Art Deco Rediscovered

With Anthony W. Robins

[Virtual tour] Today, Art Deco seems to be everybody’s favorite architctural style – the only one that regularly shows up in the New York Times crossword. So it may come as a surprise that half a century ago, when its rediscovery was just getting underway, the very idea of an Art Deco museum exhibition was controversial, and panned by the New York Times art critic. Almost no Deco skyscrapers were considered for Landmark designation. The AIA Guide to New York – for many the Bible on the subject – subsumed it under the catch-all phrase “modern.” In this virtual tour Anthony W. Robins – author of the award-winning New York Art Deco – A Guide to Gotham’s Jazz Age Architecture and founding member and current vice-president of the Art Deco Society of New York – traces the history of the style, from the original 1925 Paris exposition to the 1966 exhibit that gave Deco its name, and on through its rediscovery in New York City. We revisit Deco victories, from rescuing Radio City in the late 1970s to the interiors of the Waldorf-Astoria in 2017, and look at major restorations. We also consider some of the unfortunate losses – from Bonwit Teller, demolished in 1980, to the McGraw-Hill lobby, stripped in 2021 – a reminder that there is still work to be done.

For all tours, there are no refunds, cancellations, or exchanges unless we cancel a tour. Online registration closes one hour prior to the tour start time.

Registration is now closed.

Sunday, January 8
11:00 AM

Virtual Tour

Tickets:
Member: $15
Non-member: $25

Lobby in the Chrysler Building. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Tony Hisgett. Modifications: photo cropped.