DrivingforDeco.com

With the Pier Antique Show in New York City being discontinued this year the start of our “Freakin’, Tiquen'” season was delayed until the Memorial Day weekend and a visit to two flea markets. We wanted to try something new so it was off the exotic land of Brooklyn, New York and a visit to the Brooklyn Flea in the Fort Greene neighborhood. That was on the Saturday of the holiday weekend. The Friday before I made one of my research trips to the New York Public Library at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street. On my way to the library I passed by the American Radiator Building (now the Bryant Park Hotel) on West 40th Street. Designed in 1924 by John Howells and Raymond Hood, in a combination Gothic and Modern style, that I would call “proto-deco”. The building was made famous by a 1927 Georgia O’Keefe painting Radiator Building-Night New York.

The American Radiator Building (Bryant Park Hotel) .

The facade of the building is in black brick to represent coal, the gold decorations are representations of parts of a radiator.

Radiator Building-Night New York, by Georgia O’Keefe.

While waiting for the library to open, I snapped a photograph of 10 East 40th Street. In the 1930’s the building was known as the Chase Tower. Not Chase Bank, but the showroom for the Chase Copper and Brass Company’s specialty giftwares. The showroom was on the top floor of the building, in the space behind the arched windows.

The former Chase Tower at 10 East 40th Street, through an arch of the New York Public Library.

On Saturday Chris and I were meeting friends for what would be for our first visit to one of the Brooklyn Fleas, on this trip it was the Fort Greene Flea.

: Chris outside the Fort Greene Flea.

: Anthony enjoying the shade just outside of the Fort Greene Flea.

: The Fort Greene Flea.

: Some of the goodies at the Fort Greene Flea.

I wish we had driven to Brooklyn, as there were a couple of bigger items, a nice Deco console table with a blue glass top; also a reproduction copper panel molded from an original off the Boston Electric building.

Reproduction Art Deco copper panel.

While I only purchased a nice plaid, seersucker necktie from the 1920’s our friends bought a very, very nice reverse painted, Art Deco picture frame with the hand colored photo of Loretta Young that was in the frame when it sold back in the 1930’s.

Loretta Young photo in a Deco reverse painted frame.

After leaving the flea market and lunch we were off to the Brooklyn Museum to view some of the Art Deco treasures on display there.

The Brooklyn Museum

Silver Plated Art Deco.

: Silver plated hand mirror by the Napier Company, circa 1928.

: Napier Company silver plated flask, circa 1927.

: Silver plated salt and pepper shakers. Designed by Elsa Tennhardt for the E. & J. Brass Company. Circa 1928

Architectural Art Deco

: Jean Dupas glass panel from the S.S. Normandie, 1935.

: Art Deco vent grill from the Loew’s Grand in Atlanta, Georgia.

Tubular Steel Furniture

Marcel Breuer tubular steel furniture. From top to bottom: Side Chair, Model B5 (1925); Armchair, Model B4 (1927); Table, Model B19 (1928)

Weil-Worgelt Study

(Originally at 575 Park Avenue, New York City)

: Weil-Worgelt Study designed by L. Alavoine, 1928-1930.

: Wood door.

: Wall sconce.

The Golden Nugget Flea Market

Anthony at the Golden Nugget.

Sunday it was off to one of our favorite flea markets, the Golden Nugget, near Lambertville, New Jersey. We have always had good luck at the Golden Nugget and this weekend was no different.

One of the two Deco purchases was this set of six, chrome Chase tumblers. These are not common, Chris has only come across one of these before at $28.00 and it wasn’t in that great of condition. This set was $40.00 and the tumblers are in very nice shape. The simple design of the etched rings at the bottom give the tumblers a great streamline look.

Set of six Chase chrome tumblers.

The best find of the day was a Kodak Beau Brownie No. 2 in Black and Maroon. Designed by Walter Dorwin Teague, these Art Deco cameras were in production from 1930-1933. It is not in perfect shape, but it was only $15.00, so I was not going to pass it up.

: Black and Maroon Beau Brownie No. 2

: Walter Dorwin Teague designed Beau Brown No. 2, 1930-1933.

This was a great start to the new “Freakin’, Tiquen'” season. We can’t wait to see what other finds we will come across this summer.

Chris & Anthony (The Freakin’, Tiquen’ Guys)

For more about Walter Dorwin Teague check out this past Driving For Deco post:

Walter Dorwin Teague Treasures at the Dallas Museum of Art

Movies have the ability to transport us anywhere past, present or future. And with today’s CGI technology the past can be recreated with astonishing accuracy. So it boggles my mind that they can’t get things right. Let me state up front that I will go to see Genius, the film about story editor Max Perkins and his working relation with author Thomas Wolfe, when it gets released next month. The cast is great, Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Guy Pearce and Laura Linney (my favorite actress in movies today). I love films that take place in the 1930’s, but nothing takes me out of the moment faster when the details are wrong. And the trailer for Genius had enough inaccuracies to get me upset enough to write this post.

I don’t know where the scene above is suppose to take place, from the trailer I assume it is somewhere in the United States. And the steam engine makes it old timey, but why couldn’t the filmmakers use an American locomotive instead of a British one. I will update this post if by some chance this scene takes place during a trip to England.

Judging by the placement of the CGI’d Empire State Building in the shot above this is supposed to be lower 5th Avenue. What is wrong with this image, oh let me count the ways . . . first, contemporary London street lights in front of buildings that are nowhere near Manhattan. And speaking of street lights, only two are on the street. Don’t walk down this 5th avenue after dark, unless you bring a flashlight. Compare the above to a photo of the actual 5th Avenue, in 1948.

Ok, even if you are shooting the film in the UK, do some research to at least know that 5th Avenue was a two-way street in the 1930’s. It didn’t convert to one way until January 14, 1966. Just take the two minutes to Google “5th Avenue, 1930’s” it will provide answers.

Here is the shot that annoyed me the most –

Max Perkins and Thomas Wolfe gazing at the 1930’s Manhattan skyline?

There is not much in this shot and yet what is there is all wrong!!!!! For comparison here is a photo of the actual 1930’s mid-town Manhattan skyline –

Notice that none of the buildings are illuminated with flood lights.

Since Driving For Deco’s last blog post was celebrating the 85th anniversary of the Empire State Building let’ s take a look there first and work our way to the right.

Above is the fiction, below the real –

In the 1930’s only the spire of the Empire State Building was illuminated at night. The floodlighting of the building from the 72nd floor went into effect with the opening of the New York World’s Fair in April of 1964. NBC always had a television antenna atop the building right from its opening in 1931, but they were a lot shorter, no more than 20 – 30 feet.

: Empire State antenna 1933-1938

: Antenna 1938-1947.

The 200 foot tall antenna seen in Genius was not added to the top of the building until 1950-1951.

Because of the location of this, between the Empire State Building and the Metropolitan Life Tower, I have to assume that the above gray blob is supposed to be the New York Life Insurance Building. In reality it is a very elegant building designed by Cass Gilbert that opened in 1929. None of that style and elegance is evident in its CGI incarnation.

The actual New York Life Insurance Building.

Moving on, the Metropolitan Life Tower, located at 24th Street and Madison Avenue is seen in all its illuminated glory.

And the truth –

Notice, that the light at the very top of the building and the clock are the only exterior lighting on the Met Life Building. It wasn’t until 1970’s that the roof of the building was lit up.

And the best for last – The Chrysler Building. Now here is one of the jewels, if not the jewel of the Manhattan skyline and one of the most famous buildings in the world. Genius does not get it right, but it is not the only film to depict it wrong, off the top of my head it wasn’t correct in Benjamin Button or Revolutionary Road either.

I guess it seems inconceivable that a building as magnificent as this would be left in the dark. The setup for lighting plan for all the triangular windows was actually in place from the opening of the Chrysler Building in 1930 but was not implemented until 1981. Until then it was just a dark silhouette, as seen in the photos below, taken over a 30 year period.

: New York night time skyline 1930’s or 1940’s

: 1950’s Skyline from the East River.

: 1960’s Skyline.

All this wrong in a two and half minute trailer. I can’t wait to see the film and see what else might be there that is anachronistic. There just might be a follow up post.

Driving for Deco

We will drive anywhere to find great Art Deco.