Junk Love: Time Machine Tuesday

You might have noticed by now that I have a thing for time machines, so today when I was sitting on my couch, this thought process actually happened:

(Inner monologue) I really love that chair. It makes me feel like I live in the 1950s.
But then that other chair makes me feel like I live in the 40s. It's like my living room has its own time machine. Oh, my gosh. I wish my living room was a time machine, and then I could change it to any decade I wanted....

And so began the great Google search of living rooms by decade. Since it is currently 2014, I decided to visit 1934, 1944, and so on (but I stopped in the seventies, because we all know 1984 did nothing good for living room decor). Now, let me find that flux capacitor. I know it's around here somewhere....

In 1934, my room might have looked like this:

1944:

1954:

1964:

1974:

On the Radar -- Divine Deco

Carey Mulligan in Gatsby

Baz Luhrmann's reboot of "The Great Gatsby" was set to release this holiday season, getting all the designers in a tizzy to show their very Art Deco best.  Alas, the film's release has been moved to the summer of 2013, but the gorgeous clothes and accessories are everywhere now!

In case you don't know, Art Deco is a design style that started in France in the roaring 1920s, and maintained its popularity through the 1940s.  It's known for its symmetry and rectilinear shapes. We have great "The Skinny" posts about International Art Deco from August of this year: http://blackbirdantiques.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-skinny-international-deco-part-i.html and http://blackbirdantiques.blogspot.com/2012/08/international-deco-part-ii.html .

For today's blog, our round-up of favorites from top designers...

Lanvin, Spring/Summer 2013

Jenny Packham bridal gown, 2013

ASOS evening bag

Alexander McQueen, Spring/Resort 2013

Christian Louboutin

The Skinny -- Typewriter Ribbons and Their Tins

Photo from http://www.booooooom.com

The Blackbird girls love tins, and we have several different specialized tin collections.  One collection in particular can be qualified as an obsession to me -- the typewriter ribbon tin.  The collection and its inception will be dealt with on some distant Junk Love Monday, but for today, we're focusing on the tin's history and design.

According to a great article at http://www.slahs.org/antiqibles/tins/typewriter.htm, the earliest definitely datable typewriter ribbon tin is from the Rogers Manifold and Carbon Paper Company of New York in 1892.  They win that title because they decided to go ahead and file all that pesky patent information, unlike Underwood, who had been making them for at least twenty years before that, in the 1870s.

Selling stuff in tins was common practice.  These were the days when everything came in tins -- tobacco, coffee, tea, chocolates, medicine, bird food, bifurcated rivets...

Sorry, I got distracted thinking about tins.

From Bold Sparrow Vintage on Etsy

In addition to being common practice, selling the ribbons in tins protected them, keeping them safe until it was time to be used.  Well, and you know, they could make them pretty, too. (Psst...that's the most important part!) Bright tins were a great way to catch a customer's eye, mainly because they could use that little tin for storage later -- true recycling.  If your tin was attractive, it was purchased.

Selling ribbons in tins continued through the glorious art deco years and into the mid-century.  There are THOUSANDS of different tin designs, from the strictly informative early tins with lots of text to the super slick streamlined and highly decorative tins that have nothing to do with typewriters or ribbons.  Ah, design for design's sake. 

Many of the best tins were manufactured by Decorated Metal, based in Brooklyn, and can be identified by the name on the lip of the bottom half of the tin.  And yes, I just went and looked on my tins, and I found the mark on some of them.  So trust me, it's there.

Most of the tins you see will be from certain makers, and the most notable makers are: Kee-Lox, Webster, Miller-Bryant-Pierce, Carter's, Mittag & Volger, and the aforementioned non-patent getting company, Underwood.  But as in every industry in the world, there were some small guys under the big boys.  Some of these lesser known companies are: Columbia Carbon (recognizable for the twin ladies, "Clean" and "Good" on the top), A.P. Little (with its "Satin Finish" brand), and Columbia Ribbon & Carbon.

Photo by writingball.blogspot.com

 

In addition to the nationally known brands, there were also the "house" brands of the typewriter manufacturers, too. A few examples are:  L.C. Smith sold "Type-Bar" ribbons; Remington was known as "Paragon" and "Remtico" brand ribbons; Oliver sold "Revilo" ribbons (see the cleverness there yet?); and Corona sold "Pigeon" ribbons.  Department stores has their own brands, too, just like they have house brands of towels, clothes, and anything else today.

    

 Whether covered with flowers, cameo silhouettes, or just decorative text, these tins are like mini time capsules of their eras, often overlooked because of their diminutive size.  One day I'll dive into my bowl full of tins to show you, but until that fateful Monday, here's a great video from offaloffice.  And yes, I'm totally jealous -- I want so many of the ones featured in the clip!

Thanks to http://www.slahs.org/antiqibles/tins/typewriter.htm for the great info!  And also to http://writingball.blogspot.com/2012_03_01_archive.html for the cool ribbon picture!

International Deco Part II

Artistic movements tend to do exactly that--they move. Some travel with lightning speed; others creep along at a glacier's pace. But in any case, as Art conquers new lands, as it absorbs the spice or essence of some new culture, an evolution occurs. It changes in ways too subtle to quantify from one day to the next, but as years become decades, and certain elements gain fame as "iconic" examples, the pattern of transition becomes a little clearer. And so we're back to Art Deco.

charlieroe.com

Last week's post introduced Deco as the pinnacle of early 20th century style and luxury in Europe and North America. This week, we continue the tour around the globe.

Nothing reaches the shores of South America without absorbing a certain percentage of Latin flair. And no place on that continent has more flair than Brazil, particularly Rio de Janeiro. The city is a mecca for Art Deco architecture enthusiasts, and it also happens to be home to the world's largest Art Deco monument: Christ the Redeemer, completed in 1931.

most-famous-places.blogspot.com

Africa's Art Deco legacy begins with Egypt. The geometry of the architecture, paired with the angular figures of tomb art, and the rounded and sharp lines of hieroglyphs, made Egypt a perfect source of inspiration for Deco artists and designers.

Art Deco Egyptian Revival boudoir lamp with skyscraper shade.

antiquehelper.com

The discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922 was the icing on the cake. Egypt Fever spread worldwide, and in addition to a renewed interest in tomb treasures and mummy feet, Egyptian Revival jewelry and furniture hit the market (though not for the first time).

Cartier scarab buckle brooch; genevaanderson.wordpress.com

Much farther south, in the politically tense Union of South Africa (think Apartheid), Art Deco became an obsession. Like several other regions of the continent, South Africa was attempting to elevate itself above the stereotype by emulating some of the more "modern" nations of the Western world. Add to that the fact that the 1930s race for luxury increased the worldwide demand for gold, and South Africa had plenty of it, and you have the perfect opportunity to maximize your best assets by advertising luxury with luxury. Cape Town is still one of the best destinations for Art Deco aficionados.

Market House, Cape Town; chesterton.co.za

Much of Art Deco's appeal was its exoticism, both in materials and style. Asia played an essential role in the progression of the style, both because of its artistic influence, and in the way so many of its cultures fully embraced the Art Deco trend.

kqed.org

China was particularly influential in the realm of furniture design, with its history of simple, linear pieces. There was also the matter of a color called "jade" (which really covers a lot of ground when it comes to the green spectrum, but the 1930s were a decade of green). Money is green. So is envy. And that's Art Deco for you.

Ma Bell Building; freeimagefinder.com

animaland-ecotone.blogspot.com

vandm.com

art-deco-weddings.com

Of course, architectural evidence of the movement is everywhere, from Shanghai to Tokyo. But my favorite Asian deco is of the paper variety. Japan's lithography offers some delightful examples, so many that the Japan Society in NY City recently hosted an exhibit full of them.

salon.com

salon.com

Asian influence also manifested itself in jewelry design. Dark lines, diamonds, and red enamel are a perfect combination!

storage.canalblog.com

Not to be left behind, Australia is home to some great architectural and sculptural examples, and their Art Deco Society is dedicated to the preservation of the style from coast to coast. Here are some really fantastic buildings:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/highplains68/4527549100/

British Medical Society; sydneywebcam.blogspot.com

*Information obtained from: http://www.southafrica.net/sat/content/en/us/full-article?oid=115632&sn=Detail&pid=7014; http://www.adsw.org/perspective/2003/Jewelery/index.html; http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/art_deco_australia.htm; http://www.japansociety.org/event/deco-japan-shaping-art-and-culture-19201945; http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1157_art_deco/virtual/gallery1/east_asia.htm

The Skinny: International Deco Part I

We love Art Deco, so we've decided to spend a couple of posts on the movement as it evolved on each of the continents (except Antarctica, where for some reason, Art Deco never really took off...). This segment will focus on European and North American versions, and next Friday's post will discuss Art Deco in South America, Asia, Australia, and Africa.

Erik Magnussen, 'Cubic' coffee set or 'The Lights and Shadows of Manhattan', silver - Bing Images

Art Deco began in 1910, following fast on the heels of the Art Nouveau movement. It was originally known as Moderne (and variations on that term). In fact, the term Art Deco wasn't used until 1966, long after the movement had fizzled. It reached its European peak in 1925 at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, usually just called the "Paris Exposition." Its grand finale took place at the New York World's Fair in 1939, and the movement declined through the 1940s. We happen to adore the influence that Art Deco had in the world of jewelry and fashion. Cartier, anyone?

deleusejewelers.com

Drawing influence from many art styles, including Cubism, and nations such as Egypt, Greece, Japan, and China, the Art Deco movement created a perfect balance between hard and soft. Tamara de Lempicka, one of the premier female Art Deco painters, managed to make silk look jagged, and her women appear both rugged and delicate at the same time.

echostains.files.wordpress.com

The geometry of the art, paired with the use of precious metals, enamels, marble, and exotic woods, made Art Deco the ultimate representation of wealth and modernity. It was especially important in Europe and America, who suffered from two world wars and a major economic recession during the years of the movement. The style crept across both continents to establish itself as the grand ideal in  architecture, housewares, clothing, accessories, and film. Manhattan became the poster child of Art Deco in America, which is clearly illustrated by the Chrysler Building, one of the most iconic architectural interpretations of the movement.

travelwithterrynyc.blogspot.com

In 1929, the stock market crash resulted in a very necessary decrease in the usage of expensive materials, and ushered in the phase of plastic, aluminum, and chrome items.  This phase of the deco movement also shows a transition from the harder, more geometric lines of the early years, to what was known as "streamlined" design. This was meant to represent the marriage of efficiency and luxury, despite the actual dollar amount in someone's bank account.

decophobia.com

After World War II, however, the western world was struggling to recover from war-induced rationing, and Europe was desperately attempting to clear away the rubble of battle and rebuild. This directly caused the style transition from the luxe look of Art Deco to the more minimalistic streamlining that became the Mid-Century Modern movement. We say change is good, because Art Deco and Mid-Century happen to be our two favorite styles.


*What? Did we say that Art Deco didn't go to Antarctica? Then how do you explain this?!?!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71532145/auguste-bonaz-30s-french-galalith-rare?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=1930s+penguin&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_search_type=vintage

Information obtained from Craft Arts International. 2003, Issue 59, p84-87. 4p. 16