American design for a very long time has been marked by utility, with function being more important than form. However, once upon a time, beauty had an equal part, and an age of stunning beauty in the form of architecture, artwork, automobiles, and industrial design followed. That age was the era of Art Deco—one that not only reshaped America’s skylines but reignited a desire and a hope for beauty in contemporary times.

Art Deco was a declaration of a move forward, of confidence, of cultural melting pot, rather than a style. But how did it emerge, and why did it resonate so with 20th-century America?

The Essence of Art Deco: Harmony between Tradition and Modernity

Deep down, Art Deco is a synthesis of classical grandeur and modern efficiency. It borrows from a broad range of sources—Ancient Greece and Rome, Mesoamerica, Egypt, and East Asia—distilling them into a streamlined aesthetic that embraces bold geometry, symmetry, and lavish decoration.

Key characteristics of Art Deco include:

Striking symmetry – Harmonious and balanced compositions that produce visual stability.

Epic proportions – Colossal buildings in a style recalling ancient temples.

Ornamental craftsmanship – Precision in even the minutest of details.

Geometric precision – Lines and angles with a futuristic look.

A spirit of advancement – a joy in velocity, in force, and in technological advancement.

The style emerged as a response to a fundamental question: Was artistic craftsmanship consistent with mass production? To this, Art Deco answered a resounding “yes.”

Art Deco’s ascendancy in America: Beyond Decoration

Although Art Deco began in Paris, in its premiere at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, it reached its full development in America. America, with its industrious expansion and booming economy, embraced Art Deco as a reflection of its success and aspirations.

In contrast to the loud functionalism that later marked modern structures, Art Deco maintained a commitment to human-centered design. Skyscrapers were not just monoliths—they were covered in intricate motifs, rich materials, and carved ornamentation that made them monumental and yet inviting. Even common things like radios, lamps, and automobiles were crafted with a sense of elegance.

This union of entrepreneurship and imagination transformed America into a new epicenter of cultural innovation, combining traditional grandeur with future-thinking advancement.

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Classic Art Deco Masterpieces: Honoring Eternity in Style

Victoire, René Lalique (1928)

Inspired by the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Lalique’s piece redefines the classical Nike in terms of the sharp lines and streamline form characteristic of Art Deco. As a hood ornament for an automobile, Victoire embodies the synthesis of beauty and function within the movement.

30th Street Station, Philadelphia (1933)

One of America’s most breathtaking train stations, 30th Street Station is a mix of grandeur in a classical style and modernism in an Art Deco form. Towering columns, striking lights, and careful detail make it not only a transportation stop but a church of motion and development.

Ogden High School (1937)

Ogden High School’s Art Deco schoolhouse defies the utilitarian, cookie-cutter schoolhouse model of most contemporary schools, and serves as a model of what schools can, and should, aspire to be. So much did its community love it that, in its dilapidated state, it chose a costly restoration over demolition in 2014, a testament to the enduring beauty of Art Deco.

The Eagles of the Chrysler Building (1928)

Rome’s imperial eagle embodied power, intelligence, and drive, and America longed to replicate them in its rise to global prominence. Chrysler Building’s stylized stainless-eagle motifs, taken from car styling, seamlessly span modern and ancient times.

450 Sutter Street, San Francisco (1929)

Beyond Greco-Roman, this building echoes Art Deco’s fascination with Mesoamerican design. Wavy facade and intricate terracotta reliefs call to mind Mayan architectural themes but employ the verticality of a modern skyscraper.

The 20th Century Limited, commissioned for Henry Dreyfuss (1938)

One of the most luxurious trains of its time, 20th Century Limited was not merely a means of transportation but an experience in itself. Each aspect, from its streamlined exterior to its sumptuous decoration, was designed with attention, and it remains today a rolling testament to Art Deco’s pursuit of beauty and function.

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The Art Deco Legacy: What Can We Learn Today?

Art Deco’s impact extends far beyond the 20th century. It was a movement that solved the age-old tension between mass production and artistic integrity, proving that functionality and beauty need not be mutually exclusive.

Today, the question is: Can Art Deco stage a comeback? With its excessive grandeur, it can sometimes seem counterintuitive in an era of modern-day minimalism, but its underpinnings—intelligent design, skill, and a nod to progression—resound with modernity. Were America to stage a new renaissance in Art Deco, it could draw upon new sources: technological advancement, eclecticism, and global connectivity.

The New York headquarters for JPMorgan Chase, an all-electric skyscraper in the future, proposes a return to bold, aspirational buildings. Can it mark a new era in buildings with an Art Deco-inspired style?

The Art of Progress: Reflections at an End 

One of the most graphic representations of Art Deco ideals is José Maria Sert’s American Progress (1937). Sert’s painting, which was commissioned to replace Diego Rivera’s controversial mural, shows titanic figures forging a giant city, emblematic of America’s work ethic and intellectual strength.

 Unlike Rivera’s initial work, in which political ideology’s complexity was represented, American Progress is an unambiguous tribute to inventing, drive, and limitless potential. As we head towards the future, then, perhaps the actual lesson of Art Deco isn’t its beauty, but its ideology: an unshakeable confidence in progress, a dedication to artistry, and a trust in the capability of design to move, to elevate, and to outlast.

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