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TRANSCRIPT
OBJECTS1900 AND TODAY
AN EXHIBITION OF
DECORATIVE AND USEFUL
OBJECTS CONTRASTING
TWO PERIODS OF DESIGN
THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART11 WEST 53RD STREET. NEW YORK
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1. JE'II/ELRYBOXES
1900 (Designed, Birmingham, England)The choice of materials, the curvilinear shapeof the box, and the t rrt erweavi ng detail of theclasp are typical of 1900.
MODERN (Engl ish, loaned by Sake-F ifth Avenue)
Convenient in size, ah ar p in outline, utilitar-ian in clasp and unornamented save for the t ex-,turc of the material used.
2. ORNAMENTVB. USEFUL OBJECT
1900 Carved Rock Crystal. (Designed by Louis C. Tif-fany, loaned by Tiffany Studios)
Table Lighter, (English, loaned by Wedderien,Inc.)
Boauty of natural material and hand carved flo-ral formsvs.Beauty of machinery.
MODERN
3. BOWLS
1900 (Favrill glass, designed by Louis C. Tiffany,loaned by Tiffany Studios)
MODERN
Deriving from the morning-glory in shape andtint, depends for its beauty on var La t i on ofpattern and color, and on the iridescent qual i t yof the glass itself.
(Porcelain, designed by thc Btaatliche PorzellanManufaktur, Berlin)
Pure white, shaped functionally wi thout unneces-Gary rim, depends for its be aut y on the simpleexpression of meMum and function.
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4. COFFEE SPOONS
1900: (American, loaned by Mrs. F. T. Van Beuren)Lilies of the val Ley motivate shape as wollornament.
MODERN:(Adaptation of modern German des i cn )Tile ideal of funotionalism has hor e arrivedat a tradi t i onnl shape.
5. DESSERT SPOONS
1900: (Designed by Marcus & Company)Typical floral de cor at Lon ,
MODERN (Covington PlfJin, loaned by BIRCle Starr & Frost -Gorham)
A tradi tional design
6. CLOTHES BRUSHES
1900: (Amcrican)
MODERN:(German, Lo an cd by Sake-Fifth Avenue)
Silver VB. chromiumWavy ornament vs. simple surfaoeHandle 1/8. no nandLe
7. TRAYS
1900 (Dosigned by Louis C. Tiffany, loaned by TiffanyStudios)
The restrained, curved lines of tho decorationform an integral par t of the tray. This abstractorna.ment, rather than more literal na.t.ur a l i st l cdesign, is ohar ao tr-r ' q+ic O:'tb.3 MEt J!{):rJ.:: .of theperiod.
MODERN:(Designed by Rena Rosenthal, loaned by -q:~p RoS<3Tl--t.ha l , Inc.)
Glass and chromium have r ep Laced tarnishable sil ..ver, and sharp, straight lines supersede the cur-ved.
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8. TABLES
1900: (Designed by Eugene Colonna for L IArt Nouveau-Bin~, loaned"by the Metropolitan Museum ofArt .
Curvo d corners and eur vr Li ncar ornament.
MODERN: (Designed by Le Corbusier and Chnr Lo t t e Perriand,loaned by Thonet B'r o t.hor a , New York)
New materials in functional forms.
9. CENTERPlECES
1900: (Designed by Louis C. Tiffany, loaned by TiffanyStudios)
Sumptuous, eLabor a.to , Iflrf);e and purely decorative.
MODERN: (Designed by the Staatliche Porzellan Manufak tur ,Berl in)
Sm'111er, simpler, and at least partially useful.
10. HANGINGS
1900:
MODERN:
lDcsiRnedby Louis C. Tiffany, loaned by TiffanyStudios)
Velours wall hanging hend-painted in a design ofcorn and pumpkins.
(French bourrette arid domestic serge, loaned byHoward & Schaffer Inc.)
Variation in texture and weave takes the place ofdecorative de ai gn ,
i r, FINGER BOWLS
1900:
MODERN:
(Designed by Louis C. Tiffany)Irregular in shape and color. Inspired by flowerpctals.
(Bohemian)Tile simplest functional form.
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12. CEILING LIGHTS
1900: (Designed by Louis C. Tiffany, loaned by Tif-fany Studios)
MODERN: (German, Loeried by Schwi nt zcr & Graeff,New York)
13. VASES
1900:
MODERN:
14. TEA POTS
1900: -
MODERN:
15. BUD -VASES
1900:
MODERN:
Elongated hand painted bowl vs , a soh er e ofground glass.
(American, Loane d by Mrs. F. T. Van Bouren)An or namc n t al, trophy cup. The Whiplash curvesof the handles are especially typical of thepcr i od ,
(Designed by Paul T, Frankl)
The cylindrical shape is the simplest in manu-facture and use.
(Designed by Louis C. Tiffany, loaned by TiffanyStudios)
(Designed by Schot & Company, Jena, Germanw)
Tarnished silver surface vs , transparent unbreak-able glass.Curvilinear floral ornament vs , the clarity ofglass and the color of tea.
jl
(Designed by Louis C. Tiffany, Loarie d ':Jy T1ffanyStudios)
(Designed by Staatliche Porzellan Manuf aktur ,Berlin)
An orchidaceous form v s , simple cylinder.
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1895: (House in Brussels, Victor Horta,Audacious us e of metal and g;lass.curv i 1 i n<3ar cr namen t •
ar ch'i teet)'I'yp i cal,
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16. PLATES
1900: (Haviland China, designed by Georges de Feure,loaned by the M'tropoli tan Museum of Art)
Inspired by th e foamy waves of Japanese prints.
MODERN: (Urbino d es icn , Sta8tliche Porzellan Manufaktur,Berli'l)
Reduced to the simplest possible shape and color.
17. TRANSLUCENTGLASS
1900: (Opal glass, designed and loaned by TiffanyStudios)
MODERN:(Magnalite, manufactured and loaned by the-American 3 WilY Luxfer P:rism Company Inc. )
Both panes have the similar purpose of admi ttinglight witllout visibility. The Tiffany pane isdesigned to be ornamental ancJ its wavy pa,tternis the result of irregularities of manufacture.The regular pattorn of the Magnali t e pane isthe result of considerations of machine pr oduc-stion and of function: best distribution ofligh t and case of c1 caning.
18. INTERIORS
1930: (Tugendhat House, Brno, Czccho eLov ak i a , ],liilSVF.\nder Rohe , ar c h i, teet)Auda.cLous use of metal arid g;lass. Growinrrp l.an t s and luxurious materials form onlydecoration.
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19. ORNAMENT,',L OBJECT VS. BLAllK SP ACE
(Ob~ect designe.d b:[ Louis C. Tiffany, loaned by"lffany Studlos)
An ornamnntal objnct for the sake of ornament.Ins"?ircd by the shape and color of a tulip.
MODERN: Blank Sp8.ceornamental objet:} d I art 2Te avoided in moiderninter ior archi tectur al schemes.
1900:
20. ORNAMENTALTILES VS. STRUCTURALGLASSBRICKS
1900: (Opal glass tiles, designed and loaned byTiff any Studios)
The beauty of -ir i.dc ece nt lustre and irrep;ulartexture.
MODERN: (Structural glFLss bricks, German, loaned by theStructural Glass Corporation, New York)
The beauty of clarity and mFLchine pror;uced un rts ,
21: WALLFIXTURES
1900: (Amer ican)MODERN: (Desi~ned by Mi!\s van dcr Rohe)
Imi tation of natural forms vs , machine-likcsmoothness.
22. CHAIRS
1900: (Designed by Eugene Colonna for ]:;~b:r.i...RQ.1Jveau-_Bin~, loaned by the l-'<>trQpu.J.i~Lll :';u.s"U;d ofArt
(Designed by Mi!\s van der Rohe, 1927)MODERN:Stvlistic curves, derived from the aestheticof- the Art Nouveau, v s , curves resulting fromthe functional use of steel tubing in chaircons truc ti on,
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23. BOOKBINDINGS
1900: (Published Berlin, 1901)
MODERN: (Desi gned by Jan TschicholcI, Potsdam, 1931)
Curv f Lt ne a r design in the Arts and Crafts tradi-tion vs. design formed by placing of titles andchoice of type.
24. CARD TRAYVS. ASH TRAY
1900: (Loaned by Rena Roaen t.h s.L)A dancer whose billowing skirts form a card tray.
MODERN: (Orrefors glass, designed by Edvard Hald, Sweden,loaned by Orrefors Glassware Shop, NewYork)
Thirty years has subcti tuted the a.ah tray for thecard tray. .\ large, flat, r;lass dish is at oncethe most functional and tho most decorative.
25. SALADBOWLS
1900: (Loaned by Rena Rosenthal)SuborC!ill'1.tion of function to ornament. Tho z l e.s sbowl is oon coal ed in a silver cas i nr; of el'1.boTfltefloral design,
MODERN: (Leerd"n ;z;laRs, Holland)Simplest possible expression of medium and func-tion.
26. LITHOGRAPHVS. PHOTOGRAPH1900: (ETE, lithograph by Mucha, Paris, loaned by Rona
Rosenthal)
MODERN:(Photograph by Edward Steichnn, New York)
LIKE: in subject mat t crin beinf( reproducible
UNLIKE: in mediumin artistic approachin sentiment
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27. BROOCHVS. SCARFPINA typical florAl ornament of the period vs •a design based on the safety pin.
28. 8T ANIlARDL,\MP8
1900: (Desir;nod by Louis C. Tiff,my, loaned by Tif-f any Studios)
MODERN: (Defiigned by Werkstaetten cor Stadt Halle,Germany)
Cluster of flowers as a motivttationvs.efficient lighting as a motivitation.
29. TABLE LAMPS
1900: (American)MODERN: (Designed by BauhAUS, Dessau, 1926)
An ornamental hall tab le Lamp
vs.an efficient desk lamp.
30. TEA CUPS1900: (Haviland China, designed by Georges de Feure,
loaned by thG Metropolitan Museum of :i.rt)Typical ornament of the period applied to ashape derived from the English Arts and Craftstradi tion.
MODERN: (Designed by the StaFttliche porzellan M~nufFtktur,Berlin)
A tradi t i onal. sh ap c unornamcn ted and uncolored.
31. DISHES1900: (Solid glass dish designed by LouiS C.Tiffany,
loaned by Tiffany Studios)Motif of primitive undersea life as induced bythe discoveries of the microsco-oe and the ro-mantic primitivism of 1900. .
MODERN: (Chinese j ade plato, loaned by Mrs.Ra19h Ellis)An old j"de plate which exer.lplifies 'Ill theprinciples of modern design.
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