Poster art for the 2025 World Congress. Image courtesy of the Paris Art Deco Society and ICADS.
Day Two – Tuesday, October 21st
The Congress really began on Tuesday and set the schedule that we would follow through Friday. Arriving at 8:30 at the Auditorium of the Cité de l’Architecture attendees were treated to coffee, juice and a nice assortment of breakfast pastries .
The Auditorium of the Cité de l’Architecture ready to welcome attendees to the 17th World Congress on Art Deco.
Then from 9:00 – 10:45 lectures, a coffee break, with lectures resuming at 11:15 and going to 12:15.
Welcome & Lectures
Pascal Yves Laurent, President of the Paris Art Deco Society, welcoming the attendees and officially opening the Congress.
Three American Women Artists and Designers in 1920s Paris
The first lecture, given by Kathleen Murphy Skolnik.
The first lecture of the Congress was given by teacher, author and historian Kathleen Murphy Skolnik. Focusing on the careers of three American women, Berenice Abbott, Eyre de Lanux and Ruth Reeves all living and working in 1920s Paris.
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- Polychrome console by Eyre de Lanux.
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- Textiles by Ruth Reeves
Paris Fashion at the Exposition
Brian Scott on stage ready to give his lecture.
Vintage clothing collector and fashion historian Brian Scott, gave the next lecture. Focusing on the Paris fashions exhibited at the 1925 fair at both the Grand Palais and the Pavilion of Elegance on the Cours-la-Reine.
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- Pavillon de l’Elegance
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- Jeanne Lanvin display
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- Julie Lord in vintage 1920s outfit bought in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Julie Lord and Brian Scott
After the mid-morning coffee break and before the next two lectures the Congress had a visit, via Zoom, from a surprise guest from England, Bevis Hillier.
Bevis Hillier addressing the Congress attendees from England via Zoom.
Hillier is one of the most important people in the history of Art Deco. His 1968 book, Art Deco was the first major work on the style. And his curation of the exhibit and catalog of The World of Art Deco at The Minneapolis Institute of the Arts, helped to increase popular awareness of the interwar style. And although he denies he coined the term “Art Deco”, he certainly made it definitive.
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- Art Deco (1968). Image from ebay.com
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- The World of Art Deco (1971). Catalog of the exhibit at The Minneapolis Institute of the Arts. Image from thriftbooks.com
Attractions and Leisure at the Exposition
Alain-René Hardy ready to tell Congress attendees how attendees spent leisure time at the 1925 fair.
20th-century decorative art expert Alain-René Hardy provided us with a look at the 1925 Exposition’s amusement park plus other leisurely activities for patrons of the fair to enjoy.
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- Touring cars for hire
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- Refreshment kiosk
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- Scenic railway along the Seine.
Perfumery at the 1925 International Exhibition of Decorative and Industrial Arts
Closing the morning lectures Tristan Hinschberger and Perfumery at the 1925 Exposition.
Based on his second Master thesis, Tristan Hinschberger, gave a lecture on how the perfume manufacturers collaborated with artists and obtained an independent pavilion at the 1925 fair.
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- Lalique display for Robert Bienaime, French Perfumery.
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- Roger & Gallet Perfume – display by Lalique
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- Guerlain exhibit possibly by Reymon.
Lunch
Each day after the lectures Congress attendees were provided with a very nice boxed lunch in the Salon d’About.
Lunch box containing a sandwich, roll, salad, bottled water and dessert – also, a souvenir from our trip.
Located on the upper floors of the Cité of Architecture and Heritage, the space was originally the home of Paul Deschamps, director of the Musée des Mounuments Français at the Trocadéro. The Deschamps family lived there until 1961. The space, now gutted of its original interior, serves as reception hall. And the views of Paris from the outdoor terrace are spectacular.
The daytime view of the Eiffel Tower and the Palais de Chaillot from the Salon d’About terrace.
Chris enjoying the brisk lunchtime views – Oh, look! The Eiffel Tower.
Cité of Architecture and Heritage
After lunch, Congress attendees received a tour of the Cité of Architecture and Heritage. Closed to the public on Tuesdays, we therefore had the place to ourselves. And included private tours of the, The 20th Century Gallery and the exhibit Paris 1925: Art Deco & Its Architects.
Our tour began in the Casting Gallery. The origins of this collection go back to 1878. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (1814 – 1879) proposed the transformation of the Trocadero Palace into a museum displaying models and landmarks from around France after the world’s fair closed. The Museum of Comparative Sculpture opened in 1882 after Viollet-le-Duc’s death. The gallery showcases architectural innovations from the Middle Ages through the present day.
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- Facade of plaster recreation
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- An example of the anterior of plaster casts
Over the last 130 years thousands of life size plaster casts have been collected. When the gallery relocated to the Palais de Chailott for the 1937 world’s fair the collection greatly enlarged.
Examples Medieval & Gothic Architecture Plaster Casts
Detail of the arch, below left.
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- I am not an example of Medieval & Gothic Architecture Plaster Casts!
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- Genuine medieval stained glass was also featured.
While wandering through the Plaster Cast Gallery, we came across a model that really caught our eye. L’inspiration, by Alfred-Alphonse Bottiau (1889 – 1951), a sculpture for the pediment of Pavillon de Tête in the Paris wing of the Palais de Chaillot for the 1937 World’s Fair.
Alfred-Alphonse Bottiau’s plaster and wood model for L’inspiration, 1937.
After a lengthy tour of the medieval section including recreated catacombs, Anthony was anxious to get to the Exposition display.
His face says it all!
Modern and Contemporary Architecture
The big highlight in the Modern and Contemporary Architecture gallery is the recreation of an apartment from Le Corbusier’s Unite d’ Habitation in Marseille. In 1947 Le Corbusier received the commission to design a multi-family housing project for people of Marseille who lost their homes during the bombings of the Second World War. Completed in 1952, this was the first of a number housing projects he would design focusing on communal living for the inhabitants to live, play and shop in a “vertical garden city”.
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- Walking in and to the right
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- is a compact
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- yet functional kitchen.
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- A cozy dining room with built in storage.
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- Another view
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- A fairly large living space for entertaining.
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- A steep staircase rises to the second level.
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- Landing at the top of the stairs.
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- Two small, long bedrooms mirror each other. Both have a private sink and share a balcony.
Looking down on the living room in Le Corbusier’s Unite d’ Habitation apartment.
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- The Master Suite
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- A serviceable and stark master bath.
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- Another angle of the suite
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- Off the living room is the lanai.
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- The bench hides built-in storage.
A view from the lanai – it looks so spacious.
Then the crowd shuffles in.
Paris 1925: Art Deco & Its Architects
Paris 1925 Art Deco and its Architects
Plans for the layout of the exposition
This exhibit, which runs until March 29, 2026, offers an immersive reconstruction of the 1925 Exposition, through a virtual model. It features the work of such famous 20th-Century architects as, Le Corbusier, Henri Sauvage, Auguste Perret and Robert Mallet-Stevens and the connections between their works and the emerging concept of modernity.
Below are just a sample of the many renderings, pictures and examples on display.
Rendering of the Tourism Pavilion
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- Scale model of the Tourism Pavilion
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- Looking straight on
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- And from the other side
The Port of Honour by d’Henry Favier and André Ventre.
The monumental Gate of Honor, located next to the Grand Palais, served as just one of the entrances to the 1925 exposition. This was the principle entrance used for ceremonial events.
The preparatory drawings for the Oasis Fountain screen and the Laurel leaf inspiration.
The laurel leaf inspired Henry Favier’s Oasis Fountain screen. Edgar Brandt’s studio produced the final product.
The Edgar Brandt exhibit.
At top is Edgar Brandt’s Furniture Collection Gallery. Henry Favier’s Oasis screen dominates the wall on the right.
Attached to the Esplanade des Invalides, The gate with floral decoration is surrounded by a bas-relief by Edgar Brandt.
At the bottom is an original sketch for the entrance gates.
Rendering of entrance hall for the French Embassy.
Evening Cocktail Reception at the Salon d’About
A reception for Art Deco enthusiasts.
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- The Champagne flowed freely
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- Anthony enjoying a bit of bubbly.
After our tours of the exhibits at the Cité of Architecture and Heritage finished we had time to return to our rooms before the cocktail reception at 8:00 at the Salon d’About. Like the evening before, champagne flowed freely and there were many delicious hors d’oeuvres to choose from.
Chatting with new friends.
And sharing a laugh or two.
If the views of Paris from the terrace at lunch were spectacular, at night it was magical. And none of the attendees seemed to mind that it had become chilly and windy.
Braving the brisk temperature.
The night time view of the Palais de Chaillot and the Eiffel Tower from the Salon d’About terrace.
So after gazing at the view, eating more hors d’oeuvres and drinking several more glasses of champagne, we decided it would be best to call it a night. We headed back to the Airbnb since we knew the next day was going to be even busier.
Chris & Anthony (The Freakin’, Tiquen Guys)
Sources
Online
archdaily.com/
citedelarchitecture.fr
wikipedia.org/
Written
17th World Congress on Art Deco© Program
