Tuesday, March 17, 2009

A 'Calvin Coolidge' Living Room Set

Per the caption, it seems the designer of this 1928 set felt if it were named after President Coolidge the chances of winning the (unnamed) competition would increase.  Wrong.  The style is closer to mongrel Borax than L'Art Moderne and seventh place was at best, well, kind.  With 20-20 hindsight it's easy to see why the first three years of American Modernism (1926-1929) was an abysmal failure both commercially and aesthetically.  Image from 'A History of American Furniture' by Marta K. Sironen, Towse Publishing Company, 1936.

No comments: