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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
I recently visited the Museum of the City of New York and there were some interesting exhibits there,
but I had my favorites. There was the Paris/New York-Design Fashion Culture 1925-1940. This exhibit not
only covered fashion, it covered architecture, skyscrapers, and the French Liner, the Normandie, the big ocean liner that
sailed across the Atlantic, straight to New York in 1935. According to the exhibit, the ocean liner brought the glamour of
Paris to America in the depths of the Great Depression. It
was an exhibition that seemed to emphasize the sharing between France and America. As America welcomed influences from France,
France welcomed inspiration from America, one of them being, musicians. The exhibit displayed large photos, murals and paintings
of Josephine Baker, an African American woman, who in 1923, according the exhibit, became an icon of Parisian musical and
visual culture. The exhibit also included a video of one of her performances. Also according to the exhibit, New York emulated
Paris from architecture to decorative arts, fashion, and cuisine. Then as I moved on, I became captivated by none other than the 1930/40 New York's World Fair. Taken
place in Flushing Meadows, Queens. The description of the World’s Fair was as follows:
“New York designs created dramatic streamlined pavilions, influences from Paris. Themed
pavilions and exhibitions were created Trylon, and Perisphere. Norman Bel Geddes pavilion an enormous model
of a freeway-covered America Circa 196 that visitors viewed from moving elevated seats.” Here a quote
from one of the programs of the big event. “Come tour the future-highlighting what is to come. New and better things
have sprung from this industry and genius… Twenty years have passed since 1940. What wondrous changes
and improvements have developed in our national highway.” For the World’s Fair, there were Photos of the big event,
brochures, memorabilia, like medallions, and pins.
There was
also a small model of the building created for the festivities, a silver sphere with a look of pure futuristic quality. The
caption beneath the photo of the Sphere, mentioned that the World’s Fair was an idea created to try and keep the hope
alive. Artists
There was an artist by the name of Panel Tchelitchew who portrayed in a few of his paintings, dancers in delicate gowns
that flowed in the wind. The inscription said he was inspired by George Balanchine's choreography. And last but not least,
there was the Doll House by Carrie Walter Stettheimer. It with was furnished with the help of some artists; One of them being
Marcel Duchamp, a French artist of the school of surrealism and Dadaism, a cultural movement that began during World War I.
This doll house of Stettheimer was created during the years of
World War II. There were No dolls. But it was a house with many neat little fixtures in it. I believe, it had five bedrooms,
with small canopy beds, a breakfast room, a courtyard, dining room, kitchen, sewing room, living room, a patio, more bathrooms,
I assume for guests. Another side porch off one of the bedrooms, also extraordinary small porcelain plates, little utensils,
plates of food, one being several slices of toast and eggs. There were also cabinets and plenty of closet space. And the list
goes on. It was a wonderful exhibit. I was able to see the exhibit a couple
of times before the tour ended. If it comes back, I recommend it highly. It was truly inspiring!
Wed, March 11, 2009 | link
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