A list of Art Deco Books from
Art Deco Ireland for the holidays ©
Updated January 2007
Listed here first are those general works on art
deco that are reasonably easy to find, with some brief comments.
Works on individual artists are not listed - for
wider references, there are good bibliographies / or citations in the works
specially marked below with a *.
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General Works on Art Deco Beginners start here.
Art Deco: (World of Art Series) Alastair Duncan, Published 1988 One of the best, cheapest, and easiest to find general introductions , with good illustrations.
Art Deco Architecture *: Patricia Bayer, Published 1992
Art Deco Interiors: Patricia Bayer, republished in paperback in 1998.
This pair of books have excellent photographs, also by Ms Bayer is the Art Deco Source Book : Patricia Bayer, Published 1991
Art Deco 1910 - 1939: C Benton , T Benton, G Wood; Catalogue of the exhibition held at the Victoria & Albert Museum 2003*
This V&A exhibition toured in Japan and also visited the USA and Canada. Excellent
Art Deco: Bevis Hillier, Stephen Escritt, Published 1997
Bevis Hillier was the among the first to reawaken interest in art deco in the English speaking world, this is his latest book, large and glossy.
Art Deco; Flights of Artistic Fancy: Susan A Sternau, Published 1997
Often available at a bargain price, an excellent large format book, strong on pictures.
Deco Delights: Preserving the Beauty and Joy of Miami Beach Architecture: Barbara Baer Capitman, Published 1988 .
The late Barbara Baer Capitman was a prime mover in the efforts to rehabilitate Miami Beach.
Just some examples following below from a very fine series of paperbacks by Chronicle Books, with very well chosen illustrations and basic captions, little text.
Every one a delight, but if you can afford just one, go for Streamline.
Deco Espana : Steven Heller, Louise Fili , Published 1997
Deco Type: Stylish Alphabets of the '20s & '30s , Steven Heller, Louise Fili , Published 1997
Dutch Moderne: Graphic Design from De Stijl to Deco , Steven Heller, Louise Fili , Published 1994
French Modern : Art Deco Graphic Design : Steven Heller, Louise Fili , Published 1997
Italian Art Deco : Graphic Design Between the Wars , Steven Heller, Louise Fili , Published 1993.
Streamline : American Art Deco Graphic Design ,Steven Heller, Louise Fili , Published 1995
Hard to find outside the U.S.A. , but well worth the effort. Can be ordered through Amazon.Com or direct.
French Trademarks: The Art Deco Era, John Mendenhall, Published 1991
The National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America : David Gebhard , Published 1996
All that the late David Gebhard wrote was probably well worth reading , but this little paperback is a must have, especially if travelling around the USA.
A Spirit of Progress: Art Deco Architecture in Australia : Patrick Van Daele, Roy Lumby, Published 1997
Washington Deco : Art Deco Design in the Nation's Capital : Hans Wirz, Richard Striner, Published 1984
A small, relatively expensive, hardback , testifying to the hard work of the Art Deco Society of Washington.
A Guide to Art Deco Style : Arie Van De Lemme Published 1991
This large size book by Arie Van De Lemme exists in various editions and formats, sometimes with a similar volume on art nouveau, and it is an easy to find introduction.
In the Deco Style : Dan Klein, et al Published 1986 This is also available in several language versions.
Essential Art Deco; Iain Zaczek, Published 2000 at a bargain price, it offers large photos alternating with text, a new edition in 2001 is even cheaper, if smaller in format.
Northern Deco Art Deco Architecture in Montreal: Sandra Cohen Rose, Published 1997 Much on Architect Ernest Cormier.
Rediscovering Art Deco U.S.A.; a Nationwide Tour of Architectural Delights: Barbara Capitman, et al : Published 1993
Useful American tour, not so well organised as The National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America but with nice photographs.
American Art Deco: Alastair Duncan / Published 1986.
American Art Deco: Carla Breeze, Published 2002 - a super photo book, many unusual buildings illustrated
American art deco architecture: Elayne H. Varian [Catalogue of an exhibition November 6, 1974 through January 5, 1975 at Finch College Museum of Art ]
Finch College helped relaunch Art Deco in the USA, with a series of shows in the 1970's
Art Deco in America: Eva Weber , Published 1988 - good photographs of art deco buildings.
Art deco Napier: styles of the thirties: Peter Shaw, Published 1987. Now in paperback.
Napier in New Zealand was rebuilt after an earthquake, with much in the art deco style. Now it is the southern capital of Art Deco.
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Art Deco Style: Yvonne Brunhammer , Published 1984
Brunhammer is the principal French writer on art deco, with many works on the subject for francophone readers. Some, including this one, have been translated fairly widely.
The Decorative Twenties , Martin Battersby , Published 1975, several reissues.
With a companion volume on the 1930's. Battersby was one of the first collectors / rediscoverers of art deco. Keen on the French, more ornate style of art deco.
The Encyclopaedia of Art Deco : Alastair Duncan (Editor) , Published 1988
Glasgow art deco , Rudolph Kenna A good picture book of vanished street architecture, this is out of print and hard to find.
See also "The Scottish Thirties" by Mc Kean, which has more text and a wider sweep, also very difficult to find.
L.A. Deco: Carla Breeze, Published 1991.
New York Deco: Carla Breeze, Rosemarie Haag Bletter Published 1993
Pueblo Deco : The Art Deco Architecture of the Southwest : Marcus and Breeze, Carla Published 1984
Three photo / picture books by Ms Breeze.
Screen Deco: Howard Mandelbaum, Eric Myers, Published 1987
A study of the use of art deco in cinema sets, not of cinema building or cinema architecture. Now back in print.
The Art Deco House: Adrian Tinniswood 2002 - home at last!
Art Deco and Modernist Ceramics: Karen McCready, Published 1996 .
Little overlap with the work on a similar theme in French by E Pelichet.
Age of Jazz: S Lunt - catalogue of a small but interesting exhibition in Liverpool in 2005 which did not travel, however.
Art
Deco /
In particular Places
Australia
- lots of art deco down under.
The World Art Deco Congress will be in Melbourne in 2007
A Spirit of Progress: Art Deco Architecture in Australia : Patrick Van Daele, Roy Lumby, Published 1997
Art Deco in Australia - sunrise over the Pacific: M Ferson & M Nilsson, sadly very hard to find in Europe. Published 2001
Belgium: Without a doubt Belgium, usually mentioned only for Art Nouveau buildings, has some of the most rewarding European art deco architecture still extant, -
even if not all is now in pristine condition. Works in English on this subject are relatively rare but try these
Art Deco architecture in Brussels : Booklet published by AAM, in several editions since 1988.
A small guide to art deco in Brussels, - with a very useful companion folding map, showing the best sites and some recommended walks. Forget Mannekin Pis, try this.
This work exists in French, under the title "Guide de l' architecture des années 25 a Bruxelles" and in a Flemish language version also.
Usually obtainable from the Brussels tourist office or from bookshops there.
Art Deco and Modernism in Belgium: J Vandenbreeden & F Vanlaethem, Published 1996.
A sumptuous, very expensive, large, and heavy volume, in an emerging series dedicated to Belgian architecture over time.
Fabulous photographs. Especially useful in illustrating houses off the beaten track for tourists. Skip lunch, dinner, at the end of your visit and buy this.
Skip eating for a week and buy the companion Art Nouveau volume as well, but check that you do not overrun your airline baggage weight limits. Both these books exist in French and in Dutch also .
Some of the growing series of booklets on particular districts of Brussels, published by the Brussels Regional Authority, have useful sections on art deco in particular areas .
Some of these are in English editions also but are hard to find outside Brussels.
If by any chance you can read Flemish "Art Deco in Sint Nikolas"
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Canada: There is a great need for a study of art deco in Canada, outside of Montreal little is in print.
Northern Deco Art Deco Architecture in Montreal : Sandra CohenRose, Published 1997
Czechoslovakia: (as it then was)
Czech Art Deco 1918-1930, Published 1998 by the Municipal House,
Catalogue of a touring exhibition, which was strong on glass objects, this text exists in other languages also.
Eritrea A new book on Asmara - worth searching out this book
Asmara - Africa's Secret Modernist City by E Denison, Guang Yu Ren, N Gebremedhin - published 2003
France
Ground zero for Art Deco, home of the 1925 Exhibition that gives its name to Art Deco, but with very little local material easily available in English, except works on individual artists.
Y Brunhammer is the principal French writer on art deco, with many works on the subject for francophone readers, some are in translation.
Le Musée des années trente: by E Breon & M Lefrancois, Paris 1998. This deals with a particular collection in Paris, well worth a visit.
Le Pays Basque: by D Delauney, 1993 is a photo essay covering Biarritz.
Joel and Jan Martel - the sculptors, were the subject of a catalogue by Gallimard in 1996. They had many items at the 1925 Art Deco exhibition.
Germany
The Many Faces of Modern Architecture - Building in Germany between the World Wars,
edited by John Zukowsky, 1994. Purely about modernist architecture, and it was initially relatively expensive.
Those Twenties: U Deimel & P Wittmar, a collection of photos.
Israel - (Palestine then)
Tel Aviv - Modern architecture 1930 -1939 A collaborative book issued by Wasmuth in 1994 - mostly modern architecture, not much deco.
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Netherlands
There are a lot of books about De Stijl, rather less on other issues in English
On "The Amsterdam School" try Maristella Casciato, published 1996, a translation of a work originally published in Italy.
There is also "De Amsterdamse School" by A Pronkhorst & S van Ginneken, mostly large photos, with Dutch text only.
"Avant - Garde Design Dutch Decorative Arts 1880-1940" by TM Eliens, M Groot and F Leidelmeijer is a nicely illustrated work.
In Dutch, there is "Art Deco" a more general guide by C Thunnissen et al, which is a small paperback.
New Zealand The city of Napier was heavily damaged in an earthquake in 1931 and was rebuilt in the deco style.
Art Deco Napier by P Shaw & P Hallett, Published 1987, Hard to find in Europe.
The Art Deco City - Napier New Zealand, by R Mc Gregor, Published by the Art Deco Trust, (Napier) 1998.
Romania ·
Romanian Modernism , The architecture
of Bucharest 1920-1930;
Lumita Machedon
& Ernie Scoffham, MIT Press 1999 : Interesting
book on a subject little explored in English. It has a somewhat wider
sweep than the title actually suggests, -
it also covers buildings outside Bucharest . Architect Marcel Janco, in
particular, deserves to be better known.
South Africa
A booklet on furniture by K Mc Gillivray, called "South
African Art Deco Furniture" was published in 2003.
The U.S.A.
The National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America : David Gebhard , Published 1996
All the late David Gebhard wrote was probably well worth reading, but this little paperback is a must have, especially if travelling.
Cincinnati Union Terminal: A book published by local admirers in 1999, it has many early photos of this superb art deco station.
Deco by the Bay; Art Deco Architecture in the San Francisco Bay Area : Michael F. Crowe, Published 1995
Nice book about a city not commonly noted as a place for deco.
Deco Delights - Preserving the Beauty and Joy of Miami Beach Architecture, Barbara Baer Capitman, Published 1988 .
The late Barbara Baer Capitman was a prime mover in the efforts to rehabilitate and preserve Miami Beach art deco.
Tropical Deco: Laura Cerwinski, An early photo study of Miami Beach, initially hard to find, even in Florida the year it was published!.
The Making of Miami Beach : J F Lejeune & AT Shulman, New in 2000, with excellent period photographs.
L.A. Deco: Carla Breeze / Published 1991
New York Deco : Carla Breeze, Rosemarie Haag Bletter Published 1993
Pueblo Deco : The Art Deco Architecture of the Southwest : Marcus and Breeze, Published 1984
Three picture books by Ms Breeze. More recently her more recent book Art Deco in America has very fine pictures.
Art Deco in Detroit: R Binno Savage & G Kowalski - a photo book, many early photos of Motor city in its prime.
New York Deco: photographs by Richard Berenholtz, a new photo book, published in 2005
Tulsa Art Deco - this is now back in print, in a revised second edition. Well worth having.
DECO LAndmarks by Arnold Schwartzman - New in 2005 - excellent new book about Los Angeles art deco.
Washington Deco : Art Deco Design in the Nation's Capital : Hans Wirz, Richard Striner, Published 1984 A small, relatively expensive, hardback , testifying to the hard work of the Art Deco Society of Washington.
New York 1930 by Robert Stern et al. Part of a series of works on New York, with similar volumes available for 1900 and 1960, each the size of a New York telephone directory.
A great series but impossible to read in bed! Not all deco, of course.
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United Kingdom:
Poorly served by general works on U.K. art deco architecture, with little in print, but doing rather better with more specialised texts on individual architects.
Art Deco London: C Hines & K Cheetham, A small new book published in 2003. Already it is hard to find in London bookshops.
Odeon Cinemas, by Allan Eyles In two volumes.
The first volume covers the 1930's moderne cinemas of the Odeon chain in the period up to WW II, the second volume, which emerged from the printers in July 2005, brings the story up to date.
The Thirties - recalling the English Architectural Scene, David Dean (RIBA Drawing series 1983)
The 1930's house: Greg Stephenson. This is a small booklet with a lot of illustrations, published by Shires.
Glasgow art deco , Rudolph Kenna A good picture book of vanished street architecture, out of print and hard to find.
See also "The Scottish Thirties" by C Mc Kean, 1987 which has more text and a wider sweep.
Very difficult to find is this work. The Thirties *, Catalogue of the Arts Council Exhibition,1979.
This major show at the Hayward Gallery in London in 1979 marked a high point for art deco fans.
The excellent large catalogue is out of print, but it is a fine reminder of a great show if you can find it.
Art Deco Ireland © revised January 2007