S T Y LE H I S T ORY

T E K O O ct ob er 1 4

Style n a me

P e r iod

1 9 3 0 s - 19 50s

B a ckg round

is a style that emerged in America in the 1930s. It

sprung from Art Deco and is also known as art deco on the move.
It started with aerodynamic cars and planes but ended up being a
decorative style which had a huge commercial appeal at the time.

What has
influence d this
s t yl e p e r i o d ?
(politics ,
economics ,
major ev ents ,
dev elopmen t s in
s o c ie ty, c u ltu re )

1929, the Wall Street Stock

market crashed plunging the USA into The
Great Depression. America stopped all
foreign imports and asked for repayment of
all loans to foreign countries. This caused a
depression across the rest of the world.
In America spending and investment
dropped causing a big decline in industrial output and raising levels
of unemployment to 25% of the working population by 1932.
Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in 1933
and shortly after he introduced the New Deal in
order to stabilize the economy and provide jobs by
bringing Relief for the unemployed and poor,
Recovery of the economy to a normal level and
Reform of the financial system to prevent a repeat
depression.
Historians feel these actions are even more significant than the
recession itself as they permanently changed the governments
relationship with the American population.
hardships fuelled the rise of extremist political
movements most notably that of Adolf Hitlers Nazi regime in
Germany leading to increased tension across Europe. In 1941 the
US declared an end to its neutrality and entered World War II when
Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan.
in consumer spending during the 1930s forced
industry to reconsider their product development and marketing
strategies. The extravagance of Art Deco did not meet the
consumers needs anymore.

The Great Depression the

industrial designers aimed to make products
that symbolized hope and dreams of a better
future. E.g. is the vacuum cleaner that was not
only decorated with stripes to create the feeling
of speed and flying but it was also creating a feeling of breaking
free from the depression and the reality of it. The products
symbolized optimism and luxury which was a clear metaphor for
prosperity.
is also seen in the architecture from
this period. The architects embraced the new
technology developed at the time and expressed
the streamline philosophy in the shape of buildings
with very simple aerodynamic curves, long
horizontal lines, flat roof with coping and
sometimes nautical (ships/sailors) elements. They went from using
exotic wood and stone to using materials such as glass, chrome
hardware and cement.
palette went from the bold and bright of Art Deco to
more earthy tones such as off-white and beige mixed with shades
of metal and dark tones to make a contrast.
were modern and timeless and yet affordable and
functional. The designers offered a way for the consumers to look
into the future by streamlining already existing everyday products.
rough conditions of the time, it is also
known as the Golden Age of Hollywood, with big stars
such as Clark Gable, Marlene Dietrich, Kathrine
Hepburn and Shirley Temple offering the population
escapism from the harsh reality of the economy and
nursing their hopes and dreams. New techniques made
it possible to record with sound and in colors and
genres such as musicals became wildly popular.
Streamline made its way onto movie sets and can be
found in for instance the Wizard of Oz in the design of
Emerald City.
With the US participation in World War II the entertainment
industry began making movies, stories and songs inspired by
warfare. An example could be a character like Captain American
that boosted the populations patriotic feeling.

Desi gn
p h ilosophy

The world is tomorrow we are only limited by our imagination.

L a nguage of
form
What is
characte ri s ti c of
t h e s t yl e p e r i o d ?

F orm:

C olours :

Mate ria ls :

F unction:

stripped the Art Deco designs of its ornaments in

favor of the aerodynamic pure-line concept of motion and speed.
They were very much inspired by the scientific thinking.
The streamline style emphasizes curving forms, long horizontal
lines, and nautical (ships/sailors) elements.

is colored in rather subdued tones. The typical base

colors were light earthy tones, off-white and beige mixed with the
typical trim colors being dark colors and/or bright metal.

turned their back to the exotic woods and stone

used in Art Deko in favor of materials such as cement and glass.
They looked to science and made use of new high-technological
materials such as plexiglass, vinyl and polystyrene.
aspect of streamline forms were used on
everyday objects that met some of the basic need of the users. An
example is in the architecture that used horizontal window bands
that incorporated natural light. The aesthetics symbolized the
future and brought hope the people.

S t y le p e r iod
I m p or tant
p e r s ons
Architec tu re :

Walter Dorwin Teague (December 18, 1883 December 5, 1960)

He was amongst other things an Industrial designer
and architect also referred to as The Dean of
Industrial Design.
In the article A Quarter Century of Industrial Design in
the United States he is writes:
"We have not the slightest doubt that we are adding something of
positive value to the American way of life. We are even augmenting
the sum of total beauty in our world, and extending the
appreciation of beauty into those realms where it is most vitally
effectivethe home, the factory, the shop and the street.1

The Ford Tower, Sparton Table Radio, Kodak Camera

D esign:

Raymond Loewy (November 5, 1893 July 14, 1986).

He was referred to as The Man Who Shaped
America, The Father of Streamlining and The Father of
Industrial Design by the press.
Among his designs were the Shell and the former BP
logos, the Greyhound Scenicruiser bus, Coca Cola
vending machines, the redesign of Lucky strike.

Coca cola sketch, Pennsylvania Railroads S1 steam

locomotive, Redesign of Lucky Strike (Result: White).
Norman Bel Geddes (April 27, 1893 May 8, 1958)

Bel Geddes began his career with set designs for Aline
Barnsdalls Los Angeles Little Theater.
In 1927 he opened an industrial design studio, and
designed a wide range of commercial products, from
cocktail shakers to commemorative medallions to radio
cabinets. His designs extended to unrealized futuristic
concepts: a teardrop-shaped automobile.
1

published in Art & Industry, London, 1951

In 1940 his book Magic motorway was published.

Motor Car nr. 9 (without tail fin) 1933, Cocktail set (1937),
One-piece childs school desk and chair
F ashion:

C o n c lus ion a n d
r e f l ection

was not really adapted by the fashion industry. It was

used more clearly by the architects and Industrial designers.

has become part of the

American identity and is still used today,
both as a style and a science.
We see it in swimwear amongst others
where it is used both when designing
swimsuits like the speedo and as a
technique when the swimmers enter the water.

Date:

30.10.2014

Group no.:

Group nr.: 16

Na m es +
ema il
a d dresses:

Alexandra Sebov, 222102@via.dk

Anne Mette Vinther Hansen, 222012@via.dk
Dana Bergsdttir 222170@via.dk
Jeanette Honor Thorsted, 139916@via.dk
Nayoon Lee, 222180@via.dk
Roseanne Kimber, 222129@via.dk

S t y le p e r iod

Illustration s

Kem Weber, Lounge Chair from

1934.

Raymond Loewys 6100 steam

locomotive was the largest and
fastest train of its day (1939).

Steam Iron, 1948, by Henry

Dreyfuss for the General Electric
Company, Lynn, USA

Style
p e r iod

Sources

Web:
Information on economy:
Chicago History Museum (2012) Face to Face with the Great Depression.
[Online] Available from: http://www.chicagohistory.org/
American History (2014) The Great Depression. [Online] Available from:
http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression
Pew Research Center (2010) How a Different America responded to the Great
Depression: Gallup survey data. [Online] Available from:
http://www.pewresearch.org/2010/12/14/how-a-different-americaresponded-to-the-great-depression/
Information on politics is gathered from
http://depts.washington.edu/depress/politics.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1920s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930s, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940s
The golden age of Hollywood
http://www.hollywoodmoviememories.com/
http://www.filmsite.org
Walter Dorwin Teague, Background information from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Dorwin_Teague
Raymond Loewy, Background information from :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Loewy
http://www.raymondloewy.com
Norman Bel Geddes, Background information from :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Bel_Geddes
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2507327/Norman-Bel-Geddesexhibitions-designs-shaped-modern-America.html
Henry Dreyfuss
http://www.henry-dreyfuss.com
www.russelwrightcenter.org
http://www.curatedobject.us/the_curated_object_/exhibitions_montegomery/
Others:
PHD report by Stine Hoholt,
http://www.dcdr.dk/dk/materiale/dokumenter/phd-afhandling-stinehoholt.pdf
Book, Design gennem 200 r - Publisher: Gyldendal uddannelse - Writer: Ida
Engholm
Article, A Quarter Century of Industrial Design in the United States, Art &
Industry, London, 1951