Edgard Sforzina (1881 – 1941)

Union Terminal, Cincinnati

Union Terminal, Cincinnati (Photo via DrivingForDeco)

This article is an exclusive interview with Denise E. Allen, granddaughter of Edgard Sforzina an early French designer, decorator, and architect of L’ Art Moderne ~ Art Deco.

Denise: Anthony and Chris, thank you for the opportunity to discuss my grandfather, Edgard Désiré Sforzina.

How did this project come about?

To preserve our grandfather’s legacy, my sisters and I agreed to establish a collection of his works that we could donate to a museum, design school, or an organization interested in its preservation. We would like this collection to be accessible to all interested parties for the purposes of education, research, and scholarship, particularly for people interested in Art Deco.

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I would like to express my unbounded thanks to my wonderful, albeit far-flung, family in America, France, Germany, and the Netherlands; my friends, and last but not least, the Art Deco Society of Washington D.C. (ADSW) for all their support in curating the collection and raising awareness of Edgard Sforzina and his contributions to Art Deco.

But back to my grandfather.

Edgard Sforzina He came to America in the Fall of 1922 at the request of his company, L. Alavoine & Co. to work in their New York City office located at 712 5th Avenue. His success continued during the years between the Great Wars and on a number of occasions he was noted in magazines and newspapers for his interior designs and design innovations. Tragically, he died from gastro-intestinal ulcers in 1941 at the age of 59, and leaving behind a legacy of his design drawings and furnishings.

Would you tell us more about his background?

Edgard SforzinaSforzina was born and educated in France as a “dessinateur” (a designer or decorator). He arrived in the Port of New York on November 17, 1922; his first trip to America. Forty – two years old and fresh off the S.S. Rochambeau.                                    …                                                                              For the initial visit, he stayed long enough to confirm that he would take the new position and establish a residence for his family. Once accomplished, he returned to Paris to pack up his household. He returned in February 1923 with his young wife and infant daughter. In making this permanent move to live in America, Sforzina became one of the early French-American designers of L’ Art Moderne, arriving two years before the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, France.

A story my mother enjoyed sharing was that Mémé (grandmother) did not want to leave her family and friends in France. She made it clear to Pépé (grandfather), that he had to bring her younger sister, Tautine (Teresa), and their cat, Mitzi to America, and oh by-the-way, she had to have a mink coat.  All of this he did, except for the mink coat. He tricked her by buying rabbit instead,

When they immigrated to America, he brought his illustrated copy of “La Tour du Monde en 80 Jours”, (Around the World in 80 Days). He won the book as a prize when he was 11 years old, possibly the first prize he ever won. We have no idea what he accomplished to win the book, but on the inside cover page there is a handwritten inscription commemorating the event. Passed down from my Mémé to my Mom then to me, I value the book because it provides insights about his mind set and clues about his personality. ……

How did you become aware of the work of your grandfather’s (1881 – 1941)?

We initially became aware of Pépé (grandfather) and his work from our French / American family. This includes our mother, Lucile Ellison, nee Sforzina; Mémé (Isabelle Sforzina); and our French grand aunt and uncle, Tautine (Teresa) and Ernest.

Edgard SforzinaThey all told us stories about Edgard and pointed out the furniture in our home that he designed and commissioned. Mémé kept a collection of  original magazines, newspaper clippings and articles. Also, professional photos, and two privately published commemorative books showing items he designed and rooms he furnished.

We literally grew up amid furniture he created for his home and possibly for the showrooms of Forzina, Inc., the design salon he owned between 1928 and c.1932.

Edgard SforzinaAfter he passed, Mémé must have put the furniture in storage. In 1954 when our parents first started their medical office, they furnished the waiting room and office area with several show room furnishings from the Forzina Salon.[1] That furniture in the waiting room disappeared years later when my parents moved the office to a new location.

[1]  Our father, David S. Ellison, was a surgeon and our mother the office manager. Like her father, she was ahead of her time. She always paid herself a salary and she provided retirement benefits to their employees, who were all women.

Edgard SforzinaThe office furniture moved to our house to furnish our mother’s home office.  In the picture to the right, the two tables (the smaller one is on rollers) were in our home. I remember most of the other items. It is possible to find all these items in one or more of his designs.

LuLu Bed by Edgard SforzinaThis is the “Lulu Bed.” My children established the name when my daughter Claire used it as her own bed and the name has stuck. Edgard actually designed the bed for my mother when she was a child (c. 1928). It is an excellent example of Moderne style with a variety of beautiful woods veneered atop a thick (heavy) hardwood core, a striking design.

Edgard had our mother’s nick name, Lulu veneered into the face-top of the footboard. And, yes, if you look closely, you can see that our mother personalized the graphic with her own artwork. It is still usable as a bed, and we even have the original mattress springs too. However, his furniture is closing in on 100 years of age. The veneers are chipping off and every time it gets moved there is a bit more damage. These pieces need protection from further wear and tear.

 

LuLu bed by Edgard Sforzina

Detail of “LuLu” veneered into the face of the footboard and the LuLu graphic designed by Edgard Sforzina, note the small drawing by daughter Lulu.

A few months ago, I was a bit stunned to see a picture of the LuLu bed on the Internet! It never occurred to me that Peré may have had professional photos of it taken or that he might have shown the bed in an exhibit before giving it to our mother. We still have all the pieces shown in the photo. It is certainly possible that two sets were made, but knowing the effort he went to make this bed unique for our mother, it seems unlikely.

You can see the entire bed set on the untapped new york website. The site posted an article by Julia Vitullo-Martin on Marilyn Friedman’s book, “Making America Modern: Interior Design in the 1930’s” (Bauer & Dean, 2018). All of the pieces shown in the photo are part of the Sforzina Collection. Just for fun, here is a picture of our mother and Mitzi on the Bed.

Edgard SforzinaAs children, we knew our mother had many of her father’s drawings and designs. Unlike the furniture we grow up with, we rarely saw them. I have vague memories of seeing photostats of the design plans for the Cincinnati Union Terminal executive suite and other drawings. Our Mom did not want to risk damaging them by letting us riffle through them. So, for decades she kept them in a bureau up in the attic. But, we may have peeked into the forbidden bureau a time or two. It may have been as late as 2015 before I had better look at them.

Edgard Sforzina designUntil Art Deco Society of Washington members Deborah Sorensen (curator), Jim Linz (Art Deco author), and I unfolded and unrolled all the drawings, I did not realize how many there were. In truth we saw several of his designs for the very first time as we inventoried the collection. Predominantly, Edgard used pastels or pencils to create his designs. Until 2003, his portable wooden container of design & drafting tools was in our basement. Sometime between then and when we created the collection, it has gone missing. Hopefully it is somewhere in one of the homes among our family.

The variety and beauty of his drawings is impressive. It includes, sketches, architectural elevations, renderings and levels, concept plans and technical plans. The breadth and depth of his design abilities ranged from a simple object (e.g., a lamp, a vase, etc.,) to furniture, a room set, a composite of rooms, houses of varying levels and size, architectural drawings of large commercial buildings and towers. It even includes some of his personal artwork. You see a range of design styles other than Modernism. The collection includes a few designs in Louis XV and French Directorate Style. Other designs could be considered minimalistic; their omission of decor is balanced solely by simple accents from nature.

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When did you realize the significance of your grandfather’s work?

I slowly began to grasp the significance artistry as I worked with the ADSW to establish the collection. Edgard’s works had been a privately shared collection within our family network for over seventy years. Its significance was its familial heritage and its connection to our brilliant and creative grandfather. I did not know how to think about it from historical, social or cultural perspectives.

As our family’s self-appointed historian, I always knew I would write something about our grandfather to let our children’s children learn of him. I wanted to write up the stories and deeds our mother shared, not as a straight repeat of her words, but with more substantiation of the events and accomplishments of his life.  Never did I anticipate where that little thought of mine would lead us.

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Edgard Sforzina

Photo: Designs for Modern Living Rooms. Edgard Sforzina. Sforzina Collection

When Steve, Jim, Deborah and I first started, I was concerned that I was asking the ADSW to investigate a collection that may not have enough cultural significance to merit their time and effort. I felt “aghast” at the thought of that prospect.

At the same time, I felt a strong conviction that we needed to understand this collection, and if merited, then Edgard and his work should be preserved and his story become part of our cultural history.  To me, that translated into, the recognition that we may need to donate his collection.

Steeling myself for possible mortification, I placed my faith in our mother’s trust and moved on. As Jim and Deborah and I worked, and their enthusiasm grew and I felt relieved.

The 2022 Modernism Show in Washington (April 30 – May 1), was the first public viewing of anything created by Sforzina since, well, before 1941. It was the first public viewing of his work in my lifetime. Some people scanned the material and moved on. Others stopped and took their time reading, absorbing the images, pointing, and talking with their companion(s) about the exhibit, or something they noticed, or a memory it invoked. Several people, like you (Anthony), stayed to talk with my sisters and me, and ask questions or to share their story about a connection they felt to one of the buildings he decorated.

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Something happened soon after that was life altering. Can you tell us about that?

Yes. In June 2022, Jim Linz, my husband Harry, and I were invited to meet with the staff and leadership of the Museums of Cincinnati, Ohio which is housed in the Cincinnati Union Terminal.

After giving us a private tour of the terminal, museums, library, and their archives, we sat down and focused the conversation on Sforzina’s work with Fellheimer & Wagner, (F&W) on the Terminal. We were able to show them our copies of our grandfather’s drawings of the Suite.

The historian carefully examined the designs. It may have been the longest few minutes of my life.  Finally, he said that he was comfortable to say that our documents depicted the final plans of the Executive Suite and moving forward his organization would assign attribution to Sforzina for this work (this is not a quote, rather this is what I heard).

It seems silly, but it was so emotional that time went into slow motion. In the expanse of that single statement, in the time it took for the Historian to speak his words, he affirmed for me and my family, forever, that our grandfather drew these designs, something we always believed, and could now speak freely about. We did not have to feel sheepish or make any caveats.

It is so hard to describe that feeling of gravitas that comes over you sometimes. On this occasion, it was accompanied by a deep sense of peace to have this question resolved, and overwhelming feelings of joy for our mother and grandfather.  While I don’t think that anyone noticed, it took me about five minutes before I started processing again.

To clarify for the readers, it was a “matter-of-fact” to our mother that Edgard drew these design plans for the Cincinnati Union Terminal on behalf of F&W. Our grandfather worked with or for F&W from 1930 to 1933 on this project.  During that time, she was 8 – 10 years old and she knew what her father was working on, it was a big deal for him professionally and his projects were a huge focus of this tiny family. We also have his copy of his designs. Unfortunately, he was not given any mention or credit for that work or other design plans and decorations he drew during that time. So, he did not benefit from follow-on work from other large companies. Our research on our grandfather’s career suggests that he and Fellheimer maintained a business friendship from 1929 onward. He was clearly an employee of F&W, as an architect as of 1938 through 1941 when he passed away.

What was your grandfather’s background in art and design?

Our grandfather received both a traditional and a formal background in art and design. His immersion in the world of art and design was lifelong. This is a great topic regarding Edgard.

Family background: We know from family records and French civil documents that our line of Sforzina’s were stone masons, les tailleurs de pierre, and artisans. His forefathers: Antonio (1790–1860), Dominique (1815-1887), and Jean-Antoine (1853–1914) passed down their skills and their trade, father to son, for roughly 100 years and possibly longer. Jean-Antoine Sforzina, grew up in Nice. After completing his formal education, he moved to the Left Bank  in the heart of Montparnasse and lived there for the rest of his life. The only details I know about his career are that he worked in the Notre Dame Cathedrale de Paris on l’ÎIe de la Cité for his entire career.  Apparently one of his duties involved maintaining the Rose Windows.

This is where Edgard grew up. It was also the time when that district was becoming a cultural hub for artists, writers, social reformers, and others.

Edgard was the eldest son of M. Jean-Antoine and Mme. Marie Joachine (Chichaud) Sforzina. By family accounts, he demonstrated an innate talent and a natural affinity for the Arts early in his life.

Traditional Education: Edgard and his brother, Parfait, were born at a time when children could still work side by side with their parents and learn the skills of their trade.

Another book our grandfather brought to the United States when he immigrated was a soft leather-bound textbook printed in both Italian and French. Jean-Antoine received it from his father, Dominique, and passed it to Edgard. On the front page of the book, someone, possibly, Dominique himself, wrote his name, address, and the date “1827”. If the date reflects the year Dominique received the book, then he was 12 years old at the time[2] and well on his way toward learning his trade as a mason.

Edgard SforzinaPublic Education: Edgard received his entire education in Paris, France, largely within walking distance from his home. He earned his Baccalaureate and was then accepted into the L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs[3]  (Note: this is the current name of the school) where he studied architecture, design, and decoration. In American vernacular, L’ Ecole Nationale Supérieure” is the name of the institution, and Arts Décoratif is its institutional division.  The school was officially opened in 1767 by letter patent of King Louis XV.  Its goal then, and now, is to develop arts-related professions and thereby to increase the quality of industrial products.”

[2]  In the 18th century the Sforzina family lived in (what is today) Veli Lošinj, Croatia. Dominque moved to Nice (a.k.a. Nizza) before 1853 when it was still part of the Kingdom of Savoy. The family lived there until 1876 when Jean Antoine moved to 76 Boulevard Edgard Quinet in Paris, France at the age of 23. Nizza/Nice did not become part of France permanently until 1860.
[3] “Grande école | French education | Britannica”. www.britannica.com, (accessed 29 May 2022).

The program has evolved considerably since its founding. Since 2010, a diploma from the school is equivalent to a Master’s degree. (see History). Former students from the school include well known figures such as Henri Matisse, Charles Garnier, and Jean-Paul Goude among others (see History).”

 

When Sforzina immigrated to the United States, how did he establish himself in the design field?

He was fortunate because he did not have to start from scratch. He was already established in Paris having totaled 16 years of working consecutively with four of the most highly respected “Maisons” of art, design, and furniture. This includes Alavoine & Co. with whom he worked since 1919 in their Paris office before transferring to their New York office. It is possible that he already knew some of his colleagues in the NYC office through school, previous employment, or inter-office correspondence.

His association with such an eminent firm gave him access to their network of architects, designers, artisans, etc., as well as to their wealthy and sophisticated clientele.

In 1929 the Arts in Industry Group invited 18 of the “most up and coming” New York City designers to compete for the opportunity to display their design in an exhibition being hosted by the Group. Sforzina was one of the designers invited to exhibit. In effect this was a subtle way for the group to enlarge itself and to have some influence over what comprised American Modern Art.

A double page spread in the Upholstery and Interior Decorator Magazine on April 15, 1928, quotes Charles Milgrim as saying,

“When Charles Milgrim first decided to give to the new store a perfect entity of modern decoration, he sent for Edgard Sforzina of Paris, and entrusted to him the scheme of decoration.”

 

Because your grandfather was French, he was at ground zero for the new modern style that has become known as Art Deco. Do you think his work had influence on American designers and the modern design field?

Yes, I think so. Sforzina tended to be an early adapter. In our traveling exhibit, we dedicated an entire panel to his innovations for which we found supporting citations.

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Can you tell us more about your grandfather’s employers?

Yes. The source information for his work history comes mainly from two documents, one written c. 1934 and the other in 1939. The dates are refined by information from family clippings of advertisements, newspapers, professional journals, and magazines during the Art Deco era. Additionally, ADSW members, Mr. Jim Linz, President Emeritus, Board Member, Author, and Proprietor of the on-line store, www.Deco-Rations.net, Ms. Deborah Sorensen, Curator, and I researched his employers and clients and more information.

1902 – 1904 Mercier Frères, (1828 -) At this time most companies offering interior furniture and decor services were primarily art and antique dealers. They started providing other services by hiring the craftsmen and artisans as needed on a commission-only basis. Mercier Brothers, became a well-known and reputable furniture and décor manufacturer.

1905 – Carlhian & Beaumetz, of Paris, France with offices in Cannes, London, New York, and Buenos Aires (1867 – 1988). Like Mercier Frères, Carlhian & Beaumetz started as an Art and Antique company. Sforzina worked there around the time that the firm was transitioning from its two founders to Carlhian’s two sons. The Duveen Brothers were one of their most important clients. They worked with Carlhian as an intermediary for dealings, and export commissions in the French market not involving fine art and antique objects. Sforzina states in his 1939 resume that he worked “almost exclusively for their primary client, Sir Joseph Duveen.”

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Between 1906 – 1917. In his 1939 resume, Sforzina states that on his own, he worked for Waring and Gillow of Rue de la Boetie, Paris, France, and other large firms. Waring and Gillow were a notable English furniture manufacturing company that also an antique dealer, headquartered in London. He notes that the office was just off the Champs-Élysées. The firm closed in 1988.

1919 – Probably 1927.  L. Alavoine & Co., 9 Rue Caumartin Office, Paris, France
This company transferred Sforzina to their office at 712 5th Avenue, New York City, New York, USA (1922 – c.1927).

1928 – April 12. Sforzina leased the entire 4th floor of the tower at 424 Madison Avenue, New York City to open his Interior Design and Decoration firm Forzina, Inc., (Brooklyn Eagle 1928, 64). The following provides some insights about when he transitioned to working full time with F&W:

1930 – 1933 Sforzina in his 1939 resume states, “3 years, designer, Fellheimer & Wagner, Architects, 42 St. [New York City]– for plans, designs, and decorations….” for the Cincinnati Union Terminal. (Translated from French and verified).

1932 – December 1st. Sforzina wrote a letter of recommendation for his secretary, in which he states that she had worked for him for three years.  He goes on to say he that the only reason she is losing her job is because the “…present bad business conditions compel” him to close his office.

1933/4 – 35/6. Collaborated with Mr. Samuel Mandeville as “Mandeville and Sforzina” though there is no evidence that they were formally partners.

1938 – 1941. Employee of Fellheimer & Wagner

1941 – February 7, Sforzina passed away unexpectedly from Peptic Ulcer disease.

Who were your grandfather’s Clients? 

We have no information about his clients in Europe. We have a growing list of his clients in the United States from NYC, New York State, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, and Ohio.  Here is a sampling of his clients between 1928 – 1941.

United States: Known Clients, dates unknown but probably completed by 1934:

  • Persifor Frazer III, 3 Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA

  • F. G. M., Penthouse, 440 West End Street, NYC, NY

  • Frederick Lewisohn, 730 Park Avenue, NYC, NY

  • Stewart Walker, 369 Lexington Avenue, NYC, NY

  • Stanley Simon, 480 Park Ave., NYC, NY

  • T. A. Goldsmith, 36 East 31 Street, NYC, NY

  • Gimbel Bros., Philadelphia, PA

Unites States: Clients and Dates

  • 1928 – Milgrim New York City, NY, 6 West 57th Street, NYC, NY Forzina, Inc.

  • 1928 – Slattery’s Department Store; Forzina, Inc., Boston, MA

  • 1928 – Hutzler Brothers, Baltimore, MD, Forzina, Inc.

  • 1928/ 29 – Saks Fifth Avenue Department Store, NYC, NY., Forzina, Inc.

  • 1928/29 – Mr. George Gershwin, 33 Riverside Drive, NYC, NY, Forzina, Inc.

  • 1929/30 – Mr. Albert Fellheimer, 110 Riverside Drive, NYC, NY; Forzina, Inc.

  • 1930 – 1933 – Fellheimer & Wagner, Architects, NYC, NY, Forzina, Inc.

  • 1930 – Hirsh Lilienthal Stockbrokers, NYC, NY, Probably Forzina, Inc.

  • 1930 – International Ticket Office, Chicago, IL, Probably Forzina, Inc.

  • 1931 – Mrs. C. B. Harding, 110 Riverside Dr., NYC, NY, Forzina, Inc.

  • 1934 – Lilly Dache, Inc., 485 Madison Avenue, NYC, NY

  • 1934 – Wallach Bros. NYC, NY, Mandeville & Sforzina

  • 1935 – McCarthy Dry Goods, Woonsocket, RI, Mandeville & Sforzina

  • 1935 – Germaine Millinery, 5th Avenue, NYC, NY; Mandeville & Sforzina

  • 1935 –Witherall Department Store, Syracuse, NY

  • 1935 – Brooks, 5th Avenue, NYC, NY; Mandeville & Sforzina

  • 1936 – Miss G. Germaine, 440 West End Avenue, NYC, NY

  • (1940) CBS Building, 49 East 52 Street, NYC, NY; with Fellheimer & Wagner

Even if your grandfather’s name isn’t immediately known, what are some of his works that people are familiar with? 

By far the most famous project is the Cincinnati Union Terminal, followed by Gershwin’s Riverside Drive apartment, the Cloud Club of the Chrysler Building, and the CBS building.

Cloud Club, Chrysler Building

Cloud Club (Photo via ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com)

Your grandfather passed away in 1941 this is now considered the tail end of the Art Deco era; do you feel that had he lived longer he would have adapted his style to the changing tastes of the times?

Absolutely. You see in his drawings his diversity of styles. One of my mother’s descriptions of him was that he was ahead of his time. Around 1935, four years before the 1939 World’s Fair, he started designing furniture for the emerging middle class. Also, when he died, he was working for Fellheimer and Wagner, who were already preparing to build Airports.

If he could have lived, without the problems of peptic ulcers, he still had a bright future ahead of him.

When your grandfather designed the furniture that went into the rooms, did he have these pieces custom made? 

Yes, I believe so. Forzina, Inc. operated from 1928 through December, 1931 and after that he had to sell it. During that time period we know that the Milgrim store (1928) furniture was made by artisans and the furniture in Slattery’s (1928) was made by “Boston Artisans.”

After your grandfather’s passing, where did the archive of his works (drawings, sketches, paperwork) end up? 

Until 2020 these items stayed within the family. Some of the furniture went to Tautine and her husband and unfortunately, that furniture is gone now.

Mémé must have kept the rest of the furniture in storage until she moved to Florida. Then, as stated previously, our parents must have had the items in storage, until they opened their medical practice in 1954. They used Edgard’s furniture to furnish their waiting room and business office.

They placed the bedroom furniture and other items in our home. Later when our parents moved their office to a new location, the furniture that had been in the waiting room disappeared. We assume the furniture was worn out.

Our parents either donated or let the furniture go to the dump. By that time, the family had already moved into our final home. In that home, the parents’ continued to use Edgard’s furniture in their bedroom and our mother’s home office. The drawings and other papers went into storage in the attic. Other furniture was used in the living room or as accents some here or relegated to the garage attic.

In summary, there have been several more exchanges of address where we stored items and who was using which piece of furniture.  More recently our children have their own homes and have wanted to use the some of the furniture. Over the years we have also lost some of the smaller tables and.  All in all, I would say we have only half the furniture that was originally part of Edgard’s legacy.

Paper is such a fragile medium. How have you preserved or plan to preserve the archive of your grandfather’s work? Is any of it digitized?

Starting in 2019, my family is donating their items from Edgard’s legacy to the collection. Items received prior to 2021 have been inventoried, digitized, and placed in archival containers inside a rented storage locker. This represents the bulk of the collection.  The items received after 2021 have been inventoried and are in storage.  These items are not in archival containers yet.

The Art Deco Society of Washington DC. was essential to my success with gathering and archiving his collection. Now that we have finished our book, I will pursue my goal to donate this collection to the right organization, museum, or design school.

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Is there anything you’d like to add to the Sforzina story? 

Sforzina had a relatively short career spanning 35 years, 38 years if including his military service. He was an early and important French / American decorator, designer, innovator, and architect. He brought his career to the United States before the 1925 International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris.

For 29 years he was an employee of the leading design companies in Paris, France where the full extent of his talent and contributions are veiled. He worked no more than 9 years for himself. During which he was considered a well-known designer.

The Edgard Sforzina Collection preserves 600+ artifacts of his work, including a variety of documents, furniture, and predominantly working designs depicting his process between 1930 and January 1941, a ten-year period. It is a wonderful collection and yet just a small portion of his total works.

Whether employee or employer, he influenced and was influenced by his peers, which collectively contributed to how we live today.  During his brief periods with Forzina and later Mandeville & Sforzina, he and his associates were a powerhouse of constructive productivity that drew the attention of the press, journalists, and photographers.

He was recognized for his innovations and he developed a strong business relationship with Fellheimer.

During his short life he accomplished so much. His last nine years especially, his star shined so bright.  He lived his dream of owning and operating his own design firm, Forzina, Inc. and the freedom to follow his own lead. Most of all, he got to have his say about Modern design and living.

Thank you, Denise, for your time in answering our questions. And, for giving us the opportunity to help get your grandfather’s name and accomplishments out into the world. 

We are pleased to announce to our readers that a comprehensive book regarding Edgard Sforzina is being released shortly. This exciting, color-illustrated book delves deeper into his treasure trove of work. It was written and soon to be published with the gracious assistance and in association with the Art Deco Society of Washington, D.C.

You can meet and talk to the authors at the 20th Century Cincinnati Show, on February 26th at 10:00am with a book signing following.

20th Century Cincinnati Show

Chris & Anthony (The Freakin’, Tiquen Guys)

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Reference List

“Art in Industry.” 1928. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 4, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112345525/1928-art-in-industry/ (Accessed Oct. 13, 1922).

Barozzio de Vignole, Jacques. N.d. Rules of the Five Orders of Architecture by M. Jacques Barozzio de Vignole: With a new augmentation by Michel Angelo Bonaroli and others. Paris : Chez la Ve de la F. Chéreau [Rue Saint-Jacques aux 2 Piliers d’Or].

.“Beauty Combined with Convenience in Modernistic Rooms.”1929. Art & Decoration. February, 1929

Bender, Marylin. “Hattie Carnegie’s Shop to Close Early in Year.”: https://www.nytimes.com/1964/11/26/archives/hattie-carnegies-shop-to-close-early-in-year.html (Accessed November, 2022)

Carlhian (Firm) records. 1867-1988. The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 930092. https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8z89dsn/entire_text/. Accessed November 27, 2022

“Commercial Leases.” 1928. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 12 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112345295/1928-forzina-inc-lease/ (Accessed Oct 31, 2022)

GGArchives.com. 2022. “SS Rochambeau Passenger List – 7 November 1922.” https://www.ggarchives.com/OceanTravel/Passengers/FrenchLine/Rochambeau-PassengerList-1922-11-07.html

Internet Archive, “The New Art — American Made”, https://archive.org/details/sim_interiors_1928-04-15_80/page/108/mode/2up (Access 09 Nov 2022)

Miller, Tom. 2017. “The L. Alavoine & Co. Façade – No. 712 Fifth Avenue.” Daytonian in Manhattan. https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/search?q=Alavoine. (Accessed, October, 2022)

Patterson, Curtis. 1931. “Georgian Calm with Modernist Repose.” Harper’s Bazaar, April, 1931

Stern, Robert A. M., Gilmarten, Gregory, and Mellins, Thomas. 1987. New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism between the two World Wars. New York: Rizzoli

Thorne, Oliver. 1930. “The New York Salons of Forzina.” Home and Field Magazine. January, 1930.

Wikipedia contributors, “Waring & Gillow,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Waring_%26_Gillow&oldid=1110612657  (accessed November 27, 2022).

Other Articles that were not Cited

Boyd, Jr., John Taylor. 1929. “Milgrim — A Fashion Shop for Women.” Architectural Record. Vol 65. June 1929 523-33

“An Art Moderne Setting for Women’s Apparel.” 1928. Good Furniture. May 30, 1928. 239-44.

Rose, Linda C., Rose, Patrick, Yungblut, Gibson, Hord, Edmonston 2003. Cincinnati Union Terminal: The Design and Construction of an Art Deco Masterpiece. Vol. 1. Cincinnati Railroad Club: Ohio. 75 – 80

Vanished New York City Art Deco – The International Casino

Thomas W. Lamb, Nicholas H. Weiss, Architects

Donald Deskey, Consulting Designer

1937 vintage postcard of the International Casino.

Vintage postcard of the International Casino and Wrigley sign, 1937. Image from knowol.com.

The International Casino, a huge streamline modern night club, dominated the east side of Times Square for a very short time (even by New York standards), in the late 1930s. Opening in the late summer of 1937, this largest of all Manhattan night spots, disappeared by the beginning of 1940. Situated on  Broadway between 44th and 45th Streets, the history of this site as an mega entertainment venue dates back to the 1890s.

 

Hammerstein’s Olympia

Hand tinted glass slide of Hammerstein's Olympia, circa 1895.

Hand-tinted glass slide of the Olympia Theater and Music Hall in New York City circa 1895. Image from wondersofthebible.org.

Breaking the north-of-42nd-Street, theatrical district boundary, impresario Oscar Hammerstein (1846-1919) constructed his Olympia complex. These became first theatres in Longacre Square.

1906 portrait of Oscar Hammerstein I.

Oscar Hammerstein I in 1906. Image from wikipedia.com.

The Hammerstein’s Olympia comprised of two main theatres.  The Olympia Music Hall with 2,800 seats on the north side of the building, and the Lyric Theatre with 1,700 seats  mirroring it on the south side.

Sandwiched between the two large theatres was the 600 seat concert hall. A glass enclosed Roof Garden, seating over 1,000, topped off the complex.  An Oriental Café, billiard pallor, and bowling alley were attractions in the building’s basement. And for only fifty cents ($17.74 in 2022) all this entertainment could be yours to enjoy.

 

The Roof Garden of Hammerstein's Olympia.

The Olympia Roof Garden, crica 1900, after it was renamed the New York Roof. Byron Company photograph. Image from mcny.org.

Opening on November 25, 1895, the Olympia offered customers a diverse range of entertainments, from concerts to vaudeville to musical theatre. Unfortunately, for Hammerstein, it proved to be a money losing venture. Within three years Hammerstein lost his Olympia. Sold at auction the by the New York Life Insurance Company, the three theatres reopened under separate ownership. Eventually, the Music Hall became the New York Theatre and by the mid-1910s would come under management of Loew’s Incorporated as a vaudeville and movie house. The Lyric was rechristened the Criterion and presented both legitimate theatre and movies until 1920 when it too switched exclusively to motion pictures.

 

And on the roof, the theatre rechristened the Jardin de Paris, played host to the first five editions of Florenz Ziegfeld’s Follies starting in 1907.

But within only a few years of Ziegfeld’s departure, the roof theatre also fell under the ownership of Loew’s. After the roof’s conversion into a movie theatre, Loew’s Roof and Loew’s New York Theatre found success by showing third run movies at bargain prices.

 

New York City and tastes in style change fast. Longacre Square became Times Square, which by 1920 had become Manhattan’s main entertainment district. And the complex once known as Hammerstein’s Olympia stood as a relic of the 19th Century. So when news of its demolition was announced in the spring of 1935, it surprised no one. Two days before demolition was to begin the New York Daily News ran the following article:

 

New York Daily News article announcing the start of demolition of the New York Theatre. June 8, 1935.

The New York Daily News, June 8, 1935, P31. Article from proquest.com.

 

While the New York Theatre and Roof were undergoing demolition the Criterion Theatre remained opened for another week or so. After the Criterion’s closing, the razing of the former Hammerstein’s Olympia began in earnest. It only took forty-four days to take the entire building down. By the summer’s end of 1935 nothing remained and the plot was ready for new construction.

The demolition of the Criterion and New York Theatres, 1935.

View looking northeast across Seventh Avenue and Broadway during the demolition of the Criterion and New York Theatres. Image from the NYPL Digital Collections.

 

The International Casino

Plans for the New York Theatre’s replacement hit the papers in late June. What was surprising, the new building would be much smaller than the existing one. The 1514 Broadway Corporation’s (the name refers to the building’s address) new entertainment center would only be two stories tall and would include shops, a new movie theatre and a large restaurant / nightclub.

 

Artist rending of the new building at 1514 Broadway.

Artist rendering of the new entertainment venue at 1514 Broadway. The image is from an article in the New York Herald-Tribune, June 23, 1935, Pg H1. Article from proquest.com.

Helping to off set the cost of taxes on such an expensive plot of land, the owners erected enormous steel work on the roof for a five story high advertising sign they would lease. Construction began shortly after the clearing of the site.

The announcement for the new night club hit the papers in late August, 1936.

Article announcing the new nightclub, New York Herald-Tribune, August 27, 1936.

Plans filed for new nightclub. New York Herald-Tribune, August 27, 1936, Pg 47. Article from proquest.com.

In 1933, due to the depression, a number of Broadway theatres were sitting vacant.  Showman Billy Rose converted two of them into night clubs, renamed The Music Hall and Casino de Paris. The following year the former Earl Carrroll Theatre found new life as  the French Casino. These three venues began the trend of enormous night spots featuring theatrical style stage shows.

The International Casino would be huge but newly built and not retrofitted into an existing space. And to design this mega nightclub Joe Moss hired famed architect Thomas W. Lamb (1870 – 1942) and his associate Nicholas H. Weiss.

Lamb made his reputation as the architect of major movie palaces. The Times Square theatres that Lamb designed were – the Strand (1914), the Rialto (1916), the Rivoli (1917) and the Capitol (1919). Each of these theatres became increasingly more elaborate. And like most theatres of the time relied on historic architectural styles for their decorative designs.

By the 1930s Lamb proved that he could keep up with new trends and design in the most up-to-date fashion. Lamb’s modern design work included the exuberant second Earl Carroll Theatre in 1931, Trans-Lux newsreel theatres, and the Pennsylvania and Capitol Greyhound Terminals in mid-town Manhattan.

 

Auditorium and left side of the proscenium arch.

Auditorium and left side of the proscenium arch. Image from The Architectural Forum, November, 1931, usmodernist.org.

The International Casino continued Lamb’s design work in the Streamline Moderne style. Unfortunately, the August announcement of a December opening was widely optimistic. December came and went and 1936 turned to 1937. The January 16, 1937 “Nite Club Notes” column of the New York Daily News informed readers that the International Casino would finally open on February 25, 1937. February came and went. Then in March, Chester King in his Brooklyn Daily Eagle column “Around the Tables” informed readers that Donald Deskey would be designing the decorative elements of the night club.

 

Donald Deskey hired to do the decorative work for the International Casino. Around the Tables with Chester King column, Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

“Around the Tables with Chester King” column from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 19, 1937, Pg 14.

 

International Casino Designs by Donald Deskey

Industrial designer Donald Deskey, circa 1939.

Donald Deskey (circa 1939), industrial designer, interior architect, [and] painter, has designed pianos, billiard tables, clocks, silverware, oil burners, radios, glass, [and] slot machines. Introduced steel tube furniture in US, designed International Casino spiral bar, and decorations of Radio City Music Hall, and Hollywood Turf Club. Photograph from the Bettmann Collection, Getty Images.

The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s collection contains many of Deskey’s drawings and papers for the International Casino. Whether the brown and red carpet design was used is unconfirmed. The carpet with the guitar and cocktail glass motif did cover the floor of the main restaurant.

Donald Deskey design for the auditorium carpet of the International Casino.

Design for auditorium carpet, 1937, brush and brown, red and black gouache, black crayon on off-white illustration board. Image from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

Deskey’s pattern of curvilinear, diamond shape forms highlighted a design trend starting to become popular in the late 1930s.

Donald Deskey design for the second floor restaurant carpet of the International Casino.

Design for second floor restaurant carpet, 1937, brush and brown, and tan gouache, on off-white illustration board. Image from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

Deskey’s design for the restaurant carpet is slightly more than just a little reminiscent of Ruth Reeves’ Radio City Music Hall grand foyer carpet Still Life with Musical Instruments. Deskey used the guitar and glass motif throughout his design for the nightclub.

 

But in the  end the “glass and guitar” motif was not chosen for the exterior signs.

The Opening

1938 night time view of the Broadway facade of the International Casino.

The International Casino at night with the enormous Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum sign on its roof, (1938). Photo from the Arthur W. Grumbine Collection, New York Historical Society.

The International Casino opening continually faced delays through the first three quarters of 1937. On June 19th the New York Daily News reported the nite spot would be opening around August 10th. But as the 10th approached it became apparent that  date  was too confident. An article in the New York Times on August 7th now said the International Casino would open on August 25th, with an elaborate Continental style show titled Bravo! and with George Olsen and his Orchestra providing music between shows. As the 25th neared the opening was pushed back to September 1st, which also did not happen. Next the 13th was given as the date for the long awaited opening. Unfortunately trouble with the stage mechanisms made the 13th impossible. Then the owners let the press know that September 17th would be the grand opening of the International Casino. And this time it happened, after so many delays the new Broadway nite spot finally opened its doors.

 

Newspaper advertisement from the New York Daily News for the opening of the International Casino, September 17, 1937.

The International Casino opens. Advertisement from the New York Daily News, September 17, 1937.

 

The Exterior

1937 daytime view of the International Casino.

Daytime view of Broadway looking north from 43rd Street toward the International Casino, 1937. Image from home movie on YouTube.

The November, 1937 issue of the Architectural Record said this about the exterior of the International Casino –

      With no daytime “elevation” to speak of, the Casino leaps into prominence at nightfall, topped by its 7-foot neon sign and encircled by three continuous lines of giant neon which marks the muntins of the building’s ribbon windows.

 

1937 nighttime view of the International Casino.

1937 nighttime view of the International Casino show the huge red neon sign and neon ribbons across the Broadway facade. A blue neon sign is above the entrance marquee. Image from home movie on YouTube.

 

Street Floor

The International Casino had two entrances, both small. Covered by a canvas awning, the lesser entrance on West 45th Street included the elevator to take guests up to the second floor.

Floor plan of the ground floor.

Floor plan for the International Casino’s ground floor. Image from Architectural Record, November, 1937, Pg 27.

 

Circa 1937 Wurts Bros. photograph of the International Casino and Crawford Clothing store at the southeast corner of Broadway and West 45th Street.

This circa 1937 Wurts Bros. photo of the southeast corner of Broadway and West 45th Street shows the Crawford Clothing store framed on both sides by the entrances to the International Casino. Photo from the Irma and Paul Milstein Collection, New York Public Library, Digital Collections.

 

Sandwiched between the Crawford Clothing store on the corner of West 45th Street and the Criterion Theatre to its right, was the International Casino’s main entrance.  Protecting the revolving and standard doors  from the elements was a long marquee with a curved end. Neon lights fitted inside cursive letters spelled out “International Casino” on the marquee’s three sides. The neon letters flashed on and off in alternation with the backlighting of the marquee.

Nighttime photograph of the Broadway entrance to the International Casino, circa, 1937.

INTERNATIONAL CASINO COCKTAIL BAR LIT UP ON A RAINY NIGHT. Photo by George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images

 

Looking at the revolving door main entrance towards Broadway.

Just inside the main entrance, looking through the revolving door out to Broadway. Image from the Life Photo Collection.

Once inside, the “spiral” bar and ground floor bar room greeted customers. The “spiral” bar’s name came from the fact that it ran the length of the stairs between the first floor and the mezzanine. This was not just a design gimmick, it satisfied the requirement of the New York State Liquor Authority which only allowed one standing bar per establishment.

Cross section design plan for the "spiral" bar of the International Casino.

Design plan showing the cross section of the “spiral” bar. Image from the Architectural Record, November, 1937, Pg 28.

The bottom of the 'spiral' bar just inside the main entrance.

The bottom of the ‘spiral’ bar. Robert M. Damora photograph from the Architectural Forum, November, 1937, Pg 385

 

Being arranged in a series of steps, drinking on the steep, slopping sections was made possible by small, draw out flaps. Making these sections of the bar usable brought its capacity up to 160.

Detail of the "spiral" bar showing the pull out flaps.

Detail of the “spiral” bar, showing the draw out flaps on the slopping section. Image from the Life Photo Collection.

The bar itself was made of white sycamore and East Indian rosewood, with railings of aluminum and bronze. The curved front of the bar gave it a very streamlined appearance, slightly resembling the front of a ship or locomotive. Like the all the furniture of the International Casino, the bar stools were of bleached ash and chrome-plated tube.

 

The front of the "spiral bar" looking up toward the mezzanine.

The ground floor showing the bar and looking up to the mezzanine. Photograph by Schnall from the Architectural Record, November, 1937, Pg 28.

Looking down the stairs and the "spiral bar" toward the main entrance on Broadway.

Looking down the “spiral bar” toward the main entrance. Photo by Schnall from the Architectural Record, November, 1937, Pg 28.

Squeezed underneath the stairs leading up to the second floor a long, leather covered bench and tables filled the right-side ground floor from front to the back. A large, moderne mural by Witold Gordon (1885 – 1968) decorated the wall behind the tables and bench.

Ground floor barroom, with Witold Gordon mural.

Ground floor barroom. Mural by Witold Gordon. Image from the Architectural Forum, November, 1937, Pg 388.

A special feature of the International Casino was the escalator (the first in a night club or restaurant) just inside the main entrance. So, in the event the staircase proved impassable due to people imbibing at the bar, the escalator would whisk one to the main (second) floor quickly.

The escalator of the International Casino.

The International Casino’s escalator. Looking up from the main floor to the mezzanine and second floor. Photo by Schnall from the Architectural Record, November, 1937, Pg 27.

Mezzanine

A modernistic fountain was the main decorative feature of the mezzanine. This fountain was basically a large chromium ball in a diagonal sheet of glass hanging from a mirrored plaque on the ceiling over a pool of water. Floodlighting gave the it a very theatrical appearance.

Tables for two arranged along the edge of the mezzanine looked down to the main entrance and up to the Cosmopolitan Salon. While in front of the pool and fountain were tables and a striped banquette. Here one could order drinks and light food while people watching patrons on the other levels. The table tops and the linoleum just inside the main entrance featured Deskey’s guitar and cocktail glass motif.

 

Looking down on the mezzanine and main floor from the second floor.

Schnall photograph of the mezzanine and main floor as seen from the Cosmopolitan Salon. Photo from the Architectural Record, November, 1937, Pg 28.

Main Floor

Floor plan of the main or second floor of the International Casino.

Main (Second) Floor plan of the International Casino. Image from the Architectural Record, November, 1937, Pg 27.

Taking up the entire second floor, the International Casino, gave customers two options for drinking, dining and entertainment, the Cosmopolitan Salon and the restaurant.

 

Cosmopolitan Salon

The top of the escalator at the cocktail room.

The top of the escalator. A Casino bellhop greets Louise “Teddy” Lynch and J. Paul Getty to the cocktail room on the opening night of the International Casino. Photo from the Bettmann Collection, Getty Images.

The Cosmopolitan Salon, was more than a bar, it offered food plus it had its own orchestra and dance floor.

Dancing in the Cosmopolitan Salon on the International Casino's second floor.

Couples dancing in the Cosmopolitan Salon of the International Casino. Image from the Life Photo Collection.

Its main area was located near the top of the stairs and escalator. But a section of the Salon with tables stretched along the length of the second floor at the front of the building. These tables provided guests with a view into Times Square, if the venetian blinds were open. Striped curtains and upholstery and some cocktail themed murals were the main decorative features of the space.

 

The mezzanine and the Cosmopolitan Salon of the International Casino.

Mezzanine looking up toward the Cosmopolitan Salon’s tables along the Broadway side of the building. Photo by Robert M. Damora from the Architectural Forum, November, 1937, Pg 388.

 

Corner of the Cosmopolitan Salon showing the cocktail themed mural.

The southwest corner of the Cosmopolitan Salon, showing the drink themed mural, by Witold Gordon, on the wall behind the guests. Image from the Life Photo Collection.

 

Showgirls from an International Casino revue sitting on the band stand of the Cosmopolitan Salon being judged in a face and feet beauty contest, 1938.

International Casino showgirls in being judged in a face and feet beauty contest, sitting on the Cosmopolitan Salon band stand, New York, New York, March 16, 1938. (Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty Images)

Just to the side of the entrance to the restaurant and on either side of the pantry’s door were two cashier booths to handle the checks of patrons of both the restaurant and Cosmopolitan Salon.

Cashier booth in the cocktail room.

Cashier booth at the edge of the cocktail room. Image from the Life Photo Collection.

Tucked into the northeast corner of the second floor were the coat check, elevator and restrooms.

The Restaurant

With a seating capacity of 1,200, the restaurant that took up most of the second floor’s space. As a restaurant the room was enormous, but as a fully equipped theatre it was on the small side. Stairways and platforms, mechanically lowered from the ceiling, increased the stage size during the floor show. Devoid of pattern and ornament, the restaurant relied on lighting and a wise use of color for creating the feeling of luxury.

 

The International Casino's main restaurant with a seating capacity of 1,200.

The International Casino’s restaurant, showing the dramatic semi-circular cove lighting of the ceiling. Robert M. Damora photograph, from the November, 1937 Architectural Forum, Pg 387.

The Architectural Forum of November, 1937 wrote this about the interior decorations of the International Casino’s restaurant –

     The lighting lines emphasize the width of the room which is also enhanced by the simple masses of color – terra cotta, red, gray blue and pale beige – unbroken by decorative panels. The subsidiary lounges are equally restrained in decoration, though their interrelation at the central stairway tends, inevitably, to be somewhat confused.

Looking towards the rear of the restaurant on a night of near capacity.

A busy night at the International Casino. The restaurant at near capacity with couples dancing on the stage between floor shows. Image from the Life Photo Collection.

Leaving the stage after a dance.

Dancers returning to their tables from the stage. Image from the Life Photo Collection.

Selling stuffed toys to guests dining at the International Casino.

Selling stuffed toy to guests dining at the International Casino. Image from the Life Photo Collection.

Wide angle view of the restaurant that clearly shows the projection booth.

The restaurant’s projection booth can be clearly seen in this photo just below the ceiling on the back wall. Photo by Schnall from the November, 1937 issue of the Architectural Record, Pg. 26.

Two alternating orchestras provided music for dancing before, between and after the elaborate show. Each evening a two hour plus revue was performed twice nightly at 7:45 and 11:45. While the International Casino did not have a cover charge, there was a $2.50 ($50.00 in 2023) minimum for each guest.

1937 – 1940

When the International Casino finally opened its doors in September, 1937, it was the new popular nightspot in Manhattan. But it was an expensive place to run. To potentially turn a profit, the Casino needed to be open from 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM.

 

New York Daily News advertisement for the International Casino.

International Casino advertisement, New York Daily News, February, 8, 1938, Pg, 36.

First to open, the “spiral” bar, street floor and mezzanine, served drinks and light food continuously till closing. This section had its own kitchen and pantries on the mezzanine level.

Customers having drinks at the street level section of the "spiral" bar.

Customers enjoying drinks at the street floor section of the “spiral” bar. Image from the Life Photo Collection.

Next to open in early afternoon was the Cosmopolitan Salon, serving lunch and tea to larger parties. It shared the third floor kitchen with the restaurant. Finally at 6:00 PM the restaurant opened its doors and ran continuously until closing.

The Shows

The revue that opened the International Casino, Bravo!, was a big hit, with a huge cast. While it opened with the Casino on opening night in mid-September, the stage did not become fully functional for another two weeks. Once the mechanical problems were worked out the improved show wowed the critics and public.  The Wall Street Journal said this about the improved Bravo! –

Review of Bravo! from The Wall Street Journal.

Review of Bravo!, The Wall Street Journal, October 1, 1937, Pg 13.

Scenes from Bravo!

Bravo! set the standard and style of the subsequent revues staged at the International Casino. The shows, glamour and the novelty of the this new show place / night club did bring the customers in, for a while. It averaged $65,000 a week for the first six weeks of operations. Then New Yorkers went else where and the out-of-towners did not arrive as expected. By New Year’s 1938-1939 the International Casino was in deep financial trouble.

1939 Closure

The International Casino suspends operations, New York Daily News article.

Article from the New York Daily News, January 12, 1939, Pg 41.

Theatrical producer Billy Rose made overtures to take over the International Casino. But Rose did not end up taking over Broadway’s latest white elephant. Later in January, the Casino announced it would be selling its equipment at a public auction on February 3rd. By mid-March the news hit that a Boston syndicate had taken a lease on the International Casino.

 

The New York Times article announcing the re-opening of the International Casino.

Article announcing the re-opening of the International Casino. New York Times, March 17, 1939, Pg. 28.

 

And with Alex Finn at the head of the take over, it was out with the old, in this case the moderne, and in with the new, meaning a nod back to the 1890s. Just a few blocks uptown at the Paramount Hotel, Billy Rose, was having great success with his 1890s themed restaurant / theatre, the Diamond Horseshoe. And to do the “olde tyme” make over, Finn brought in designer, Jac Lessman. Costing $100,000 ($2,105,000 in 2023), Lessman installed a new bar, restyled the second floor that included adding private booths at the side of the restaurant and new flower adorned, stepped walls on the staircases leading down to the stage. Not many photos have survived of this new International Casino, and the existing ones do not show much of a redesign inside the main restaurant.

The main restaurant on New Year's Eve, 1939-1940.

New Year’s Eve 1939-1940, the main restaurant of the International Casino. Not too much is changed from the original design that can be seen in this photo. Image from the Bettmann Collection – Getty Images.

As consistent with the history of the International Casino, the intended May 4, 1939 reopening date did not happen. It did finally reopen on May 25th. Unfortunately, between competition from the New York World’s Fair and other night spots, business remained about the same as before, good, but not enough to sustain the cost of running the enormous venue. Even though photos show a large crowd choosing to welcome 1940 at the Casino, it was too late.

Ringing in the New Year with dinner and dancing at the International Casino.

New Year’s Eve celebrators dancing at the International Casino. The new staircase walls can be seen on the right. Photo from the Bettmann Collection – Getty Images.

Less than two weeks after New Year’s, the International Casino, closed again.

New York Herald-Tribune article announcing the closing of the International Casino.

New York Herald-Tribune article announcing the closing of the International Casino, January 12, 1940, Pg. 11

The plan now was for another renovation, converting the night club into a ballroom. With a capacity of 4,000, admission would be in the  popular price range and feature the top name big bands of the day. The anticipated opening date was for sometime by the end of February or beginning of March. But the plan never came to fruition. It was over.  The International Casino was gone, and in less than two and half years since it opened. Within a few months, the owners of the building, the 1514 Broadway Corporation, would sell it to a very different type of business.

 

The International Casino's sign covered over by a Disney banner.

Summer of 1940, the International Casino’s sign covered over by a large banner for a Walt Disney film festival showing at Loew’s Criterion Theatre. Photo from the Showman’s Trade Review, August 10, 1940, Pg. 11.

Bond  Clothes

On May 4, 1940 Adda, Inc. purchased 1514 Broadway. Adda, Inc. just happened to be a subsidiary of Bond Clothes. Which meant that Bond would lease the 45th Street corner store and second floor from the Bond-controlled Adda, Inc. The new store, would not only be the largest store in the chain, it would be the largest men’s clothing store in the world.

Artist rending of the new Bond Clothes store in Times Square, from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Artist rending of the new Times Square Bond Clothes store. Image from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 20, 1940, Pg. 5.

Due to the stores location, this would not be an ordinary men’s clothing store. An $800,000 (the equivalent of nearly $17,000,000 today) renovation converted the space into the most modern and theatrical of clothings stores. The Exterior would feature a two story high sign spelling out Bond in pale blue neon with the “O” being a clock.

1941 photograph of Bond Clothes and the Loew's Criterion.

Bond Clothes and Loew’s Criterion Theatre, 1941. Photo from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

While almost nothing was left of the interior of the International Casino, there were a few reminders of the past. The escalator (the first in a night club) still remained as did the tiered ceiling of the former restaurant. Also adding to the theatricality this new store were an elevator in a cylindrical shaft that resembled a giant pillar and a “flying staircase” built along the lines of a Gothic cathedral’s flying buttresses.

The ground floor of the Times Square Bond Clothing Store.

Bond Clothes, ground floor just inside the entrance on West 45th Street. Wurts Bros. photograph from the collection of the mcny.org.

More than 300 employees were on hand to greet customers when the doors opened for business on December 4, 1940. Twenty uniformed ushers were ready to take one to the departments suited to their size. This very large store had 26,000 suits and overcoats on display at all times. Within the first hour of the store’s opening, close to 400 suits and overcoats were sold. An estimated 100,000 persons entered the store by the 10:00 PM closing on opening day.

Looking down at the first floor.

Looking down at the first floor. Wurts Bros. photo from the mcny.org collection.

The former restaurant converted into a clothing store.

The former restaurant conversion into a clothing store. Wurts Bros. photo from the collection of mcny.org.

Bond Clothes found the success that eluded the International Casino. The store remained a Times Square fixture until 1977. In 1980 the space re-opened as the Bond International Casino, a large nightclub with a capacity of 1,800. Blondie, Grace Jones and The Clash are some of the notables that performed there. Another renovation in 1988 converted the space into two legitimate theatre venues, known as the Criterion Center. In 1991 the theatres were leased to the Roundabout Theatre Company. Toys “R” Us moved in after Roundabout moved out in 1999. This time the entire interior would be gutted for the renovation turning the space into a toy store, that included an indoor Ferris wheel.

The Times Square Toys "R" Us.

The north east corner of Broadway and West 44th Street. A Toys “R” Us occupies the building that once housed the International Casino. Image from Flicker.com.

The Toys “R” Us flagship store opened in 2001. But as the years passed and Broadway became a large pedestrian mall, Manhattan rents started to skyrocket. By 2015 Toys “R” Us could no longer afford the rent and closed the store in December, 2015. Today a Gap / Old Navy rents the building. And other than its location, nothing remains of the building’s original exterior or interior to make visitors to Times Square even suspect its often troubled and glamorous history.

2017 photo of Times Square.

The Gap / Old Navy flagship store under construction in this 2017 photograph. Image from alamy.com.

But let’s not end in present day Times Square. Here is a New Year’s Eve photo of Times Square ready to usher in 1938, when cars, taxi cabs, buses and streetcars  still traversed Broadway. And when, for a very brief moment, the International Casino was the place to go to enjoy a night on the town.

New Year's Eve 1938, Times Square.

Times Square, New Year’s Eve 1938. Photo from rmyauctions.com.

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen Guys)

Sources: Architectural Forum; Architectural Record; The Baltimore Sun; The Bergen Evening Record; The Brooklyn Daily Eagle; The Buffalo Evening News; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; The New York Daily News; The New York Herald Tribune; The New York Times; Showman’s Trade Review; usmodernist.org; The Wall Street Journal.