Brunch Chez Josephine

Sunday, January 13, 2019, noon–3:00 p.m.

 

Deco enthusiasts stepped back in time with their Deco friends for a bubbly return to the joie-de-vivre of Jazz Age Paris at a champagne French-American brunch at New York’s legendary Chez Josephine.

 

Founded in 1986 by Jean-Claude Baker, Josephine Baker’s adopted son, Chez Josephine is a sparkling tribute to the legendary entertainer and one of the original flappers.

 

Over a delicious meal, we enjoyed the sounds of live piano music in an intimate private space reminiscent of a 1920s Parisian salon. The inviting and romantic atmosphere––with its blue-tin ceiling, red velvet walls, cavalcade of chandeliers, and stunning vintage portraits of La Baker was the perfect setting for a brief talk about her fascinating life and a wonderful way to toast the New Year with Deco friends.

 

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Set Sail to Hidden Art Deco on Ellis Island

Sunday, July 29, 2018, 12:45–4:15 p.m.

 

ADSNY had a once-in-a-lifetime guided tour of an important Art Deco gem that is closed to the public: the 1936 Ellis Island Ferry House. On this beautiful summer afternoon we set sail to Ellis Island––enjoying scenic views along the way, including southern Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty––and explored the history, architecture, restoration, and preservation of the treasured buildings that played a vital role in our country’s immigration story.

 

While more than three million people visit Ellis Island annually, we were one of the very few to be invited inside the Art Deco Ferry House, which was built in 1936 by the Public Buildings Branch of the Procurement Division for the Immigration Service of the Department of Labor. This private tour, led by Save Ellis Island, was a rare opportunity to gain exclusive access to this unique Art Deco building and learn of its complex history from the historians, architects, and preservationist closest to the restoration project.

 

In 1954, when Ellis Island was largely abandoned, this Art Deco treasure began to suffer and slipped into decay. After over 50 years of neglect, the buildings of Ellis Island underwent a full restoration in 2007. But, in 2012, the island suffered severe damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy. Architects and preservationists were not easily deterred and started the restoration project again. After many years of dedicated restoration efforts, the 1936 Art Deco Ferry House has been lovingly restored and opened its doors just for us.

 

In addition to seeing the island’s restored Art Deco treasure, attendees donned hardhats to explore WPA era buildings that have yet to be restored. We learned of the efforts to restore these buildings as well as the complex of hospital buildings in the area. Tour leader and author Kevin C. Fitzpatrick led attendees through the historic Registry Room, where twelve million immigrants passed through from 1900 to 1954 and shared more about the history of the island.

 

Following our behind-the-scenes adventure, the group sailed back to Manhattan to enjoy cocktails and conversation at Pier A, the 1886 New York City landmark. We were joined by Ocean liner expert Ian Robertson, who gave us a tour of the pier and his latest exhibition of ocean liner ephemera.

 

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Brunch Chez Josephine

Sunday February 25, 2018, noon–3:00 p.m.

 

Deco enthusiasts concluded the month of Valentines and romance as they stepping back in time for a bubbly return to the joie-de-vivre of Jazz Age Paris for a champagne French-American brunch at New York’s legendary Chez Josephine.

 

Founded in 1986 by Jean-Claude Baker, Josephine Baker’s adopted son, Chez Josephine is a sparkling tribute to the legendary entertainer. The inviting and romantic atmosphere of this landmark jewel with its blue-tin ceiling, red velvet walls, and cavalcade of chandeliers was the perfect setting for an afternoon of lively conversations and new ADSNY friendships forged.

 

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Valentine Soirée

Wednesday, February 7, 2018, 6:15­–9:00 p.m.

 

Hosted in the stunning, brand-new penthouse residence that crowns Ralph Walker’s landmarked One Hundred Barclay, this year’s annual Valentine Soirée was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

With the Manhattan skyline glittering beyond the 21-foot arched windows of this unique, glamorous setting, ADSNY members and their guests took a step back in time to an age of style, jazz, and opulence as they enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in what just might be New York’s largest living room, The Penthouse at One Hundred Barclay. Transformed into an elegant ballroom, it was the setting as best-in-class dancers showcased premier examples of dances from the 1920s and 30s––the tango, Peabody, Charleston, rumba, foxtrot, with a dash of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers for added indulgence.

 

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Lights, Camera, Deco! Film Series: Flying Down to Rio

Friday, December 1, 2017, 6:00–9:00 p.m.

 

ADSNY’s final film in the “Lights, Camera, Deco! Series co-sponsored by the Center for Applied Liberal Arts at the NYU School of Professional Studies featured “Flying Down to Rio”, first on-screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

 

In this 1933 musical romance, choreographer and musician Fred Ayers (Fred Astaire) helps his friend and band leader Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) romance the gorgeous Brazilian Belinda De Rezende (Dolores del Río). Along the way, Ayers and singer Honey Hale (Ginger Rogers) stage marvelous dance numbers and conspire to make sure the show goes on, including a breathtaking dance number on the exterior of a formation of airplanes flying overhead.

 

The pre- and post-film talks were led by Patricia Dillon, president of Putnam Art Advisors & Consultants, Inc.

 

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Lights, Camera, Deco! Film Series: Metropolis

Friday, November 17, 2017, 6:00–9:00 p.m.

 

ADSNY and NYU School of Professional Studies paired to present a special screening of Director Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film, Metropolis.

 

Largely regarded as a pioneering work of science-fiction, this German expressionist drama is set in a futuristic urban dystopia that is aesthetically influenced by Bauhaus, Cubist, and Futurist design. In a 2026 futuristic city––sharply divided between wealthy industrialists who reign from high-rise towers and underground-dwellers who toil to operate the underground machines that power the city­––the son of the city’s mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.

 

Following the film Francis Morrone, New York City architectural historian and author, explored how the film’s distinctive set design relates to the Art Deco style.

 

This event was co-sponsored by the Center for Applied Liberal Arts at the NYU School of Professional Studies

 

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Lights, Camera, Deco! Film Series: The Black Cat

Friday, October 27, 2017, 6:15–8:45 p.m.

 

As a Halloween treat, our film series continued with the 1934 thriller, The Black Cat. As honeymooners Peter (David Manners) and Joan Allison (Julie Bishop) traveled to Hungary for their honeymoon, where their trip takes a frightful turn: They were forced to spend the night in the ominous modernistic mansion of Satan worshiper Hjalmar Poelzig (Boris Karloff). Only by joining forces with psychiatrist Dr. Vitus Werdegast (Bela Lugosi) could they hope to save themselves.

 

Howard Mandelbaum and Eric Myers, authors of Screen Deco: A Celebration of High Style in Hollywood, introduced this stylish, striking film, pointing out how its Bauhaus design scheme was specifically used to reflect an atmosphere of encroaching evil.

 

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Lights, Camera, Deco! Film Series: Grand Hotel

Friday, October 13, 2017, 6:15–8:45 p.m.

 

ADSNY members enjoyed an exclusive screening of the 1932 Academy Award winning drama, Grand Hotel. The film featured a group of very dissimilar individuals staying at a luxurious Berlin hotel who had to deal with their respective dramas. From a Russian ballerina (Greta Garbo) and a stenographer/aspiring model (Joan Crawford), to a WWI veteran (Lewis Stone) and destitute Baron (John Barrymore), this award winning drama was definitely a trip.

 

To make the evening even more enjoyable, film expert, Noah Eisenberg, introduced the film and explored how Art Deco influenced its wonderful aesthetic.

 

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Lights, Camera, Deco! Film Series: Swing Time

Wednesday, September 27, 2017, 6:15–8:45 p.m.

 

To kick off this film series, ADSNY hosted a special screening of the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical, which many hail as their best–– Swing TIme. The film has sparkling direction and tunes by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, including the Oscar-winning The Way You Look Tonight. We admired how the evocation of New York nightlife is out of this world and the dance studio where Ginger teaches might be the sleekest workplace of the Thirties.

 

Howard Mandelbaum and Eric Myers, authors of Screen Deco: A Celebration of High Style in Hollywood, introduced the glamorous film and explored how Art Deco’s clean lines and geometric forms complemented glistening the black-and-white cinematography to create some of the silver screen’s most iconic images.

 

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The Art of Glamour: Special Screening and Michael J. Smith Award Ceremony

Friday, May 5, 2017, 6:30–8:30 pm

 

ADSNY celebrated the life and legacy of its dear friend and trusted advisor, Michael J. Smith, the design pioneer who founded two landmark galleries in New York City specializing in American design from the 1920s-40s: Depression Modern and Adelaide.

 

This special evening honoring Michael featured a screening of the BBC documentary, Deco: The Art of Glamour, with interviews filmed in his trailblazing Soho gallery, Depression Modern. The captivating film tells the dynamic story of the most sumptuous architectural and design movement the world has ever known. We will explore fashion, film, photography, music and architecture while tracking the development of Art Deco–from its Roaring Twenties beginning in Paris to a high-spirited zenith that was abruptly halted by the outbreak of World War II.

 

The film follows the movement as it brought new levels of excitement to the pleasure palaces–the hotels, cocktail bars, cinemas, and ocean liners–that sprang up in the fast-changing world of the 1920s. Art Deco is shown as a liberating force and a global phenomenon that reached beyond the boundaries of the fine and decorative arts, evolving from a luxurious style for the rich and famous into a style for the masses.

 

This evening included the presentation of the first Michael J. Smith Art Deco Excellence Award to the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian National Design Museum for their current exhibition The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s. The exhibition featured more than 400 works of Jazz Age design and highlights Michael’s specific interest in decorative arts and design ranging from furniture, books, barware, graphic design, and a wide range of industrial objects that explore the evolution of American taste during the 1920s.

 

The Michael J. Smith Art Deco Excellence Award honors those who contribute to the ongoing study and celebration of American design between the two world wars.

 

To honor his enduring contribution to advancing the style of the Jazz Age, ADSNY announced the launch of the Michael J. Smith Fund, established to promote the education and celebration of American Art Deco design.

 

The evening ended with a gala reception and champagne toast to Michael and allowed his friends and family and ADSNY members to gather, share stories and remember this unique New Yorker who enriched so many lives.

 

All proceeds from this evening benefited the Art Deco Society of New York’s Michael J. Smith Fund to promote education and celebration of American Art Deco design.

 

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Saying "Goodbye for Now" to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel

Tuesday, February 28th, 2017, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

 

ADSNY members gathered for one final evening at Peacock Alley in the iconic Waldorf Astoria Hotel just hours before the grand Art Deco interior spaces of the Waldorf closed for renovation for three years. To say goodbye, members reminisced and raised a glass for one final toast to the historic spaces before they closed and are restored to their original grandeur.

 

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Repeal Day Gangster Tour

Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 6:30–8:00 p.m.

 

What better way to honor the Jazz Age than to celebrate the end of the 18th amendment, which was repealed on December 5th, 1933! This unique tour shined a light on the role of bootleggers and gangsters in the 1920s and throughout U.S. history.

 

When the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect on January 17th, 1920, Prohibitionists thought the rambunctious, boisterous, and disorderly conduct that came along with bars and alcohol would come to a screeching halt. However they could not have predicted that the prohibition of alcohol would truly make the 20s roar. Drinking increased as respect for the law diminished and gangsters and bootleggers became rich and famous, while many politicians and law enforcement officers looked the other way.

 

Our Deco friends celebrated the 83rd anniversary of this historic event, as we were led on a private tour of the Museum of the American Gangster, located in a building that housed a once-notorious speakeasy.

 

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Jazz Age Icons of Woodlawn Cemetery Halloween Tour

Saturday, October 29, 2016, 1:00–3:00 pm

 

For a special Halloween treat, Susan Olsen once again led ADSNY on a tour of Woodlawn Cemetery to see unique Deco design and hear the tales of famous Jazz Age personalities buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.

 

Built on rolling hills, Woodlawn’s tree-lined roads lead to some exceptional memorials and mausoleums some designed by famous American architects such as Ely Jacques Kahn.

 

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Inside Radio City: Exploring the Deco Genius of Donald Deskey

Saturday, March 12, 2016, 2:00–3:30 p.m.

 

On this special behind-the-scenes look at America’s Art Deco showplace, Radio City Music Hall an Art Deco specialist led us through the innovative mind of pioneer industrial and interior designer Donald Deskey. We learned all about Deskey, America’s foremost exponent of Art Deco, who won the commission of a lifetime when he created an elaborate portfolio that so impressed the visionary developers of Radio City, that he was hired above more famous and established designers.

 

We viewed Deskey’s original 1932 furnishings that have been stunningly restored and adorn the beautiful public areas, lounges, and private spaces of the Music Hall. In addition to Deskey’s creations, we saw that many of the lounges also showcase significant works by prominent artists such as Stuart Davis, Henry Billings, and Eduard Buk Ulreich.

 

On this members-only tour, we had the rare opportunity to step inside the Roxy Suite, one of the few remaining spaces designed entirely by Donald Deskey that is still completely intact. As we entered the private apartment of one of Radio City’s original creators, Samuel Lionel “Roxy” Rothafel, we were transported back in time and experienced the magnificent setting shared by Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, Judy Garland, Vincente Minnelli, and many more.

 

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ADSNY Supporting Members Inside Christie’s Art Deco Masterpieces Auction

Sunday, December 10, 2015, noon–2:00 p.m.

 

To thank our Donors Circle and Supporting Level Members for their valued support, we invited them for a special curated tour of An Important Collection of Art Deco Masterpieces.

 

Simon Andrews, the London-based Senior Decorative Arts executive of Christie’s, once again lead us on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of luxurious Art Deco treasures prior to their December 17th auction.

 

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Valentine’s Soirée with Lalique Splendor

Thursday, February 11, 2016, 6:30–8:30 p.m.

 

We celebrated the most romantic holiday of the year in one of New York’s most lavish, seldom seen Art Deco interiors – the stunning Lalique Interiors Showroom.

 

As our members stepped off the elevator this sumptuous space literally took their breath away. Like the luxury of René Lalique’s designs, this space transcends the passing of time.

 

This was an unforgettable evening of flowing cocktails, passed hors d’oeuvres, romantic music, tasty sweets and lots of surprises in this spectacular setting!

 

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Woodlawn Cemetery Halloween Tour

Saturday, October 24, 2015, 2:00–4:00 p.m.

 

For a special Halloween treat, we toured Woodlawn Cemetery to see unique Art Deco designs and hear the tales of famous Jazz Age icons that will forever reside in Woodlawn Cemetery.

 

Built on rolling hills, Woodlawn’s tree-lined roads lead to some exceptional memorials and mausoleums of a variety of architectural styles some designed by famous American architects such as Ely Jacques Kahn.

 

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Great Gatsby Boat Tour

Saturday, August 22, 2015, 1:00–4:00 p.m.

 

Members enjoyed drinks and treats as we cruised around the beautiful Manhasset Bay and Long Island sound, the area that ignited F. Scott Fitzgerald’s rich imagination and forged his timeless classic full of decadent glamour.

 

We sipped wine as we cruise past lavish homes and imagine where Gatsby’s mansion might have stood and exchanged stories of the Roaring Twenties. We learned about the many yacht clubs founded before the turn of the 20th century that still grace the harbor and continue Port Washington’s yachting tradition, as well as the homes of such legendary businessmen as Carl Fisher and John Hay Whitney, which stand as they did in the days of Prohibition.

 

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The Young Deco Friends’ Guide to Collecting Vintage

Sunday, March 29, 2015, 2:00–3:00 p.m.

 

A group of Young Deco Friends visited with some of the country’s best vintage dealers, on a special young collectors stroll through the Pier Antique Show.

 

Roberta shared her story of how she began her collection, gave pointers on how to start a collection on a budget and introduced attendees to some of the Deco Dealers, who have guided her in her collecting.

 

Various dealers gave our Young Deco Friends advice on collecting, how to spot genuine Deco objects and history about the objects they specialize in, ranging from fashion, to watches, to lighters, to furniture and so much more.

 

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Deco: The Art of Glamour

Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 6:30–8:30

 

This special encore viewing of DECO: The Art of Glamour told the dynamic story of the most sumptuous architectural and design movements the world has ever known. The visually compelling film covered fashion, film, photography, music and architecture while tracking the development of Art Deco – from its Roaring Twenties beginning in Paris to a high-spirited zenith that was abruptly halted by the outbreak of World War II.

 

The film followed the movement as it brought new levels of excitement to the pleasure palaces – the hotels, cocktail bars, cinemas and ocean liners – that sprang up in the fast-changing world of the 1920s. Art Deco was shown as a liberating force and a global phenomenon that reached beyond the boundaries of the fine and decorative arts, evolving from a luxurious style for the rich and famous into a style dream for the masses.

 

The original release of this lavish special coincided with the opening of the Victoria and Albert Museums prestigious Art Deco1910-1939 exhibition and includes exclusive rarely seen pre-opening footage from the exhibition itself.

 

To make this event even more tantalizing, Bill Miller, Mr. Ocean Liner, gave us a special introduction to the film. Miller knows the ins and outs of this film because he was a featured expert interviewed within the film.

 

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Young Deco Friends Deco Decadence Celebration

Saturday, November 15, 2014, 8:30–10:30 p.m.

 

The Young Deco Friends enjoyed the annual celebration of 1920s and 1930s glamour! We celebrated the romance of the 20s and 30s in the meticulously restored Prohibition era bar of the Flatiron Lounge.

 

We dressed to impress in our Deco finery and re-lived the Age of Glamour as we drink Deco Cocktails, met new friends, and enjoyed the music of Jazz Age New York.

 

Prizes were awarded for the best deco inspired outfits of the evening!

 

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New York Art Deco Scavenger Hunt

Saturday, August 9, 2014, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

 

The first annual New York Art Deco Scavenger Hunt was a spectacular success! On Saturday, 78 teams, with names like Little Red Raymond Hood, Setbackz, Wise Guys and Flappers, and The Deconauts, fanned out to all 5 boroughs to solve 60 clues and send photos of their team dressed in official Deco Scavenger t-shirts in front of each of the buildings. The day ended with wine and snacks on the terrace of the MCNY where the winners were announced and great prizes awarded.

 

Many thanks to all who participated and to Open House New York and the Museum of the City of New York for being such wonderful partners.

 

Here’s a quick glimpse of the results:

Total # of photos submitted during the Hunt via Instagram: 1332

Photos submitted per hour: 190

Photos submitted per minute: 3.1

Most popular outer borough: 20 teams ventured to the Bronx

Least popular outer borough: 2 teams made it to Staten Island

(Note: All three winning teams went to the Bronx)

Most popular sites: The Chrysler Building entrance and the Waldorf-Astoria were both attempted by 55 teams.

 

See the blog post below made by one of the participants, Rebecca Joslow.

 

The Experience of a 2014 Flapper

Written by Rebecca Joslow of team “Wise Guys and Flappers”

 

When I thought of New York Art Deco style architecture, two buildings came to mind: The Chrysler Building and The Empire State Building. Naturally, I knew there were more buildings in that style but as a New Yorker, I rarely looked above eye level.

 

Thanks to the Art Deco Society of New York’s collaboration with Open House New York, by 10am today, I was adorned with a spanking new t-shirt, which read “New York Art Deco Scavenger Hunt” in big letters on the front. In some ways, this lovely t-shirt allowed me to get away with stopping people-traffic to marvel at the world above eye level. This was not a gift to be overlooked because how often are you given the opportunity to stop like a tourist and block traffic in order to take a picture? Not often, indeed! I’m sure many of you have had the desire to glance up and observe your surroundings every once in a while, but don’t dare as to not be mistaken as a “tourist”, heaven forbid!

 

My five member Scavenger Team started walking once we found our first clue then decided it would be a very long day of zig-zagging about Manhattan and thus devised a plan. We googled for about an hour or so and used the Artdeco.org Building Registry as a guide and between the five of us, we pinned down the (supposed) coordinates of every clue in Manhattan and The Bronx. A few photos in, I let go of my New Yorker ego of being labeled as an outsider and jumped in head first to the team mission for the “Wise Guys and Flappers”, which was to get as many points between the hours of 10am and 5pm as possible. Each building clue ranged in points from 2-5.

 

We attacked midtown first and then headed up to The Bronx. The beauty of this Scavenger Hunt was that it took us beyond Manhattan into different boroughs. It never crossed our minds before this event that there were such Art Deco architectural wonders in the boroughs. We ran like maniacs through Yankee Stadium traffic to locate an old post office, apartment buildings, murals and the like. From there, we headed to the Upper West Side, where there were many Deco beauties as well. The last few minutes were certainly the most tense as we ran from Rockefeller Plaza to Tiffany’s and Bergdorf Goodman. At 4:56, we submitted our final post, high-fived and headed back uptown to the reception. After a long day of learning, walking, running, subway-ing, sweating, photographing and laughing, we ended at The Museum of the City of New York. My team enjoyed a much deserved glass of wine and light fare, then briefly wandered about the museum. I mused over the differences in how New York was represented during historic colonial paintings in comparison to the Deco New York we experienced today.

 

All in all, the Scavenger Hunt gave me the opportunity to explore the distinctive Deco style of our city’s architecture, much of which happily still stands today. This event left me hungry to learn more about what triggered the transition from the rural farmland and barns of Manhattan during the colonial period to Deco skyscrapers of the mid-1920/30s and how this change was greeted. I’d say stepped facades, etched glass windows, ornate reliefs and thick rounded corners of Deco skyscrapers were a far cry from the very simple functionality of their two story center-chimney colonial predecessors.

 

Today’s event gave me the opportunity to soak in the intricate details of the unique designed architectural structures belonging to New York’s Art Deco period. Now that I have experienced Manhattan and The Bronx Art Deco, I eagerly look forward to exploring the Deco gems tucked away in the landscape of New York’s 3 remaining boroughs. That being said, Art Deco/Open House Scavenger Hunt 2015, I’m ready for you!

 

 

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Art Deco Society of New York 2013–2014 Annual Meeting

Wednesday, June 11, 2014, 6:30–8:30 p.m.

 

This year’s annual meeting took place at Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, home to the stunning mosaics by female Art Deco artisan Hildreth Meière. Temple Emanu-El was the perfect setting for this year’s distinguished speaker, Kathleen Skolnik, author of a magnificent book on Hildreth Meière that was published in April.

 

Kathleen provided a fresh look at the works of Ms. Meière, one of the most influential and creative decorative artists of the Twentieth Century. Following her talk we were invited to tour the Main Sanctuary of this majestic synagogue by Emanu-El’s administrator, Mark Heutlinger, also a member of ADSNY.

 

For a special treat, or members were invited to come early to experience a guided tour of the exhibition, Justify Your Existence, in Temple Emanu-El’s Herbert and Eileen Bernard Museum of Judaic. The special exhibition featured posters from the Moldovan Family Collection. The posters harness the bold vernacular of prevailing graphic styles of the 20s and 30s. By using the dramatic elements of bright colors and vivid shapes they endeavored to address a broad array of important social issues of the period. The Museum’s curator, Warren Klein, was our docent.

 

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Young Deco Friends Inside Radio City

Sunday, March 23, 2014, 2:00–3:30 p.m.

 

This was our Young Deco Friends special chance to get a behind the scenes look at America’s art deco show palace, Radio City Music Hall!

 

This Art Deco tour took us through the innovative mind of interior designer Donald Deskey, who incorporated his love for the ‘new’ Art Deco motif in an elaborate portfolio that garnered him the commission of a lifetime.

 

We got to see his original 1932 furnishings have been expertly restored and adorn the public spaces and lounges of the Music Hall. The lounges of Radio City also house some very significant works of art by prominent artists Stuart Davis, Henry Billings, and Eduard Buk Ulreich.

 

We even got the opportunity to step inside the Roxy Suite, one of the few remaining spaces still intact, designed entirely by Donald Deskey himself!

 

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Young Deco Friends Circle Rouge Soirée

Wednesday, February 19, 2014, 8:00–10:30 p.m.

 

This was a very special event held at Circle Rouge, a classic 1930s inspired French brasserie, in the heart of Tribeca. The evening featured entertainment by the dreamy Michael Arenella Quartet.

 

Together with Land Mark West’s Young Preservationists and the members of Tribeca Trust, we brought the hot Jazz Age music indoors to warm a cold winter evening!

 

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The Waldorf-Astoria: A Deco Icon’s Past, Present, and Future

Friday, January 10, 2014, 6:30–8:30 p.m.

 

At this special one-time event, ADSNY members met the curator of the archives of the Waldorf-Astoria and learned about the digital archives that preserve the story of this cultural and historical Art Deco Landmark. We learned why, when the decision to build a new Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was made in the late 1920s, the managers and investors of the new hotel were emphatic that the atmosphere, traditions and prestige associated with the former Waldorf-Astoria be preserved but transferred to a new structure that incorporated the innovative design and technology of the twentieth century.

 

On a private guided tour, we saw the work of architects Leonard Schultze and Fullerton Weaver who realized that the Art Deco style emerging in New York during this era was the perfect way to combine traditional elegance with modern functionalism and how the building has stood as a shining, preeminent example of Art Deco design since its opening in 1931.

 

A wine reception kicked off this special evening at the Waldorf!

 

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Christies 20th Century Auction Curator Tour

Saturday, December 14, 2013, 1:00–2:30 p.m.

 

On a snowy Saturday afternoon in December, 25 hardy ADSNY members came out for a special private preview of Christie’s 20th Century Auction and Magnificent Tiffany with Christie’s specialists in 20th Century Decorative Arts.

 

Whether a buyer or we just wanted one last chance to see these beautiful objects before they disappeared into private collections, we were treated to an insightful free guided tour only for ADSNY members and their guests.

 

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Pier Antiques Show

Saturday and Sunday, November 23 and 24, 2013, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 pm

 

ADSNY members attended this popular New York annual event at a reduced admission price and congregated at our prominently situated members’ table, where we had a fun daily raffle and for free giveaways. It was a great time to see fabulous Deco furniture and objects and socialize with our ADSNY friends.