentieth-century design, the Art Deco style dominated the decorative arts in the 1920s and '30s. Championed by progressive architects and inspired by such diverse... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486433749
• ISBN13: 9780486433745
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.5" x 0.5" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

An Early Manifesto of American Modernism

This book is an unabridged re-publication of a Depression era book titled, "Annual of American Design 1931 by the American Union of Decorative Artists and Craftsmen". Right off the bat, the most negative thing about this book is that it is a Dover Publication Reprint. This means the quality of the publication is mediocre. Both the paper and binding are cheap. The photo quality is decent. This is no museum quality monograph on American Modernism. If you have the money and interest, try to find the original publication. I am sure that it is highly collectible. The book is divided into nine chapters dealing with such fundamental decorative building blocks as, "The Shop", "Halls, Walls and Fittings" and "Graphic Arts in Advertising". The text for these chapters were written by some great American Modernists of the 1930's. There are short manifestos by such important artists as Kem Weber, Paul Frankl, Frank Lloyd Wright and Edward Steichen. These short texts give the reader great insights into the American modernist mind of the 1930's. The second strength of this book is the large number of black and white photos that illustrate the text. The creations of such modernists as Von Nessen, Deskey, Rhode, Bel Geddes and Karasz are lovingly photographed. This is a valuable book for anybody trying to gain a deeper understanding of American modernist thought in the 1920-30's. This is a great second tier book for people who have read most of the contemporary books on the American take on Modernism such as "Depression Modern" and "American Modernism". If you are not sure, at $14 a copy, you cannot go wrong by purchasing this book.