Podcast Summary: History Extra Podcast

Episode: Art Deco: everything you wanted to know
Date: September 27, 2025
Host: Eleanor Evans
Guest: Dr. Emma Bastin, Historian and Art Deco Expert

Overview

This episode marks the centenary of the 1925 Paris Expo, credited with launching Art Deco onto the global stage. Historian Dr. Emma Bastin joins host Eleanor Evans to demystify the origins, characteristics, legacy, and enduring influence of the Art Deco movement. Responding to a wide variety of listener questions, the episode journeys from the movement’s definition and historical context to its artists, cultural impact, motifs, and ongoing significance today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Defining Art Deco

[03:09]

• Elusive Definition: Art Deco is notoriously difficult to define due to its breadth across mediums—architecture, fine art, ceramics, graphic design, fashion, and more.
• Key Dates:
  • Early origins pre-WWI
  • Major boom after WWI due to societal shifts favoring modernity
  • 1925 Paris Expo ("Des Art Decorative Industrielle Moderne") as the international showcase
  • Golden era: 1930s, ended with WWII

"Art Deco was a movement that really...we associate with the interwar period...by 1925, there's an enormous exhibition in France...this really showcases to the world this sort of modern style."
— Emma Bastin, [03:09]

• Movement, not School: Lacked a formal manifesto, unlike movements such as Bauhaus.
• Core Characteristics:
  • Modernism, geometric forms, bold colors
  • Use of man-made and luxurious materials
  • Embraced commerce, aiming to democratize art

"The biggest thing that differentiates Art Deco...is the fact that it embraces commerce and business and industrialization. This is a movement that wants art to be available to the masses..."
— Emma Bastin, [05:38]

The Naming of Art Deco

[06:50]

• Named retroactively in the 1960s by historian Bevis Hillier, inspired by the 1925 exhibition's full title.
• Initially, contemporaries referred to the style as "Style Moderne" or by specific subgroups.

"It was only in the 1960s when people started looking back at the period...it becomes shortened to Art Deco."
— Emma Bastin, [07:12]

Influential Figures & Firms

[08:46]

• Not a single leader; influenced by Cubism, Futurism, Vorticism.
• Key individuals:
  • Tamara de Lempicka (Polish painter)
  • Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann (luxury furniture designer)
  • René Lalique (French glass artist)
  • Cedric Gibbons (Hollywood set designer—"big white sets" in classic films)
  • "Arte" (fashion illustrator)
• Significant companies/institutions:
  • Cunard (Art Deco ocean liners, iconic posters)
  • London Underground (architecture and poster art)
  • Ecko (radios), Bagley Glassware

"There are certainly people who became superstars...But what's interesting is...we also have businesses who are...leading the way."
— Emma Bastin, [09:45]

British Art Deco

[12:02]

• Less prominent internationally, but key figures include:
  • Joseph Emberton & Charles Holden (architecture; Holden especially for London Underground stations)
  • Clarice Cliff (ceramics; accessible in department stores)
  • Betty Joel (luxury furniture)

"Clarice Cliff...sold in department stores...not cheap, but a lot of people could buy it...that's why there's so much still available today."
— Emma Bastin, [13:17]

• London Underground’s art and posters dubbed it "the people’s picture gallery."

Prevalence and Social Impact

[17:03]

• Prevalent in: Factory architecture, cinemas, advertising/posters, everyday items (mirrors, compacts), and department stores.
• Impact: Embodied optimism, escapism, the allure of Hollywood; allowed ordinary people to "buy into" dreams of luxury and modernity.

"The impact it had on people...allowed people to start to dream for the first time again."
— Emma Bastin, [18:46]

Post-WWI Context and Mood

[19:19]

• WWI and its aftermath prompted a craving for "newness" and a rejection of the old order.
• Democratization of travel (holidays, railway posters) reflects the movement’s optimistic zeitgeist.

"Broadly, people were sick and fed up of death and this destruction, and they didn't want it to happen again...There certainly was this sense of optimism and dreaming."
— Emma Bastin, [19:45]

Ancient & Global Influences

[22:07]

• Modern geometric motifs drew on ancient styles: Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Mesoamerican.
• Archaeological fever (especially the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb) inspired Egyptomania and fueled motifs and material choices.

"What Art Deco takes from that is the luxurious materials and the hieroglyphic-style, geometric motifs..."
— Emma Bastin, [24:32]

• In the US, a fusion of Aztec/Inca patterns symbolized a connection with an American ancient past.

Motifs: Speed Lines

[26:32]

• Speed lines signify movement, modernity, and the era’s obsession with new transport (trains, automobiles, airplanes).
• Dancers, dynamic forms, and streamlined architecture reflected this "kinetic" energy.

"Transport particularly embraces Art Deco, and Art Deco embraces transport...showing movements and it's showing modernity and it's showing sleek lines that Art Deco thrives off."
— Emma Bastin, [27:12]

Art Deco vs. Art Nouveau

[28:07]

• Art Nouveau: (1890s–WWI) Nature-inspired, sinuous lines, detailed, preoccupied with craftsmanship.
• Art Deco: Geometric, bold, machine-age ready—designed for mass production and commercial spread.

"Art Nouveau takes a lot of influence from nature...as opposed to Art Deco, which...is geometric, square, very sleek-lined."
— Emma Bastin, [28:29]

• Art Nouveau aspired to democratize art but failed due to intricacy; Art Deco succeeded via manufacturability.

Personal Favorites & Where to Find Art Deco Today

[31:22]

• Fashion illustrations in magazines/sewing patterns captured Emma’s fascination.
• Surviving examples on local high streets—look up in older shopping precincts (ex-M&S, Woolworths, Burtons), especially above shop signage.
• London Underground stations, Scotland’s buildings, and extensive collections at the V&A museum.

"You can spot Art Deco architecture actually on your local high street...even the tub chairs that you go and sit in in a nice restaurant, they're inspired by art Deco."
— Emma Bastin, [32:36, 33:46]

Lost Art Deco Landmarks

[34:09]

• Notable demolitions:
  • Marks & Spencer Oxford Street—a key retail architecture piece
  • Firestone Factory (Great West Road)—a landmark with Egyptian motifs, demolished before listing could save it
  • Numerous cinemas

"It might not seem like very much to a lot of people...it's incredibly important. It's an Art Deco building and it's one of those first buildings where public consumption and arts really meet."
— Emma Bastin, [34:26]

• Many remaining buildings appear dowdy today but are legacy sites deserving preservation.

Legacy and Final Thoughts

[37:18]

• Art Deco’s influence is everywhere, cyclical in taste but enduring in style, accessibility, and celebration of modernity.
• The diversity of interests within Art Deco—fashion, architecture, cosmetics, visual arts—means anyone can find a niche.

"There's a little bit of Art Deco for everyone...Art Deco is supposed to be joyful..."
— Emma Bastin, [38:18]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I think the only thing you can really say is this stuff looked modern, it looked very different to things that had gone before. There was a lot less fussiness." — Emma Bastin, [05:01]

• "It’s very difficult for us to realize what an impact it made on people at the time...there was more popular Art Deco that was out on the street that people were seeing, like these posters and the Tube stations and various bits of architecture." — Emma Bastin, [14:43]

• "Everybody has their own little niche...for example, I'm really interested in the artwork, but I have a friend who's very interested in how cosmetics were packaged up and sold and things like that." — Emma Bastin, [38:01]

Suggested Timestamps

• [03:09] – Defining Art Deco: dates, characteristics, movement vs. school
• [06:50] – Naming and the 1960s revival
• [08:46] – Influential figures, key companies, businesses as leaders
• [12:02] – British Art Deco standouts
• [14:43] – Art Deco's accessibility and everyday impact
• [17:03] – Where Art Deco was most prevalent; social impact
• [19:19] – Post-WWI optimism and escapism
• [22:07] – Ancient/classical influences: Egyptomania, Mesoamerican motifs
• [26:32] – Speed lines and kinetic energy
• [28:07] – Art Deco vs. Art Nouveau
• [31:22] – Personal favourites, where to find Art Deco today
• [34:09] – Lost landmarks and preservation
• [37:45] – Final thoughts and encouraging new explorations

Tone

Bright, insightful, encouraging, and packed with vivid imagery—Emma Bastin brings a clear enthusiasm and approachability, making the subject lively and accessible for the curious listener.

Further Reading and Exploration

• Emma Bastin’s feature in the August 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine
• V&A Museum’s online Art Deco collection
• Exploring local high streets and the London Underground for surviving examples

Summary prepared for listeners eager to unlock the dramatic story and living legacy of Art Deco, as articulated by Dr. Emma Bastin on History Extra.