From Empire State to the Chrysler Building: A History of Art Deco In NYC

Summary

Podcast Summary: "From Empire State to the Chrysler Building: A History of Art Deco In NYC"

All Of It is a cultural exploration podcast by WNYC, hosted by Alison Stewart. In the April 28, 2025 episode titled "From Empire State to the Chrysler Building: A History of Art Deco In NYC," Stewart delves into the centennial celebration of the Art Deco movement, particularly its profound impact on New York City's architectural landscape. Joining her is Frances Moroney, an esteemed architectural historian and adjunct instructor at NYU, who provides expert insights into the nuances of Art Deco and its legacy in the Big Apple.

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Introduction to Art Deco and Its Significance

[00:38] Alison Stewart:
Alison Stewart opens the episode by marking the 100th anniversary of the Art Deco movement, which made its debut on April 28, 1925, with an international exhibition in Paris. This movement swiftly crossed the Atlantic, leaving an indelible mark on American architecture, notably in iconic structures like the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and 30 Rock. Stewart emphasizes the movement's pervasive influence, extending beyond grand skyscrapers to more subtle designs throughout the city.

[01:32] Frances Moroney:
Frances Moroney joins the conversation, setting the stage to commemorate a century of Art Deco and engaging listeners to participate by sharing their favorite Art Deco landmarks in New York City.

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Defining Art Deco: A Diverse and Subjective Movement

[01:37] Frances Moroney:
When asked to define Art Deco, Moroney acknowledges the absence of a strict definition, highlighting its subjective nature. He notes, "Nobody knows... but everybody knows," emphasizing that Art Deco is recognized more by the mood it evokes rather than a set of rigid criteria. The movement is characterized by its elegance and a distinct sense of modernity—a modernity that, viewed from a 2025 perspective, appears somewhat old-fashioned. This era was marked by intense experimentation in architecture, with architects striving to define what it meant to be "modern."

[02:28] Frances Moroney:
He elaborates that during the 1920s, architects were fervently exploring new styles without a clear blueprint of modernity. The term "Art Deco" itself wasn't coined until the 1960s, originally referred to as "le stile moderne" or "modern style" in France. This period saw a divergence between Art Deco and later modernist architectures like the Seagram Building, necessitating a new nomenclature to distinguish the two.

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Historical Context: The 1925 Paris Exhibition

[05:21] Frances Moroney:
Moroney clarifies that the 1925 Paris Exposition was less the birth of Art Deco and more a culmination of design trends emerging since around 1910. The exposition served as a grand showcase aimed at reasserting France's dominance in luxury goods post-World War I. Designers were encouraged to innovate, paralleling the experimental spirit of the fashion industry. The event featured diverse styles, including contributions from modernist architects like Le Corbusier, who controversially proposed demolishing parts of Paris for high-rise apartments. The legacy of this exposition is evident in the delightful building decorations in New York City, many of which were influenced by the French artists who participated.

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Listener Engagement: Favorite Art Deco Buildings

Throughout the episode, Alison Stewart invites listeners to share their favorite Art Deco buildings and their thoughts on what makes the style significant to New York's history. Several callers contribute their perspectives, enriching the discussion with personal anecdotes and specific architectural highlights.

Key Highlights from Callers:

1. Marlene from Monroe Township, NJ
   [08:09]: Marlene poetically likens Art Deco to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," encapsulating the spirit of New York through architecture.

   Francis Moroney:
   Agrees with the analogy, noting that "jazz modern" was another term used historically to describe Art Deco, reflecting its contemporary cultural influences.

2. Charles from the Upper West Side
   [13:10]: Charles praises the Chrysler Building for its gleaming steel and diamond embellishments, and highlights the General Electric Building and Lincoln Center's Noguchi-designed entrance as quintessential Art Deco masterpieces.

   Francis Moroney:
   Acknowledges the beauty of these structures, emphasizing Noguchi's unexpected foray into Art Deco with the Associated Press building.

3. Marilyn from Caldwell
   [14:45]: Marilyn honors her uncle, Israel L. Krausman, a prolific builder in the Bronx known for Art Deco elements like chrome inset doors and lobby murals in his apartment buildings.

   Francis Moroney:
   Discusses the Grand Concourse as a pivotal area for Art Deco in the Bronx, highlighting the Fish Building's surreal mosaic decorations and the widespread influence of Art Deco across all five boroughs.

4. Michael from the Upper West Side
   [17:49]: Michael describes Art Deco as "glamorous" and sparks a debate on whether the San Remo or the El Dorado is the true Art Deco masterpiece by Emery Roth.

   Francis Moroney:
   Playfully resolves the debate by favoring the El Dorado, while also acknowledging the Normandy on Riverside Drive as a standout example.

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Exploring Notable Art Deco Structures in New York City

The conversation, enriched by listener insights, delves into specific Art Deco landmarks, analyzing their architectural features and historical significance.

1. Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza
   [10:01]: Moroney recounts the library's transition from a planned classical design to its streamlined Art Deco form due to budget constraints. The building features clean lines and aerodynamic design elements, embodying the "streamlined" aspect of Art Deco. He praises the catalog room's Scandinavian Modern interior, showcasing the movement's global influences.

2. General Electric Building
   Highlighted by a caller, this building exemplifies Art Deco's glamorous facade and intricate design, situated behind the famous lions (stallions) at Rockefeller Center.

3. Lincoln Center's Associated Press Entrance
   Designed by sculptor Isamu Noguchi, the entranceway blends Art Deco with Noguchi's abstract style, featuring figurative elements like typewriters and newspapers.

4. Fish Building (1150 Grand Concourse)
   Located in the Bronx, this building is renowned for its mesmerizing mosaic decorations, reflecting the eclectic and international influences within Art Deco.

5. Verizon Building (140 West Street)
   Designed by Ralph Walker, one of the first skyscraper architects to incorporate Art Deco elements, this building is celebrated for its beautiful lobby and historical prominence before the construction of the World Trade Center.

6. Madison Belmont Building
   Situated at Madison Avenue and 34th Street, this Midtown Manhattan structure boasts stunning iron grills by Edgar Bratt, a French designer from the 1925 exposition, and shares proximity to the iconic Radio City Music Hall.

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Art Deco's Enduring Legacy and Accessibility

[22:14] Frances Moroney:
Moroney emphasizes that experiencing Art Deco at its best often involves exploring the interiors of buildings, where the detailed ornamentation and design flourish. However, he notes that modern security measures can make this more challenging today. He encourages listeners to visit landmarks like the Madison Belmont Building, Rockefeller Center, and others to appreciate the intricate artistry firsthand.

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Conclusion: Celebrating a Century of Art Deco

As the episode concludes, Alison Stewart and Frances Moroney reflect on the enduring allure of Art Deco, celebrating its centennial by showcasing its diverse manifestations across New York City. The dialogue underscores Art Deco's role in shaping the city's identity, blending elegance with innovation, and incorporating a myriad of global influences. Listener contributions enrich the narrative, highlighting personal connections and the timeless beauty of Art Deco architecture.

Notable Quotes:

• Francis Moroney:
  "There are so many different things that we label as Art Deco that actually have very little in common with each other, except that they seem to elicit the same mood." (02:28)

• Marlene:
  "Art Deco is Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin in the form of a building." (08:09)

• Charles:
  "The Chrysler Building has real diamonds melted in the same steel of the sphere... the brightest thing in New York City because of that." (13:14)

• Marilyn:
  "Whenever I meet somebody for the Bronx, I say, tell me what your apartment building looks like. And it always turns out that it was one of my uncles and he featured a sunken living room, sunken by two steps, which I used to ride my tricycle down." (14:45)

• Michael:
  "To sum up Art Deco in a word, glamorous." (17:49)

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This episode of All Of It serves as a comprehensive homage to Art Deco's century-long influence, offering listeners a blend of historical context, architectural analysis, and personal narratives that collectively celebrate the movement's legacy in shaping New York City's cultural and physical landscape.

Transcript

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[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. A hundred years ago today, an artistic movement debuted which now defines the New York city skyline. On April 28, 1925, an international exhibition opened in Paris presenting what we now consider Art Deco. Soon the movement crossed the pond to America in the form of architecture murals and mosaics. It's the reason some of New York's most famous buildings look the way they do. The Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building, 30 Rock, all constructed around the same time. But there are also more subtle designs around the city that represent the best of Art Deco. We'll discuss those with my next guest. Frances Moroney is an architectural historian. He's also an adjunct instructor at NYU and Francis is here to help us commemorate 100 years of art Deco and to take your calls. Thank you for coming to the studio.

[Francis Moroney]

Thank you.

[Alison Stewart]

When we say that looks Art Deco, what do we mean?

[Francis Moroney]

Nobody knows. Well, nobody knows and everybody knows, right? There's no strict definition of Art Deco. And anyone who tells you, you know, this is what Art Deco means, don't listen to that person because there's someone right behind that person with a completely different set of criteria for what constitutes art. Dec. It's funny in that way, and yet the thing about it is that you know it when you see it. So like so much of architecture, it's really all about the mood that it creates. And there are so many different things that we label as Art Deco that actually have very little in common with each other, except that they seem to elicit the same mood.

[Alison Stewart]

And what would that mood be?

[Francis Moroney]

Well, it's elegant. Well, yes, elegance, I think is part of it, but it's sort of a feeling of modernity. But the kind of modernity that oddly to us in 2025 seems a little bit old fashioned, kind of like an old fashioned idea of modernity. That's what the architects and designers of the time were striving for. It was the new century. They wanted to be modern, they wanted to be up to date. It's just that nobody really yet knew what modern meant, what it meant to be modern, or how that would look. And so it was a period of the 1920s, we're talking about a period of wild experimentation in architecture. Probably in no other decade in the whole history of architecture. I mean, going back to the beginning of architecture, was there so much diversity in what was being done, because everyone was sort of furiously experimenting and trying to be modern. And this was one of the ways, in fact, I think that a lot, as you know, back then, nobody said Art Deco. The term didn't exist.

[Alison Stewart]

Right? Didn't exist until the 60s.

[Francis Moroney]

Yes, not till the 60s. So not a single Art Deco Deco architect thought he was doing Art Deco. He was trying to be modern. And the French term that was used at the time was le stile moderne or just modern style. Modern style, yeah, the modern style. But later on we got a very different kind of modern architecture, you know, the Seagram Building and the United nations and so on, which looked nothing like Art Deco. So we had to come up with a new name for Art Deco. We couldn't call it modern anymore.

[Alison Stewart]

Listeners, let's get you in on this conversation. We'd love to hear from you. What is your favorite Art Deco building in New York and why? 2124-3396-9221-2433 wnyc. What do you find most interesting about Art Deco as a style? What do you think it captures about New York and the city's history? What's an Art Deco building that you think maybe is less known and you'd like people to know about it and appreciate it? The number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. We're commemorating 100 years of art Deco. My guest is architectural historian Francis Morone. Let's talk about this Paris exhibition. What was so radical about this exposition in 1925?

[Francis Moroney]

Well, it actually, you know, it's a just a slight misnomer, I think, that, you know, Art Deco began at this moment. That exposition in Paris was really kind of a summing up of trends that had been in place since about 1910 or so. But it was a big sort of gala affair of state sponsored, French, state sponsored exposition. Think World's Fair only this was just design, you know, it's not like, you know, it was celebrating, you know, French agriculture and manufacturing. It was about design. And at the time, specifically, the French government was really worried in the aftermath of World War I that they were losing their global leadership as the producer of luxury goods. France had always dominated that field. And the exposition was really meant to promote French designers to the world. And it did so. And the designers were encouraged to sort of be experimental and try to come up with the new thing, just like they do in the fashion world. And so a lot of them were doing really interesting things. And what came out of it wasn't just Art Deco. In fact, it was at that exposition that the modernist architect Le Corbusier first exhibited his plan, dreadful plan for demolishing the Marais section of Paris and replacing it with high rise apartment buildings. That's not. But so it was more diverse than we think. There was a lot of different kinds of stuff. But the French artists who participated in that exposition also thereafter did work in New York City. And, you know, their works can be seen. And some of it is some of the most delightful building decoration that we have in New York.

[Caller]

Let's take a couple calls. These are interesting. Marlene is calling in from Monroe Township, New Jersey. Hi, Marlene, thank you for making the time to call all of it today.

Thank you. My comment is that Art Deco is Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin in the form of a building.

[Francis Moroney]

I think that's very well put. I like that a lot, you know, and sometimes another term that was sometimes used for Art Deco back in the day, before the term Art Deco was invented was jazz modern. You know, jazz, of course, was the ascendant music at the time. And some people felt that the new modern style in architecture was a kind of architectural equivalent of jazz. But I like the Rhapsody in Blue analogy, particularly because that was such a New York piece of music.

[Caller]

After the break, we're going to talk about some of the architecture and decoration, Art Deco decoration in New York City. Our number is 2124-339692-21243. Do you have favorite example of Art Deco architecture or design in New York City? We'll have more with Frances Maroney after a quick break.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it. You're listening to all of it on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. We're commemorating 100 years of art Deco in discussing the most notable Art Deco landmarks in New York. And we are taking your calls. My guest is architectural historian Francis Moroney. Let's talk about a few of these. Let's go to Brooklyn, the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library and Grand Army Plaza. It opened in 1941. What is art Deco about this building?

[Francis Moroney]

Well, it's a very interesting story. They actually began many years before that to build a Brooklyn Public Library on that site, which was going to be in a very grand classical style that sort of mated well with the Triumphal arch that's in the middle of Grand Army Plaza. But in a way that's really oddly typical of Brooklyn. They ran out of money, and it just remained a hole in the ground for several decades. Brooklyn has a history of holes in the ground. And when they finally had the funds to build the public library, you know, times had changed, taste had changed. It was 1937, completed in 41, but they began it in 37. And they had to make use of the foundations that were already dug. So the architect was a little bit limited in what he was able to do, but he nonetheless did something that was very clean. And the word that we sometimes use is streamlined. You know, that sort of, you know, very clean, curvy. You know, you might even think of words like aerodynamic design. And it has that kind of ornamentation that we associate with Art Deco in the earlier sort of bazaar classical architecture of New York. Think of a building like the New York Public Library. The ornamentation is very heavily modeled ornamentation, very three dimensional. Whereas in Art Deco, it's often much flatter and always very stylized. And we see that in the Brooklyn Public Library. The interior of it very. Which is one of the most beautiful modern interior spaces. The catalog room of that library. One of the most beautiful modern interiors in New York, in my opinion, is very Scandinavian, what we call Scandinavian Modern, which became popular in home furnishings in, like the 1960s, but in our architecture dates back to the earlier 20th century. And that was one of the influences on Art Deco. And that's the thing that I think is most important to point out about what we call Art Deco is that it turned out to be a way of doing architecture that admitted an almost infinite number of influences from sources around the world, including non western sources.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Charles from the Upper west side.

[Caller]

Hi, Charles. Thank you so much for calling wnyc.

Thank you. Glad you back at the wheel. Alison, you're unique. I'm going to give you three things that I like very much. First of all, the Chrysler Building has real diamonds melted in the same steel of the sphere. So if you ever follow the sun going around it, it's the brightest thing in New York City because of that. And as the layers go down and it protrudes out with the different ornaments and eagle heads, there are real diamonds melted in the eagle heads. The other building I like is the General Electric building, which is behind stallions. That's Art Deco. But what I really want to say is that Lincoln Center Noguchi, the sculptor, designed the entranceway in the Art Deco style. That's classical because he's normally not. He's abstract. For Associated Press. I don't know if your visitor has ever seen Associated Press at Lincoln Center, I mean, at Rockefeller center, but that entranceway is designed by Noguchi. And if you want to see him do figurative stuff and typewriters and newspapers, it's all in the facade of the entranceway. Thanks for giving me the moment.

[Francis Moroney]

Thank you. Yes, indeed. I'm very familiar with the Associated Press building and with Rockefeller center as a whole. And that piece by Noguchi is indeed a wonderful piece of Art Deco, what we could call Art Deco decoration. But again, remember, he wouldn't have called it Art Deco when he did it.

[Caller]

Let's talk to Marilyn from Caldwell. Hi, Marilyn, thanks for calling all of it.

Thank you. And thank you for the opportunity to honor my beloved uncle, Israel L. Krausman, who was featured in who's who in the Bronx. He built many, many, many apartment buildings up and down the Grand Concourse. They were featured with art deco chrome inset doors, murals in the lobby. And the entranceway was set back and they were either rounded or squared off sides to the building. And I lived in one of them at 315 East 196th Street. He also built the Bronx Courthouse and he built the Avalon and two other theaters in the Bronx. And there's such a distinct style style that whenever I meet somebody for the Bronx, I say, tell me what your apartment building looks like. And it always turns out that it was one of my uncles and he featured a sunken living room, sunken by two steps, which I used to ride my tricycle down. And they were glorious, glorious buildings. And I'm just so very proud of him and have the moment to honor him.

Thank you so much for calling in. I was going to ask you about the Fish Buildings. I don't know if this is her uncle's. I'm not sure if it's right. Right.

[Francis Moroney]

Yes. Yeah. Well, the Grand Concourse is, you know, sort of an Art deco show place. And it remind, it's a great example of how the style sort of filtered down. You know, it started out as something that was very high style. And then gradually over the years, not immediately, but after a few years, it became a style that was used for middle class apartment buildings in all five boroughs of New York. There are wonderful examples to be found literally in all five boroughs. But the Grand Concourse has some of the best. As the caller said, the Fish Building, as it's locally called, is I think it's 1150 Grand Concourse by an architect named Horace Ginsburn. And it has mosaic decoration on the front of it that is just mind boggling. It's almost surreal. And we can see again just how Art Deco was able to admit so many different influences. The Grand Concourse was probably the most distinguished place to live in the Bronx at one time, fell on hard times, but it's nice to see that today people are really interested. A lot of the buildings have been renovated and it's a great place to visit.

[Caller]

This text says favorite Art Deco building in New York City, the GE building on Lexington at 50s. Also to sum up Art Deco in a word, glamorous. This is Michael from the Upper west side. Francis, Help resolve an ongoing debate among devotees of the Upper west side real estate. San Remo or El Dorado, which is Emery Roth's true Art Deco masterpiece?

[Francis Moroney]

Ah, well, I think it's the Normandy on Riverside Drive.

[Caller]

Whoa, take that.

[Francis Moroney]

But if I had to choose between the San Remo and the El Dorado, I would take the El Dorado.

[Caller]

Let's talk about Marine air terminal at LaGuardia Airport. It's Terminal A at LaGuardia. Beautiful space for everybody who's traveled through it. What do you experience when you walk into the terminal?

[Francis Moroney]

Well, you know, nowadays it's just a terminal for, you know, regional flights, lights. But what I love about it is the way that the, that moment in history, not only the Art Deco architecture of the terminal, but the fact that it was built not to serve ordinary airplanes, but seaplanes, which was just seems like such a 1930s, 40s thing that we don't really have anymore. And it's that that whole historical moment that is conjured by that building and the architecture of it helps us to feel that it's a building I love, and I love the mural inside, which was done by a painter who was actually associated with the Abstract Expressionists in New York, but did something a little bit different from that for the interior of that building.

[Alison Stewart]

This text says, what style is the Verizon Building?

[Francis Moroney]

The Verizon Building, I presume he means the one which is on West Street. 140 West street, it's called. There are about 50 buildings in New York called the Verizon Building.

[Alison Stewart]

He's talking about Walker Tower, perhaps?

[Francis Moroney]

Well, yes. Well, Ralph Walker was a great Art Deco, a great New York architect who was one of the earliest architects and possibly the first skyscraper architect to adopt elements of what we would call Art Deco. But he was also an architect who had a particular expertise in designing these very complicated telecommunications buildings. All the wiring and whatnot. You needed an architect who had specialty in that area. So he was Verizon. No, they weren't Verizon then. They were the New York Telephone Company. Then he was their architect. He designed all their buildings from very modest neighborhood buildings to their big towers in Manhattan. But the first and most famous of his buildings was at 140 West street at Barclay Street. And that's a fantastic building. Beautiful. Yeah. And it used to.

[Caller]

Oh, it is.

[Francis Moroney]

Before the World Trade center was built. It really dominated the skyline down there. Has a beautiful lobby which. And again, I think it should be said that if you want to experience Art Deco at its very best, go inside. Go inside the lobbies of these office buildings. Not something that it's as easy to do today as it once was because of security concerns. And God knows if you try to take a photograph, they might shoot first, ask questions later. But I still do it. I go in, I take the photo and I run.

[Caller]

You should check out one Wall Street. You can check out the Chrysler Building. You can check out 30 Rock in our last minute. Someplace for someone who loves Art Deco that they should check out, they might not be thinking about it.

[Francis Moroney]

Okay, well, I would say the Madison Belmont Building, which is on the southeast corner of Madison Avenue and 34th Street. You'd think that a building that was, you know, right in Midtown Manhattan, right in the middle of Midtown Manhattan would be a little bit better known. But it has these fantastic iron grills over the building's two entrances. One entrance on Madison, one entrance on 34th street there by Edgar Bratt, a French designer who was very prominent at the exposition and somewhat better known, but not to be missed, Radio City Music Hall.

[Caller]

We have been commemorating 100 years of art Deco. My guest has been architectural historian Frances Maroney. Thank you for your calls and thank you for your time.

[Francis Moroney]

Thank you.

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