Tag Archives: Soda King

First Weekend Finds of 2018

Over a recent weekend, Chris and I drove out to Chicago to attend the wedding of friends. When asked by people whether we would be flying, I replied “No driving, you can’t get antiques on a plane.” So setting out on a Thursday evening we headed west. Reaching Cleveland by midnight, we called it quits. By early Friday afternoon we had reached Elkhart, Indiana and decided to try our luck. Our first stop was the 820 Antiques at 820 N. Ward Street, Elkhart.

 

820 Antiques entrance.

Entrance to 820 Antiques at 820 N. Ward Street in Elkhart, Indiana. Photo from Facebook.

820 Antiques is a good size mall, with a friendly staff and a wide variety of items that makes browsing fun. This visit we only bought a souvenir spoon from Chicago’s, 1933 Century of Progress World’s Fair. But should we ever be in Elkhart again we would definitely stop in.

 

 

Here’s a lesson to never let a name trick you. While looking up antique stores in Elkhart, one of the stores that came up in my Google search was The Amish Mall. I have to admit the use of “Amish” was a turn off for me. As we were heading back to the highway and to Chicago, we stopped at a traffic light on W. Bristol Street. Directly across the street from the light was The Amish Mall. Because it was right there, we thought let’s try our luck.

Elkhart Indiana's The Amish Mall.

The Amish Mall at 1216 W. Bristol Street, Elkhart, Indiana. Photo from Facebook.

They do sell Amish furniture and goods and hence the name of the store. But they are multi dealer shop selling almost anything you can imagine.

 

Always keeping an eye out for Deco at the back of the store we found a Royalchrome desk. Online searches for the desk have attributed the design to Kem Weber and Wolfgang Hoffmann. Both men did design for Howell in the 1930’s and 1940’s. But we have not found any proof as yet if either designed this desk. We believe this desk was the design of an anonymous company employee creating in the style of Weber and Hoffmann. So far the only period reference I’ve found is a 1947 advertisement from ebay that shows a desk similar but not exactly the same.

 

1947 Royalchrome Ad.

1947 Royalchrome advertisement showing the chrome tube metal desk. Image from Ebay.

 

Chris really liked the desk and with a price of only $100.00 it was too good a deal to pass up. Chris’ desk is black metal, with chrome tube legs and an ebonized wood top. It’s a striking piece of furniture and its in very good condition. Our biggest concern was, will it fit in the car. It did.

 

 

Like the staff of 820 Antiques the staff at The Amish Mall were friendly and helpful. We would stop back there should we find our selves back in Elkhart. Now it was on to  Chicago and the wedding. Before leaving Chicago on Sunday Chris and I visited two antiques malls on the North Side. Stop one, the Edgewater Antique Mall. On this trip we did not make a purchase, I know we will go back in the future and will buy something.

 

Edgewater Antique Mall in Chicago.

Edgewater Antique Mall, 6314 N. Broadway, Chicago, Illinois. Photo from edgewaterantiquemall.com

The Edgewater Antique Mall is a multi dealer shop. Most of the dealers specialize in Mid-Century Modern, at fair prices. There is also a nice selection of Art Deco objects and a great choice of items from the 1933-1934 Chicago World’s Fair.

 

 

Just a short distance down North Broadway is the Broadway Antique Market, located inside an former 1930’s department store.. This mall offers 75 dealers on two floors, with objects from many eras, but with a large array of Art Deco and Mid-Century items.

 

Broadway Antique Market.

The Broadway Antique Market. 6130 N. Broadway, Chicago, Illinois.

 

Chris and I felt right at home at the Broadway Antique Market. Items we took a pass on, two, three tiered, ebonized wood and chrome tube side tables. These tables (sold by two different dealers) definitely designed by Wolfgang Hoffmann were in great condition, but we had no room in the car and they cost just a bit more than we could spend.

 

Wolfgang Hoffmann side table.

A three tiered side table by Wolfgang Hoffmann for Howell. Painted white, unlike the black painted ones at the Broadway Antique Market. Photo from 1stdibs.com

And a pair of Norman Bel Geddes, enameled steel, club chairs. Unlike the one in the photo below the chairs for sale had a light brown upholstery, with metal painted to look like burl wood. They were very nice and also out of our price range.

 

Bel Geddes lounge chair.

Norman Bel Geddes enameled steel lounge chair, circa 1932. Photo from 1stdibs.com.

 

What I did find, was an item high on my “Art Deco Bucket List”, a Norman Bel Geddes, Soda King syphon bottle. To me this is the ultimate in syphon bottles. It is ultramodern and looks like a bullet. The evolution of the Soda King syphon bottle can be found here in this article we did a couple of years ago. I call the design for this bottle the “Syphon of tomorrow”. It hit the stores in time for the Christmas season of 1938.  I’ve been looking for this syphon for a number or years. Once I saw one for sale at a NYC antique show for $450.00, way too much for me. Luckily the one for sale at the Broadway Antique Market had a price of $125.00. Not cheap but a much more reasonable price than the one at the antique show.

1938 Soda King Syphon

The bottom of the Soda King bottle showing Norman Bel Geddes name attributing the design to the famed industrial designer.

I know the Broadway Antique Market will always be a destination for Chris and me when we are in the Chicago area. And if you are into Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern or just like great antique malls, you should check it out too. Now lets see what other Deco finds we’ll come across in 2018.

 

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, ‘Tiquen Guys)

Reference Library Update – Bel Geddes

The logo of Norman Bel Geddes

Norman Bel Geddes logo. Image from Wikipedia.

 

Norman Bel Geddes.

Norman Bel Geddes, circa 1925. Image from NYPL Digital Collections.

For October’s reference library update, Driving For Deco brings you a career profile of industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes (1893 – 1958).  The article appeared in the July, 1930 issue of Fortune magazine. Bel Geddes began his career as a set and stage designer working for the Metropolitan Opera. In the 1920’s shows he designed included The Miracle and Fifty Million Frenchmen. In the mid 1930’s he would design the set for Sidney Kingsley’s play Dead End.

The Miracle, 1924.

The Miracle, New York production 1924. Set by Norman Bel Geddes. Image from NYPL Digital Collections.

Dead End, 1935.

Norman Bel Geddes set for Dead End, 1935. Sidney Kingsley’s Pulitzer Prize winning play at the Belasco Theater. Image from NYPL Digital Collections.

Turning from the theatre in the late 1920’s Bel Geddes ventured into the brand new field of industrial design. He achieved new fame by redesigning many standard products. Ranging from kitchen appliances, to cars and other forms of transportation, to homes and factories, nothing was too small or too large for Bel Geddes to tackle. In 1932 he authored the book Horizons in which he outlined his theories and ideas.

 

1932, Horizons by Norman Bel Geddes

Horizons by Norman Bel Geddes, 1932. Image from abebooks.com

Today, original 1932 editions of this book are rare and can sell between $250.00 and $950.00.

 

Norman Bel Geddes ideas for planes, ocean liners and cars went far beyond anything of his time. He took streamlining further than any of his contemporaries. Bel Geddes liked to push limits knowing these designs would never materialize.

 

Airliner No. 4

Norman Bel Geddes Airliner No. 4 (1929-1932). Image from Keiththomsonbooks.com

"Whale"Ocean Liner.

“Whale” Ocean Liner designed by Norman Bel Geddes, 1932. Image from oobject.com

Locomotive No. 1

Locomotive No. 1 by Norman Bel Geddes, circa 1932. Image from oobject.com

 

Motor Car No. 9, 1932

Norman Bel Geddes Motor Car No. 9, circa 1932.

 

Of all the designs that Norman Bel Geddes created, three are most accessible to collectors today. The 1938 Soda King Syphon bottle, Revere’s magazine stand and the iconic “Manhattan” cocktail set are available with a good deal of cash.

Soda King White

Bel Geddes – Paxton Soda King, White. 1938

Magazine stand for Revere.

Norman Bel Geddes’ magazine stand for Revere. Image from einnasirrod.com

Manhattan Cocktail Set

The Manhattan cocktail set for Revere designed by Norman Bel Geddes. Image from the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston.

 

Futurama booklet

Futurama brochure, 1939. Image from oldcarbrochures.com

The best showcase for industrial designers in the 1930’s was the 1939 New York World’s Fair.  Bel Geddes created its most popular exhibit, General Motors, Futurama. This massive display provided a glimpse into 1960 America in a simulated coast-to-coast airplane flight. Massive highways with radio controlled cars provided access to cities with different levels for automobiles and pedestrians. There would also be plenty of green space to spend leisure time. Industrial zones would be a good distance away from residential neighborhoods. Many of the ideas that Bel Geddes designed for Futurama would come to fruition in the 1950’s and later.

 

General Motor's building, NY World's Fair.

Norman Bel Geddes General Motors Pavillion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Image from The New York Times.

 

To read the Fortune article profiling Norman Bel Geddes industrial design career, click on the cover below.

 

Fortune Magazine, July, 1930.

July, 1930 Fortune Magazine

 Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen’ Guys)