Art Deco

“Art Deco,” a term coined in the 1960s, refers to the style inspired by the 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et modernes in Paris that became popular around the world in the late 1920s and 1930s. Among the hallmarks of Art Deco are stylized forms, metallic surfaces, an embrace of both exotic and machine-age iconography, and the use of strong vertical and diagonal lines. A variant, often termed Streamline Moderne, emphasizing horizontal lines to express forward motion, became especially popular in the United States. The Wolfsonian has many iconic examples of Deco and Streamline design in its collection, from the classically inspired ceramics of Milanese architect Gio Ponti to the “skyscraper” furniture of Paul Frankl to Walter Dorwin Teague’s Kodak Bantam Special camera.