Rise of Art Deco

Art Deco was a design style that first appeared in France in the 1920s and took its name from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, held in Paris. It was marked by geometric shapes, streamlined forms, rich colours and luxurious materials, often combining tradition with the glamour of the machine age. The style was used for buildings, furniture, jewellery, posters and ships and spread across Europe and North America. Skyscrapers such as the Chrysler Building in New York and the hotels of Miami Beach are well-known examples. It faded with the austerity of the Great Depression and the Second World War, though it had a revival in later decades.

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