Author Archives: freakintiquenguys@gmail.com

Accessorizing with Deco – Purses, Hand Bags & Clutches.

Note: The “Freakin’, Tiquen Guys” (Chris & Anthony) are very pleased to have our friend Nancy be the first guest contributor to Driving For Deco.

 

I’ve been a frequent antiquing companion of the “Freakin’ ‘Tiquin Guys” for about ten years now, and fortunately they’re not in competition with me when it comes to one area of collecting – vintage handbags. I collect many kinds: delicate beaded bags, arts and crafts tooled leather handbags, Cordé fabric handbags, even grandma-type floral chenille bags. And of course art deco bags if I’m lucky enough to find them for a good price. As Anthony and Chris would agree, half the fun of antiquing is finding what you like at a good price!

 

So here are some examples of the art deco bags in my collection. First, a few clutches. I love this blue velvet one with rhinestone clasp. It’s so simple in its classic deco design.

 

Blue Velvet Clutch

 

But nothing says deco more than a circular geometric design. This striking little black and white beaded clutch was a real find:

This cream leather clutch with tooled Egyptian design is likely one of the oldest deco bags I have. Although undated and unmarked, it is likely from the early- to mid-1920s, an example of the Egyptian revival in popular culture inspired by the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in late 1922.

 

Egyptian Revival Clutch

 

The most well-known name in vintage mesh handbags is Whiting & Davis. They are usually very well marked, either with the name stamped on the inside of the frame or with a small metal tag located on the inside of the frame. The deco of the bag can be in its frame, in the design of the enamel mesh, or both. These three Whiting & Davis bags are great examples of the types you might find:

 

Here’s one more enamel mesh bag, but it is unmarked and the maker is not known:

 

Unmarked Art Deco mesh bag

And last, when I found this bag, I dubbed it “the most beautiful purse of my dreams.” I just had to have it, and luckily I got it for a good sale price. It is a steel-cut beaded bag, made in France. The design of the beads is very subtle and difficult to capture in a photo, but in person, trust me, it’s dazzling!

 

Stunning  French Steel Bead Art Deco Handbag

And finally, here’s a sneak preview for perhaps another possible guest post here in the future: other art deco accessories such as this sweet little compact featuring wire-haired fox terriers (you know, “Asta”!). So stay tuned for another day of compacts, dress clips, and shoe clips!

                  "Asta" compact

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New York World’s Fair Souvenirs 1939 – 1940.

Give away advertising thermometer.

Give away advertising thermometer.

On April 30, 1939 the New York World’s Fair opened on a 1,216 acre site of reclaimed dump that was described by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the 1925 novel The Great Gatsby as “the valley of ashes”. It was a monumental undertaking that was completed in less than five years. The fair was dominated by the Trylon and Perisphere, a 610 foot obelisk and 180 foot diameter sphere. It was the Theme Center and iconic symbol of the fair and was prominently depicted on most of the souvenirs sold.

 

For background on the fair here are  links to a few excellent websites –

1939 New York World’s Fair

1939nyworldsfair

fairfilm

 

“The World of Tomorrow” was exemplified by the transportation zone and especially General Motors’ huge pavilion that contained the most popular exhibit at the fair, Norman Bel Geddes’ Futurama, a look into the United States of 1960. The fair left indelible memories for everyone who attended it, and they purchased a variety of items to remember their trip to the future, like those pictured below.

 

Painted wood Trylon and Perisphere, mini Jasperware vase and a Chase electric candle.

Painted wood Trylon and Perisphere, mini Jasperware vase and a Chase electric candle.

 

The Kan-O-Seat was purchased at an antique mall in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1985. This must have come in handy while waiting in the hours long line to see Futurama.

 

 

I have several items from the fair made of SyrocoWood, a compressed, molded wood pulp that looked liked carved wood. Syroco, Inc. was a Syracuse, New York company that produced giftware, including many different souvenirs for the fair. Here are some examples from my collection.

 

 

When Chris and I were in Michigan a couple of years ago, we came across this game at an antique mall for five dollars.  I haven’t played it as yet.

 

 

On the same trip, I also purchased this Pathegram film viewer with three rolls of film. Licensed from Pathe, one viewed still images on little rolls of 16mm film through a red and black bakelite viewer.

 

 

The were many different picture books for sale at the fair, I bought this one, that was still inside it’s original mailing envelope.

 

A picture book with it's original mailing envelope.

A picture book with it’s original mailing envelope.

 

 

One of my earliest World’s Fair souvenirs, the Dunhill Silent Flame Table lighter, was bought in 1975 for four dollars at the Englishtown Auction (it is just a large flea market) located in central New Jersey. The base is made of black bakelite which is usually topped by a fan dancer. This version replaced her with the Trylon and Perisphere. It worked on two “c” cell batteries. To operate it, one takes the wand (which is filled with lighter fluid) out of the base resting it on the rail and touching the end to the metal figure in the middle completing the electrical contact and igniting the wand.

 

Dunhill Silent Flame Table lighter, World's Fair edition.

Dunhill Silent Flame Table lighter, World’s Fair edition.

 

Probably my most unusual World’s Fair tie-in collectible is my Bissell “Thirty-Nine” carpet sweeper. In a time when they had electric vacuum cleaners nothing said the future or “The World of Tomorrow” more than a carpet sweeper (?). I had never seen one before and have never seen one since, so I’m glad I swept it up (pun intended).

 

 

The American Potters exhibit showcased the works of several important pottery companies, including Homer Laughlin (the makers of Fiestaware), which made this souvenir plate – and in my opinion – the nicest of all the World’s Fair plates.

 

 

 

The fair closed at the end of its second season, on October 27, 1940. Today at Flushing Meadow Park, very little remains from the 1939-1940 fair. The New York City Building, which houses the Queens Museum, is the only structure left. So it is left to all the films, photos and souvenirs to remind us of a long gone “World of Tomorrow”.

 

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

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Heading to Brimfield!!!

Brimfield, Massachusetts

Brimfield, Massachusetts

 

Almost every summer Chris and I hit the road and go antiquing in a new place, last year was Texas, in 2013 it was Canada and Michigan and 2011 it was Indiana. This July we are heading to the Brimfield Flea Market in Massachusetts, the oldest antique show in the country. The first show was held in the summer of 1959. We have never been to there before, so if there are any Brimfield regulars who want to give us any tips or advice please feel free to leave a comment or shoot us an e-mail. We will be blogging about our Deco hunting at Brimfield daily. So stay tuned.

 

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

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Chrysler Building Opened 85 Years Ago Today.

The Chrysler Building in the summer of 1930.

The Chrysler Building in the summer of 1930.

Arguably, the most iconic Art Deco skyscraper, the Chrysler Building was unofficially opened by Walter Chrysler on April 15, 1930. Designed by William Van Alen, it was briefly the tallest building in the world and the first building taller than the Eiffel Tower. The race to build the tallest building in the world reach a fever pitch in 1929. Two architects, once partners that had become bitter rivals, were battling each other to give their respective clients the prize of world’s tallest. H. Craig Severance was building The Manhattan Company Building at 40 Wall Street and he was determined to beat William Van Alen. When Van Alen announced that the Chrysler Building was to be 808 feet tall, Severance informed the press The Manhattan Company Building would be 840 feet. The battle was on, each architect changing their design to make it the highest. Here is an illustration showing the changes the Chrysler Building took during its construction.

 

The evolution of the Chrysler Building

The evolution of the Chrysler Building

 

In the summer of 1929 Van Alen announced to the press that the final height of the Chrysler Building would be 850 feet. Severance announced his building would be 925 feet, making it the world’s tallest, it would eventually top out at 927 feet. But Van Alen had a trick, not up his sleeve, but inside the top of the building – the 185 foot spire that tops the dome, was built in secret and hoisted into place on October 23, 1929. The spire, which Van Alen called the Vertex, brought the height of the Chrysler Building to 1,046 feet.

 

The secret of the Vertex.

The secret of the Vertex.

 

The first tenants moved into The Chrysler Building in March of 1930, a few weeks before Walter Chrysler unofficially opened the building to the public. New Yorkers immediately fell in love with the building, which was officially opened in June. But the critics were divided about the design; some thought it daringly modern, while other thought it too excessive with the vertex being a cheap trick which should not be included in the final height of the building. After 85 years, the Chrysler Building is the supreme example of late 1920’s skyscraper architecture. The lobby is a magnificent public Art Deco space.

 

The Lobby of the Chrysler Building

The Lobby of the Chrysler Building

 

Unfortunately, other public spaces have been closed and destroyed. There was a Chrysler automobile showroom on the ground floor, that was very moderne in style.

 

The Chrysler automobile showroom.

The Chrysler automobile showroom.

 

The Cloud Club on the 66th – 68th floors was a private dining room, bar and lounge for the executives in the building. The Cloud Club survived until the 1970’s. Today the club is gutted and nothing remains of this wonderful Deco space.

 

The former Cloud Club.

The former Cloud Club.

 

Another short-lived, long gone, public space was the observation lounge on the 71st floor. The price of admission was fifty cents. But after the opening of the Empire State Building the next year, the days of the Chrysler Building’s observation lounge were numbered. It finally closed in 1945 and the space gutted shortly afterwards for CBS television transmitters. In my opinion, the Chrysler observatory was the most fanciful in all of Manhattan, it is a shame it wasn’t considered worthwhile saving.

 

 

The Chrysler Building has been one of my favorite buildings since I was a small boy. But I have very few collectibles of the it.  As a child I always wanted a white metal souvenir of the Chrysler Building, but they were no longer made. I finally got one on Ebay in 1999, while not great in quality, it does date from the 1930’s.

 

 

My only other souvenir is a commemorative book from 1930. I picked it up at the long gone Route 1 Flea Market in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1984 for one dollar, I don’t know what the value of the book is today.

 

The embossed cover of the commemorative book.

The embossed cover of the commemorative book.

 

 

 

The next time your in New York City, stop by the Chrysler Building at Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street, it’s worth the trip.

 

Anthony.

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