Vintage Cincinnati postcard from hipostcard.com.
One of the best things to do at the Netherland Plaza Hotel is to meet up with friends and family for a snack and/or libation in the Palm Court. Our friend from Kentucky, Suzanne, met us in Cincinnati. Also staying at the hotel, she introduced us to a couple of great restaurants in the area.
Our friend Susie and Anthony relaxing in the hotel lobby.
2024 20TH CENTURY CINCINNATI VINTAGE MODERN EXPO
Day two in Cincinnati, the three of us attended the Modernism Show held at the Sharonville Convention Center. It is not as expansive as the now defunct Pier Shows in New York. It is quite large and chocked full of goodies for sale. While you won’t find many bargains, most items are fairly priced and most dealers are willing to haggle.
Displays of goods on display and ready for sale.
Items on a NFS deco display stand.
Some interesting Art Deco pieces, such as the shelving unit above, are Not For Sale (NFS). This is something that drives us crazy. If it is on display, or used for display, it should be for sale.
Mid-century items and a nod to A Christmas Story.
A case of Chase caught our eye.
Replica Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin table lamp.
Soon after entering the show, “The Jazz Tray” caught our eye. An iconic Art Deco piece, It is reverse painted glass in red, black and pale yellow with a nickel plated frame.
The Jazz Tray (1930s).
The unmarked tray is very rare and they sell on line from $1,500 and up. Unfortunately this one had condition issues, but the seller priced it more than fairly.
Two floor lamps, not surprisingly, interested both of us.
The first, a Kurt Versen (1901 – 1977) flip lamp. This mid-1930’s spun aluminum lamp is used two ways. With the bowl facing toward the ceiling, it is an uplighter. But when turned downward, it becomes a bridge lamp.
The Kurt Versen Flip Floor Lamp, up and down. Photos from cityissue.com.
This lamp is a pedigree piece. This means it is a well known item to Art Deco/Modernist collectors and it is created by a famous designer.
The other was an unusual bridge lamp. It features a painted aluminum louvered shade. Most of the light directs downward. But the design also allows some to leak out between the louvers. This style of shade usually points up towards the ceiling and it is not often used for bridge lamps.
This was a contender but stayed behind.
This unmarked lamp really exemplifies the early to mid-1930s streamline aesthetic and we both liked it. Chris and I felt that both lamps were fairly expensive, but fairly priced. However, it was not the right time to purchase either.
Sforzina: Designs for a Modern America. Jim Linz & Denise Ellison Allen
In the end, the only item we purchased is the book, Sforzina: Designs for a Modern America 1923-1941 by Jim Linz and Denise Ellison Allen. The publisher is the Art Deco Society of Washington, Washington DC. We were fortunate to interview Denise, granddaughter of Edgard Sforzina, in 2024. To read the interview, Click Here.
Jim Linz’s, co-author of the Sforzina book, booth. Linz has a wonderful collection of Deco items for sale.
Though we do not plan on attending the 2025 show, we have a feeling that we will be back in 2026.
After the show, we enjoyed drinks back at the hotel’s Palm Court bar. The bartenders are excellent and so are the drinks. Suzanne enjoyed an Expresso Martini, Chris imbibed a Tom Collins and I a Side Car.
The Palm Court bar, early in the day before it opened.
Suzanne, who is very familiar with Cincinnati, gave us several suggestions for dinner in the nearby Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. We chose Pho Lang Thang, a Vietnamese restaurant. Chris and I never had Vietnamese food before. But we were willing to try something new.
-
- Pho Lang Thang at 1828 Race Street. Photo from Facebook.
-
- Pho Lang Thang’s very colorful interior. Photo from Facebook.
