Glamorgan Antiques | Newsletter November 2002 Edition

WELCOME.

Welcome all to this eigth newsletter from Glamorgan antiques.We hope that it will appeal to all lovers of Antiques, whether newcomers or more experienced Collectors.Anyway, the learning process in Antiques never ends,we all get to be more experienced but we never stop learning.

In This Edition

ARTDECO IN OUR HOMES.THE WAY WE WERE

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ARTDECO IN OUR HOMES.THE WAY WE WERE.

The" Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes"that was held in Paris in 1925, was a great influence on the new Art Deco movement.It was indeed a very Chic exhibition, as the fountains sprayed high columns of water illuminated by the night lights of Gay Paris, and the visitors to this most glamorous of shows, celebrated well into the night at the many clubs and bars centred around this particular area of Paris...Cocktails and long cigarettes were the hallmarks of this bright new age,out with the old and in with the new,from furniture to clothes, everything revolved around this new Artdeco movement sweeping through the European continent and further afield- right across America.

Great changes had taken place with the ending of the First World War, and the dominating Victorian and Edwardian periods were well and truly by this time,a part of history.All sorts of gadgetry and manufactured furniture were entering the "modernists" homes,and a growing generation were rejecting the older traditional styles beloved of their parents - these young people wanted the styles of the new era,to be surrounded by the new World of ArtDeco. Mass produced furniture was becoming very fashionable and the new materials available such as Plyboard and plastic, all played a part in the movement away from Victoriana.Everything in the new homes was seemingly,Geometric, sleek,smooth and elegant, even down to the most basic of items such as ashtrays and crockery.Triangles and Cubism were the "in" thing.

Whereas before the Coalfire was regarded as the heart of every home, now it was the turn of the Electric fire to be it's heart, and provide the heat to warm these ultra modern homes, where efficiency and hygeine were paramount.No more slaving over blackleaded fireplaces, the new smaller tiled fireplaces were far easier to keep clean than their earlier counterparts.Efficiency was the new word on every modern person's lips.Comfort in the living room was now provided by the newly made angular shaped "three piece suites". The other living room essential was the Wireless..All the family would gather around the Wireless listening to News bulletins from the BBC, and also there was a growing band of families who owned a Gramaphone, and their entertainment would be provided for,by the likes of musicians such as Benny Goodman..

It was about this time too,that Egyptian and all things Egyptian were extremely popular because of the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb..Pyramid shapes in the home became an essential part of the overall effect, even down to the humble sugar sifters- made by that most famous doyen of Deco fans everywhere,Clarice Cliff....Colours were bold,Oranges and Yellows were replacing drab browns and greys.It was at this time also,that fitted furniture made it's first appearance.Carpenters were called in to design pieces that would fit into alcoves and bay windows.Standard floor lamps and table lamps were everywhere, shapely nude figurines,holding Globes erect, and coffee tables on chrome legs were all the vogue.Coffee was back in fashion, as tea had become very popular and reigned supreme in Victorian days,although over the Atlantic in the USA coffee was, and still is, the supreme choice for beverage over tea.American films in the Cinema were also influencing the European way of life, and this is when the aluminium percolators found their way into many British homes and establishments..One by one, the traditional English potteries introduced the new angular shaped tea and coffee sets to the table, and it is these very sets that are now the most sought after in the current wave of Artdeco revivalism..

This then was the age of Jazz. Jazz in music from the big bands, and Jazzy Colours from the new age designers, whether it be the daily Crockery or the Rugs and furniture covers.This was also the age of the Flapper girls,and many young ladies who had a good income from well heeled families lived in the Cities in their own Deco designed flats, which, provided a very manageable home- equipped as it was,with all the latest gadgetry and furniture.Because of the tremendous amount of young men who had lost their lives in the Great War, women in the 1920's were holding down jobs that only men had held before,and, this in turn made the new breed of women more active and independent, not so totally reliant on their menfolk as their mothers had been.The evenings of the Flapper girls, were spent partying in exclusive clubs,drinking cocktails from expensive glasses and smoking long cigarettes in pencil slim black holders.Women also became adept at driving the modern cars of this new age, the sports cars were born,Mercedes and Bentleys were all the rage, and the Lalique mascots of naked ladies with streaming hair sat proudly on the nose of the bonnets of these most famous cars.

Now in this new Century, the Spirit of ArtDeco is again very much in vogue ,as many collectors from both sides of the Atlantic eagerly seek out the original objects of the 1920 -1930's period, whether in furniture,China or accessories, as,everyone it seems is collecting "Deco!".....Reproductions abound, but, as the prices of original Galle lamps soar into the thousands, many collectors wishing to "re-live" the Deco period in their new 21st century homes,will have found that Repro items in the Artdeco form,are more affordable, and, will at least satisfy their urge to collect and display "Deco". ..Purists will frown at this,but demands on the purse and wallet, will always lead many to the cheaper Post War copies that are readily available at more modest and reasonable prices...

Glamorgan antiques has a good range of original ArtDeco items at reasonable prices,some of these we are finding are becoming our best sellers.If you would like to take a look at our Deco items please Click HERE. If you need more clarification on anything please do ask by e mail..Thankyou.

Reproduction of these newsletters forbidden without the express permission of the Author

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