Art Deco Research Paper

Art Deco was a very popular art movement during the 1930s. It was considered to be very modern and luxurious, and it originated from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes, which was held in Paris. The movement originated in France and moved towards the United States. In France, Art Deco was a symbol of wealth, fashion, and luxury. In the U.S., it was representative of modern culture, machines, and efficiency. Trademark features of Art Deco were geometric shapes, bold patterns, and the use of expensive materials, such as plastics, silver, ivory, and crystal. Ideas were based off those of American Indians, Egyptians, the sun, plants, and animals. Items produced by designers were typically unique and one of a kind; they were rarely mass produced. Art Deco has become prominent
Normandie was another distinguished event from the popular art movement. It was built in France and sailed to the New York Harbor. Rene Lalique, Jean Dupas, Jean Patou, and Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann helped to design the flamboyant ship, which "was heralded as a triumph of the modern age" (Bristow). It had a three-decked dining room, luxurious suites, and was 305 feet long. The interior of the ship contained an abundance of Art Deco designs. However, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the French crew on board was removed, and the ship was renamed the U.S.S. Lafayette, and U.S. crew members attempted to convert it to a troop transport by February 14th of 1942. However, there was not enough time and their efforts were rushed and frenzied. Thus, unsafe conditions were established and the ship caught on fire on February 9th. It took firefighters around five hours to put out the fire. Unfortunately, the ship collapsed and sunk. Later, in 1943, it was brought back to the surface, but "it was too badly damaged to be salvageable" (Hinton). Eventually, the once elegant and beautiful ship was cut up into scraps, which were sold in