Category Archives: Art Deco

A Belated Farewell to 2023 – The Poster House

The Poster House

The Poster House, 119 W. 23rd St., NY, NY (photo from their website)

As we bid a belated farewell to 2023, Anthony and I met with fiends in NYC to visit the Poster House. And if you have never heard of this museum, neither had I. I was blown away by the display of original Art Deco posters.

There are two exhibits currently running. On the main floor is: Art Deco: Commercializing the Avant-Garde. On the lower level is: We Tried to Warn You! Environmental Crisis Posters, 1970-2020. Both run now through February 25, 2024.

The Poster House

A celebration of Art Deco Posters

This is a perfect adventure for those with a few hours to fill. They are open Thursday through Sunday with extremely affordable ticket fees. Under 18 is free, all others range from $8-$12.00.

It is a relatively small space: 2 floors, café, gift shop and a generous lounge area.  This show occupies the first-floor exhibition room.

The posters are a mix of international pieces and each distinctly show-cases that country’s take on what we now call Art Deco.

There were so many things to see, admire and learn about. Here is a small sampling.

On the left, Severo Pozzati’s (AKA: Sepo) 1932 Noveltex. The design is a combination of Cubism and Deco. Noveltex was a men’s French shirt company. Note the angled “s”, sometimes called the “escalator ‘s’. This is to provide visual motion as a counterpoint to the rest of the static font.

On the right, J.C. Leerdam, Jr.’s, Glaswerk Leerdam (date unknown). Leerdam was a Dutch glassworks factory producing items from the 1910s through the 1920s. They worked with various designers and artist to create and bring avant-garde products to the general population.

Unfortunately, their target audience didn’t need martini glasses and decanters. This poster features the relatively new airbrushing technique and considered one of the most luxurious of the company’s advertisement.

Art Deco Poster House

La Revue Black Birds by Paul Colin, 1929

This 1929 poster is by Paul Colin and called, La Revue Black Birds. With the debut of Josephine Baker in 1925, Paris embraced the “Black Craze”. The 1928, Broadway musical comedy, Blackbirds of 1928, came to the Moulin Rouge in 1929. And note the red windmill that is a nod to the Moulin Rouge.

Colin incorporated caricatures of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Adelaide Hall, and Tim Moore, stars of the show. Patrons recognized his stylized forms that he used to represent all races.

This is a circa 1930s Fine Calvados poster by Noël Fontanet a prolific Art Deco designer. Here he uses a trio of upper-class gentlemen to publicize an “affordable” (read: low-grade) brandless product. Simple, triple  geometric forms is an oft used Art Deco motif. Fontanet reworked this design in a 1942 poster for Morgafarin seen on the left. But this image is a not part of the collection and  was included by them just for comparison.

Art Deco Poster House

A trio of Cigarette Ads 1929- 1933

Here is a trio on display. On the left from 1933 is Week End Cigarettes. This is another example by Paul Colin and commissioned by the French government’s cigarette monopoly started in 1932. Its mission was to compete, and in response to, the lighter tobacco brands called “gout anglaise” (English taste). The poster design incorporates three similar smokers sharing a pack as they lounge, enjoying their life of leisure.

In the upper right is the 1932 Beristain: Dunhill advertising poster by Jacint Bofarull. Spared a less catastrophic Depression than other countries allowed some Spanish luxury brands and stores such as Beristain to weather the storm. In all, Bofarull designed 4 posters featuring different accessories. Here he shows off the first lighter designed to use with one hand.

On the bottom left is M.J.B. Lyra Extra. This is a rare example of a 1929 German poster for Lyra cigarettes. The company was founded by Max Wagowski, a Jewish film producer. But the company was dissolved in 1931.  This design is influenced by the Expressionist movement often seen in German cinema. The Initials on this poster possibly stands for Martin Jacoby-Boy but doesn’t resemble his known signature.

Art Deco Poster House

Most tea drinkers are familiar Twining Tea. This poster is from 1930 and is by Charles Loupot. Twining Tea dates back to the early 1700s and opened it’s first shop in Paris, 1910.  Note the Kimono shaped “T” used to reinforce the product’s Asian origins. And the use of Cubism in the cup seen from both above and from the side.

Art Deco Poster House

Visitors can get up-close to admire the workmanship

Our friend Jonathan admires a trio of Travel related posters. On the right, and top are the 1936 Australia: Surf Club and the 1937 Australia: Great Barrier Reef. These are just 2 of Gert Sellheim’s series designed for the Australian National Travel Association. Sellheim deeply appreciated, and was the first artist to incorporate Aboriginal motifs in his designs.

On the right, Mar del Plata from 1930. The artist, Ernesto Scotti designed these during the brief popularity of Art Deco in Argentina. Other than some notable architecture, Fascist military rule squelched the widespread use of deco. This design features one of the attractions found in the resort town of Mar del Plata, the “greatest spa” in Argentina.

Art Deco Poster House

Dubonnet Triptych by A.M. Cassandre, 1932

This famous 1932 Triptych, Dubo, Dubon, Dubonnet is a masterpiece of design. A.M. Cassandre uses bold simple graphics with humor. This innovative poster proved so effective, and popular, that various versions are reimagined and printed to this day. The original design was reprinted in 1956 for the Danish market.

If you follow the “story”: Du bo – pronounced Du beau (looks good), Du bon (tastes good) and Dubonnet the complete brand name.

The Poster House

Anthony, Meg, Jonathan and some dude we don’t know enjoying the displays

The Poster House

Leroy by Paul Colin,1938

Paul Colin’s 1938 Leroy is a departure from his usual works. He primarily designed theatre and cabaret themed works. He may have taken this commission as a favor for a friend who owned this business. Note that the lettering is slightly blurred to encourage the view to take a second glance. And in doing so, check that their eyesight is fine. A humorous take on a poster for glasses.

Personally, I want to know how he keeps the glasses on with no ears or nose!

The Poster House

A grouping of transportation ads

On the right is a 1930s Bugatti poster by René Vincent and was created at the height of the Art Deco movement. The clever wheel design gives the impression of movement and speed. Better known for his depiction of fashionable ladies, he incorporates the use of female figures as both driver and passenger.  Vincent celebrated the newly found freedoms of the “New Woman” of the 1920s and 1930s.

Shown at the top center is Edward McKnight Kauffer’s 1931 Power: The Nerve Centre of London’s Underground. England was a bit apathetic to the Art Deco movement. However, London Transport used this style in several of its advertisements and buildings from the 1920s through the 1930s.  This powerful image combines man’s mastery over machine by  fusing the two as the arm reaches out to grasp and control electricity.

On the bottom center is Exactitude, by Pierre Félix-Masseau, 1932. Félix-Masseau apprenticed under Cassandre from 1926-1928 and adapted many of Cassandre’s motifs for himself. This example is one of his best and similar to Cassandre’s Nord Express. The main difference between the two is Félix-Masseau’s warm pallet and inclusion of a human figure. Here is a picture on the of Nord Express. It is not part of the collection but shown for comparison.

The Poster House

Nord Express by Cassandre note the similarity to Félix-Masseau’s Exatitude

Olle Svanlund’s 1933 Trelleborg is advertising rubber tires. And note the details of the product while the actual vehicle fades into the background. A diagonal layout gives the feeling of motion and forces the eye across the page. The faceless man is common in deco advertising. And it allows the viewer to imaging themselves as the participant.

Giuseppe Riccobaldi del Bava (Gionata del Prodotto Italiano, 1930). The numbers under the 1930 indicate Mussolini’s 8th year in power.  It advertises a festival of Italian products with emphasis on food, textiles, artisanal and industrial wares. The target audiences is communities with large Italian-speaking communities both in Italy and internationally.

Here are a few more shots of the exhibit.

The Poster House Transportation

Simple graphics above and speed below exemplified the modern way to travel.

Art Deco Poster

“Art Deco was the style of an age of extremes” – Ghislaine Wood

The Poster House Sporting Events

Deco used to promote sporting events.

Art Deco Poster

Au Bucheron – A.M. Cassandre, 1926

I find the next couple of posters (below) a bit creepy!

Art Deco posters

L’Intrans – all things though electricity

This part of the exhibit is dedicated to the decline in the popularity of the Art Deco movement.

Art Deco Posters

The death Of Deco

I don’t know how, but Anthony and I ended up on this vintage poster below. Its advertising St. Raphael Quinoina, an orange and chocolate aperitif.

Art Deco posters

St Raphael Quinoina

And as we leave this exhibit, we wandered downstairs. A smaller show, it is well worth the visit. This poster is the one impacting me the most. A simple graphic design that speaks loudly and sadly of events already coming true.

Climate Change Posters

Where’s my mother?

The collection comprises of posters warning of the dangers of climate change. And human’s contribution to killing our planet by relentless war and pollution.

And there you have it. An enjoyable day in the city with friends. Both exhibits at the Poster House are well worth the time. And we hope you have a chance to experience it before its gone.

Thanks for joining us on our trip to the Poster House.

Chris & Anthony (The Freakin’ ‘tiquen Guys)

 

Freakin’, Tiquen 2023 – Destination Detroit: Part Two – Tabernacles, Tables & Trays

 

Vintage postcard of Detroit Michigan.

Vintage postcard of Detroit, Michigan. Image from amazon.com.

Day two in Detroit. The only plans on our agenda for the second and third days of our Michigan trip were to hit some antique stores. Looking on line, several stores in the area seemed interesting, but more on that in a bit. When planning for the vacation, I Googled Art Deco Detroit and The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica popped up in my search list. Not knowing how much this stop would mean to Chris (I was fine with it – C.), I came up with a plan for the day. The antique stores in the area didn’t open until 11:00 AM, so we had time to stop at the basilica, take some photos and be on our way.

 

The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica

The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, Michigan.

The Charity Crucifixion Tower of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica, Royal Oak, Michigan.

Not only is the Shrine a beautiful example of Art Deco architecture, it has another 1920s – 1930s connection that also interested me.

 

Sketch of the Shrine of the Little Flower from Pencil Points, September, 1935.

Prospective sketch of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, Michigan. Image from Pencil Points, September, 1935.

Father Charles E. Coughlin

Father Charles E. Coughlin, circa 1935, during one of his radio broadcasts.

Father Charles E. Coughlin, circa, 1935. Photo from bbc.co.uk.

No post about the National Shrine of the Little Flower can be written without mentioning Father Charles E. Coughlin (1891 – 1979). Personally, I had been aware of Father Coughlin since I was in junior high school. Later, the more I read about the 1930s and the more I learned about him, an unsavory history emerged.

1938 photo of Father Coughlin.

Father Coughlin, 1938. Photo from wikipedia.com.

In the 1920s, Coughlin took to the airwaves as a way to teach catechism to children. He soon realized that it was also a great way to give sermons and to raise money for his new parish in the Detroit suburbs. Within a few years the tone of his sermons started to change from the spiritual to the political, especially as the depression worsened. Fervent anti-communist, he initially supported Roosevelt’s New Deal, seeing this as a way to combat the communist threat. Eventually he became disenchanted with FDR and the New Deal and used his radio platform of 30 million listeners to spread his message. He was also anti-Wall Street and anti-Semitic. These views were doing more harm to his church than good and he was eventually banned from the airwaves. Coughlin continued to serve the National Shrine of the Little Flower until his retirement in 1966, and passed away in 1979. Unfortunately his legacy is his  controversial and vitriolic political views and today he is known as “the father of hate radio”. But we did not visit the shrine to pay homage to Father Coughlin, we were there to see the magnificent Art Deco church that he helped to create.

 

Side elevation of the Shrine of the Little Flower.

Southern side elevation of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica.

Operating continually in Royal Oak since 1926, Detroit Bishop Michael Gallagher chose Father Coughlin the task of establishing this Catholic parish in the largely Protestant community. The new church was named in honor of the recently canonized St. Thérèse de Lisieux, the Little Flower. This original chapel, a small wooden structure, burnt down in 1936.

Within two weeks of its opening, the Ku Klux Klan placed a burning cross in front of it. The church response to the cross burning was to build one they could not burn. Architect Henry J. McGill received the commission to design the new church. Construction took place in two phases. First came the Charity Crucifixion Tower, with construction beginning in 1929. The 104 foot limestone tower is adorned with sculptural figures designed by Rene Paul Chambellan (1893 – 1955). Using Chambellan’s plans the figures were executed by Enrico (Harry) Liva, an Italian stone carver of the Ingalls Stone Company located in Bedford, Indiana. The western facade features the 28 foot high figure of Christ. Immediately below the sculpture are Christ’s seven last words.

The western facade of the Charity Crucifixion Tower.

Charity Crucifixion Tower, Woodward Avenue facade. Featuring the Rene Paul Chambellan’s figure of Christ.

Just below the seven last words is a doorway with “Charity” and “Christ Crucified” carved above it. Items associated with the Passion surround the doorframe. This doorway opens to a pulpit at the center of the Tower’s base. The pulpit consists of five stepped stone slabs, each representing an Archangel, with Michael at the center. The entire tower stands on a base of polished granite.

 

Detail of the pulpit at the base of the Charity Crucifixion Tower.

Detail of the Charity Crucifixion Tower’s pulpit, showing the stepped stone slabs featuring the Archangels.

Framing the tower’s northwest and southwest corners are four more figures, also designed by Chambellan. On the northern corner there are representations of John the Apostle and the Virgin Mary. And opposite on the southern corner are Mary Magdalene and the Roman Centurion Longinus.

Crowning the tower are the symbols of the Four Evangelists, the Angel for Saint Matthew, the Lion for Saint Mark, the Ox for Saint Luke and the Eagle for Saint John.

 

Between the Charity Crucifixion Tower and the main body of the church is the Narthex.

The exterior wall of the Narthex.

The exterior of the Narthex

Covering the Narthex’s walls is Vermont granite, laid out in random ashlar. A ziggurat design made of Indiana limestone frames the doors and the windows. The doors leading into the Narthex are bronze and on each is a meaningful Catholic symbol. On the north entrance doors is a pelican and her hungry brood, while the other door is a ship.

 

The bronze doors of the north entrance to the Narthex.

The north entrance doors to the Narthex.

The header above the doors are decorated in a very modernistic style, in bronze and polished nickel and features a cross at its center. The header is framed by stepped polished granite that matches the foundation base and that is framed by ziggurat limestone.

Door and door header detail.

Detail of the door and door header, showing the pelican and ship motifs.

Window frames of bronze with flower design relief work are throughout the church. But the southern windows of the Narthex have a special feature. These windows are built out to form a conservatory for the preservation of flowers in the winter.

 

The built out conservatory windows on the southern side of the Narthex.

The conservatory windows on the south side of the Narthex.

A good amount of the money for the Shrine’s construction was raised from donations of listeners of the National Radio League of the Little Flower. It was originally intended to incorporate the seals of the 48 states on the exterior walls of the Shrine. Father Coughlin had the inspired idea to use state flowers instead and also to include the flowers and / or symbols of Hawaii and Alaska (still territories at the time of the Shrine’s construction), Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, the Virgin Islands, the Philippines, the Dominion of Canada and Cuba.

 

Exterior Wall Kansas State Flower and Canal Zone plaques

Exterior wall showing the plaques of Kansas (lower left), Tennessee (right of the window) and the Canal Zone (upper right).

 

The main body of the church comprises of three wings with intermediate foyers. These foyers along with the Narthex, face the four points on the compass and are the church entrances. The exterior walls of the wings are constructed from the same limestone as the Crucifixion Tower. Two splayed-jamb designed to present radiant suns break up the limestone wall covering each wing.

The southern wall's exterior wing.

The exterior wall of the southern wing.

The northern and southern wing walls also have four very slender windows, pierced into the shape of a two edge sword of justice. These windows are the ventilators for the Confessionals.

Sword of Justice window and Confessional ventilator on the southern wing's wall.

One of the two Sword of Justice windows on the wing of the southern wall.

The majority of the exterior walls are covered in the same Seam-faced granite, from quarries in Massachusetts, laid out in coursed ashlar, the same as the Narthex.

The exterior wall of the church showing the Massachusetts granite laid out in coursed ashler.

Detail of the exterior wall of the church.

The tent shaped roof is faced with copper and nickel-chrome steel. The roof is capped by a crown surmounted by a golden cross. The crown also serves as ventilating grillage from the church.

Roof detail of the National Shrine of the Little Flower.

Detail of the roof, showing the ventilating grillage and golden cross.

The relief carvings over the foyer entrance represents the patron saint of some member of the Coughlin family. The saints depicted are Saint Amelia, Saint Thomas, Saint Charles and Saint Agnes.

The Saint Agnes relief over the Twelve Mile Road foyer entrance.

The relief of Saint Agnes above the Twelve Mile Road foyer entrance.

Now that we’re at the entrance, let’s go inside the church. The Narthex, originally planned to serve as a winter time chapel when crowds were smaller and to costly to heat the main church. The walls are line with Travertine marble, while Belgian marble bands the pillar and black marble terrazzo covers the floor.

Narthex original interior.

1936 photograph of the Narthex’s interior, showing the original lighting. Image from Shrine of the Little Flower: souvenir book, dedicatory volume.

Hand painted flowers originally decorated the ceiling and long, bent, flashed opal, etched Czechoslovakian glass lights ran its width. Vigil lights are bracketed to the columns with wrought bronze. These brackets harmonize with the delicate bronze gate leading into the Narthex’s sanctuary. At the base of the tower at the end of the Narthex is the Shrine of the Little Flower. The marble  full relief above the alter shows the Little Flower kneeling before the child Jesus seated on the knees of the Virgin Mary.

2023 view of the Narthex interior.

Contemporary photograph of the Narthex interior showing the Shrine at the base of the tower.

Through the years, a few changes have been made to the Narthex interior. The ceiling no longer has hand painted flowers or the Czechoslovakian, etched glass lights. Today a crystal chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling.

Main floor plan of the National Shrine of the Little Flower.

National Shrine of the Little Flower main floor plan. Pencil Points, September, 1935, Pg. 464.

Because of the odd position of the property and various construction restrictions of the time, the architect, Henry J. McGill, had difficulty devising a plan for the church. After many schemes, McGill thought of expanding out the wings creating a form of a cross. Despite the church seemingly circular on the inside, from above one can see the cross shape. The tower is the base, the Narthex and altar the long beam and the two confessionals and main alter forming the cross arm.

The interior of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica.

Inside the church of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica.

The Nave’s main entrance is through two columns of Roman Breche marble standing on emerald-pearl granite bases.

Entrance to the Nave from the Narthex.

Main entrance to the Nave from the Narthex.

At the center of the church is the alter. Surrounding the alter are the pews. Because of the limited area of the plot the church is built upon, the wings have two levels which greatly increases the seating capacity.

Nave interior, main alter and ceiling decoration.

The interior of the Nave, showing both levels, main alter and ceiling decoration detail.

At twelve feet long, four feet ten inches wide and three feet high, the alter of Carrara marble and weighing eighteen tons, the alter was the largest in the United States at the time. A carved, gold leafed covered oak Baldachin hangs above the main alter. Suspended by eight bronze chains, originally draped with red damask valances. Today stained glass replaces the damask.

Baldachin Plan Drawing.

The plans for the Baldachin. Pencil Points, September, 1935, Pg. 469.

The Baldachin as it is today.

The Baldachin as it is today.

The Nave’s acoustical ceiling is painted with a modernistic design of rays and crosses. Early photos of the completed shrine show a plain ceiling. The painted design, although part of the original plan, was added a bit later.

Vintage postcard view of the Nave of the Shrine of the Little Flower.

Vintage postcard of the Nave of the Shrine of the Little Flower (circa 1936), showing the undecorated ceiling and the red damask of the Baldachin. Postcard from ebay.com.

On the eastern side of the Nave in the balcony is the pulpit. It is placed so it can be seen from every part of the church. The front of the pulpit features statues of six preacher-saints; St. Francis of Assis, St. Basil, St. Francis Xavier, St. Dominic, St. Paul and St. Anthony. These statues were carved by the firm of Jungwirth & Co. architectural sculptures and woodcarvers of Detroit. The canopy directly above the pulpit also houses a public address system.

The pulpit of the Shrine.

The pulpit showing the Jungwirth carved statues and the canopy / public address system.

Along the perimeter of the church, are five side chapels. These chapels form a crown around the main alter. Directly under the pulpit and opposite the Narthex is the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

The entrance to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel below the pulpit.

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

The other chapels all feature an entrance with an arabesque carving in the shape of a perfect octagon.

Visiting the Shrine was a wonderful start to the morning. Should you find yourself in the area do not miss the opportunity to visit it, you will not be disappointed.

The Rectory of the National Shrine of the Little Flower.

The Rectory of the National Shrine of the Little Flower on Roseland Avenue.

After leaving the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica, it was time to go antiquing!

Vintage Eastern Market

Vintage Eastern Market

Vintage Eastern Market It doesn’t look like much from the outside but looks can be deceiving!

The first stop was Vintage Eastern Market. We had a bit of trouble finding this store as it is advertised at one address but had moved. Luckily, it was only a two block walk to get to the new location. The store front looks small. However, there are several areas off the main room each jammed packed with neatly displayed goods of all kinds.

Vintage Antique Market

Peek-a-boo! There’s something good here! I can feel it.

Vintage Market Antiques

A ready made deco fireplace

Anthony found and bought a 1935 Wolfgang Hoffmann smoking / side No. 100 table. It was designed for the Howell Company.

Wolfgang Hoffman side table

Wolfgang Hoffman side table

It has a chrome banded black Formica top supported by three chrome tubes on a stepped base. The top is 13 1/2 inches wide and 18 inches high. It is also very heavy (14 lbs). This table originally retailed for $6.00 (the equivalent of $134.75 in 2023). The asking price was good. But if you know me, it wasn’t quite good enough! A quick call to the vendor and he got a bit knocked off the asking price.

Howell Furniture Table No. 100 (1935)

Anthony’s TV room with Howell Table No. 100, designed by Wolfgang Hoffmann, in its new home.

While speaking with the shop keeper at the Vintage Eastern Market, we asked if there were any other store local that might have deco items. They mentioned a couple of places but felt Oddfellows’ Antiques store would suit us better than others.  Now, we passed this one on the way to the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica but it was closed. They said that store opens late and assured us it was now open.

Oddfellows’ Antiques

Oddfellows' Antiques

About to go into the Oddfellows’ Antiques

They also told us that Oddfellows’ stock is eclectic and leans more to mid-century. But they were sure to have some deco pieces.

It was just a short drive and on the same road as the shine.  This is a multi-floor business and we were pleasantly surprised.

The deco started at the first booth with a small stepped ashtray with chrome sailboat. Next up, a Homer Laughlin Tom & Jerry Punch bowl set followed by a display of some  Chase.

One vendor had an interesting chrome and ebonized wood triple plant stand / display unit. We liked it but ultimately passed. Mainly, we didn’t know where to put it and we realized it was just too long and not a practical design our needs.

Some dealers here display early American, deco, and mid-century all on one shelf. Other dealers organized item by style, era, etc… And still others piled things up in their booth like a Jenga.

It was in this last type of booth that I saw a tray. Made circa 1935 by Evercraft the “Finger Grip” has fluted chrome handles that aid in carrying your precious cargo of desired beverages. Initially Anthony passed on this but was a “possible” depending on what else we found.

Sure enough, in a different booth at the back of the store we found three Evercraft cocktail cups. The price was right for the cups and with the tray, (yes, we went back for it). Now, we are on our way to building a complete cocktail set.

Oddfellows' Antiques

Evercraft tray finger grip tray and unidentified Evercraft cocktail cups

The cups are apparently very rare and I was only able to find one example online but it offered no details about what they were called or actual year of production.

Evercraft giftware is not particularly difficult to find and is contemporary to Chase Copper & Brass and Revere giftware. It is good quality though perhaps not as good as Chase or Revere. However, it is equal in style to its competition. Evercraft never achieved the status of its rivals.

And more surprisingly, there is very little info out there about this company or their giftware lines.  In our opinion, Evercraft is worthy of collecting.

 

Heading downstairs we were excited to see what we would find – if anything.

Odd Fellows Antiques

A glimpse of the lower level

In my teen age years, I (Anthony) was an avid collector of Coca-Cola memorabilia. And although I more or less no longer collects it, there are some items I still seeks out, like the early straight-sided bottles and serving trays. So I was excited when I noticed that one of the dealers on the lower level had for sale a 1930 Coke serving tray. In 1930 Coca-Cola issued two style of trays (the last year they would do so), The one made for bottle distributors feature a young lady in a white bathing suit. And the tray for the soda fountain market featuring a lady on the phone and just above her is a quote: “Meet me at the soda fountain”. This is the tray that I came across at Oddfellows. Collectors referred to this tray as the “Telephone Girl”.

Odd Fellows Antiques

1930 “Telephone Girl” Coca-Cola serving tray.

As with all collectibles, condition effects the value. This tray is not in perfect condition. There is slight paint loss in the background of the image, along the rim and on the red boarder, and one corner is bent in.  But the seller’s price, originally $150 and marked down to $99, reflected its condition, and was more than fair.

Over the years some Coca-Cola trays have been reproduced (“Telephone Girl” isn’t one) and can fool novice collectors, here a few tips I have learned to distinguish an original from a repro.  The paint on original Coca-Cola trays in very vibrant. The gold paint is very metallic and is flecked. And the back of vintage trays is painted black. Along the bottom border of the image is marked with © COCA-COLA CO. and the year the tray was produced. Then comes the manufacturer (most Coke trays in the 1920s and 1930s were made by the American Art Works, Inc. of Coshocton, Ohio), and lastly MADE IN U.S.A. And finally my litmus test of an original tray – in the tail of the “C” in Coca is written TRADE MARK REGISTERED. All original Coke trays up till 1942 are marked this way. The tail of the “C” in reproduction trays is blank.

Detail 1930 Coca-Cola Tray

Detail of 1930 “Telephone Girl” Coca-Cola serving tray.

Across the aisle from the Coca-Cola tray, I (Chris) saw a beautiful unmarked art deco corner, curio table. The only draw back was the price. As lovely as it is, I just could not justify spending $295.00.  In a rare (read this as meaning never) moment of antiquing, Anthony actually encouraged me to haggle!

Deco display table at the Oddfellows' Antique Mall.

Deco display table in the lower level at the Oddfellows’ Antique Mall.

This is a delicate act. When haggling, you want to make a reasonable offer to your favor but not so low as to be insulting. I offered $200.00 and it was accepted.

Deco display table

Displaying our 1930’s C. Vuillermet ice bucket., Chase, and Revere.

As neither of us are carpenters, we are still trying to identify the woods used to create this. It is possible part bamboo strand tiger stripes or Madagascar rosewood, or Macassar ebony with either walnut and / or beech. Or, some combination of them.

Any wood workers out there? Your expertise is identifying the woods used is much appreciated. I can tell you it is a solid and well-built piece and in excellent condition. I would have kicked myself had I passed on this.

And there you have it. An exciting day for tabernacles, tables and trays!

Oh, my!

Anthony & Chris (the Freakin’ ‘Tiquen Guys)

Sources:

Emmett, Ric. American Art Deco Furniture. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Art Deco Pros Books, 2014.

Pencil Points, September, 1935

Petretti, Allan & Beyer, Chris. Classic Coca-Cola Serving Trays. Dubuque, Iowa: Antique Trader Books, 1998.

shrinechurch.com

Shrine of the Little Flower: souvenir book, dedicatory volume