The Chase Catalogs: 1934 & 1935

Name: The Chase Catalogs: 1934 & 1935
Price: 25.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Piña, Leslie
ISBN: 9780764306310

✍️ Piña, Leslie

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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Unearth the forgotten glamor and arcane geometries of Art Deco's golden age.

Delve into the enigmatic allure of 1930s design, where the esoteric principles of Art Deco found tangible form in the exquisite creations of the Chase Brass & Copper Company. This remarkable compendium resurrects their legendary 1934 and 1935 catalogs, offering a rare glimpse into the era's aesthetic soul. Discover the meticulously described works of visionary industrial designers, complete with their original specifications, unveiling a hidden archive of stylistic evolution and providing a profound connection to a bygone epoch of elegance.

Key themes

{'title': "Deco's Esoteric Language", 'body': "Explore how this volume unveils the symbolic grammar and aesthetic principles that defined Art Deco, revealing the hidden meanings embedded within its streamlined forms and luxurious materials. It offers an initiation into the era's visual lexicon, showcasing how each line and curve contributed to a larger, coherent artistic philosophy that transcended mere utility."} {'title': 'Alchemists of Form', 'body': 'Delve into the transformative genius of pioneers like Lurelle Guild and Russel Wright, whose innovative industrial designs transcended mere utility. This collection showcases their alchemical ability to transmute base metals and common materials into objects of profound beauty and modern spirit, demonstrating an almost magical command over material and aesthetic.'} {'title': 'Echoes from the Past', 'body': 'This compilation serves as a potent portal to a bygone era, preserving the transient beauty and material spirit of 1930s design. It allows one to commune with the essence of a time when elegance and utility were harmonized through deliberate, almost ritualistic, craftsmanship, offering insights into the collective consciousness of the period.'}

In stock

🏛 Schiffer Publishing 📅 1998 📖 112 pages 📔 Paperback 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9780764306310

Fun fact

This compendium is a revelation, not merely a catalog reprint. It’s an indispensable grimoire for understanding the esoteric principles that underpinned Art Deco, unveiling the spiritual architecture of an age. While purists seeking only entirely new scholarly analysis might feel a minor void, those drawn to the deep aesthetics and hidden narratives of design will find this an invaluable tome. It resurrects a forgotten lineage of elegance and serves as a powerful reminder of design's capacity to elevate the mundane into the magical.

📝 Description: The Chase Catalogs: 1934 & 1935

The elegant yet practical chrome and brass houseware specialties created by Chase Brass & Copper Company during the 1930s are synonymous with Art Deco. Reprinted here for the first time are the company's 1934 and 1935 catalogs, issued at the height of Deco's popularity. Objects by such industrial design pioneers as Lurelle Guild, Walter Von Nessen, Russel Wright and Harry Laylon are pictured, with full descriptions, inventory information, and current price guide. Introductory comments are by Leslie Pina and Donald-Brian Johnson, co-authors of Higgins: Adventures in Glass and the forthcoming book on Chase Chrome. Their remarks focus on Chase's contribution to Art Deco style, Chase history, and the unique features of each catalog. A must have for Deco collectors, as well as all admirers of 20th century decorative arts.

⭐ Reader reviews

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⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

For seekers of hidden beauty and those fascinated by the secret currents of historical aesthetics, this volume offers a profound journey. If you yearn to decode the visual language of a pivotal era and understand the spiritual underpinnings of design, prepare for enlightenment within these pages.

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❓ Frequently asked questions

Far from it; this is a meticulously curated resurrection. While it presents the original catalog pages, it also offers invaluable commentary, transforming a historical document into a key for unlocking the deeper aesthetic principles of the Art Deco movement.

Indeed. The volume is enriched with insightful remarks from Leslie Pina and Donald-Brian Johnson, who illuminate Chase's profound contribution to Art Deco and the unique characteristics that define each catalog, providing contextual wisdom for the discerning reader.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Deco's Esoteric Language

Explore how this volume unveils the symbolic grammar and aesthetic principles that defined Art Deco, revealing the hidden meanings embedded within its streamlined forms and luxurious materials. It offers an initiation into the era's visual lexicon, showcasing how each line and curve contributed to a larger, coherent artistic philosophy that transcended mere utility.

Alchemists of Form

Delve into the transformative genius of pioneers like Lurelle Guild and Russel Wright, whose innovative industrial designs transcended mere utility. This collection showcases their alchemical ability to transmute base metals and common materials into objects of profound beauty and modern spirit, demonstrating an almost magical command over material and aesthetic.

Echoes from the Past

This compilation serves as a potent portal to a bygone era, preserving the transient beauty and material spirit of 1930s design. It allows one to commune with the essence of a time when elegance and utility were harmonized through deliberate, almost ritualistic, craftsmanship, offering insights into the collective consciousness of the period.

💬 Quotes from the book

«No. 1205: 'Zenith' Cocktail Shaker. Triple-plated chromium, Bakelite handle. A towering obelisk of liquid alchemy, designed to elevate the spirits and refine the convivial ritual.»

«No. 907: 'Comet' Table Lamp. Spun brass, frosted glass diffuser. Its celestial form evokes the cosmic energies harnessed for domestic illumination, guiding the eye with its radiant, geometric grace.»

📜 Historical context

Art Deco emerged from the crucible of post-WWI optimism, a stylistic alchemy blending cubist fragmentation with ancient Egyptian motifs and the sleek lines of the machine age. It was a conscious break from the past, forging a new aesthetic creed that celebrated progress, luxury, and geometric precision, echoing the era's desire for a fresh, modern reality and a harmonious, albeit constructed, order.

📚 Glossary

Art Deco
Industrial Design
Chase Brass & Copper Company

📔 Questions to reflect on

Reflect on how the geometric forms and material choices in Art Deco objects might have subtly influenced the collective psyche of the 1930s. What 'hidden messages' do these designs convey?
Consider an everyday object from your own life. How could its design be reimagined using Art Deco principles to imbue it with a deeper, more 'esoteric' significance or aesthetic power?
If these catalogs are portals to the past, what spiritual or aesthetic lessons do the creations of designers like Lurelle Guild offer to our contemporary understanding of beauty and utility?