#dorothy shaver

[doubledaybooks]

Elise Shaver moved to NYC with her sister, Dorothy Shaver, in the 1920s. Elise, an artist, and her sister were inspired by the success of the Kewpie Doll and crafted their own dolls out of bandage cotton and wrote stories to accompany the dolls. Dorothy sold her sister's "Little Shaver" Dolls to Lord & Taylor and eventually became the first female CEO to earn a $1 Million dollar salary.

Learn more about the sisters in WHEN WOMEN RAN FIFTH AVENUE by Julie Satow.

[abwwia]

Some of you might know I run social media channels under Art by Women - Women in Arts. Every so often while doing my research I come across Fashion HerSTORIES like this one.

Therefore I've decided to start a new series on my Fashion Account, dedicated to

Women in Fashion History = Fashion HerStory

Today I would love to share with you some informations about:

Dorothy Shaver

- the first woman in the United States to head a multimillion-dollar firm!

Dorothy Shaver (Jul 29, 1893 – Jun 29, 1959) was a well known leader of the fashion industry.

Shaver graduated from high school in 1910 at the age of 17. She then earned a teaching certificate from the University of Arkansas. Shaver returned to Mena and began teaching seventh grade. Her teaching career ended abruptly in May 1914, when the local board refused to renew the contracts of Shaver and three other single female teachers because they had attended an unchaperoned dance. (?!?)

In 1916, Shaver and her younger sister Elsie moved to Chicago. While in Chicago, Dorothy studied English literature at the University of Chicago.

(...) Shaver succeeded Walter Hoving as president of Lord & Taylor in 1945. She was given a salary of $110,000. This was the highest salary on record for an American woman at that time, and although it was noted by the author of an article in Life Magazine that the salary was only a quarter of what some "similarly placed male CEOs earned" [comparing it with Thomas J. Watson Sr., President of International Business Machines], the salary was commensurate with what Lord & Taylor paid its top male executives. Walter Hoving, her predecessor, was earning a salary after 10 years as chief executive of $127,015 in 1944.

In 1947, Life Magazine called Shaver "the No. 1 American career woman."' By that point, she was managing a $40 million business.

Shaver served as president of Lord & Taylor until her death in 1959. By the time of her death, sales at Lord & Taylor reached $100 million a year.

via Wikipedia

#DorothyShaver #FashionHerStory #historyoffashion #FashionIcon #PalianShow

[bucolicbook]

Empresses of Seventh Avenue: World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion by Nancy McDonnell 

US pub date - 8/27/24

Fashion is huge and it’s always, always around, regardless of where you are. 

Many are familiar with Dior’s New Look or his name, if little else. Or Richard Avedon.

But… 

Elizabeth Hawes?

Zelda Wynn Valdes?

Ann Lowe?

Claire McCardell? 

Marjorie Griswold? 

Dorothy Shaver?

Lois Long? 

Virginia Pope?

Eleanor Lambert?

Diane Vreeland?

Louise Dahl-Wolfe? 

Carmel Snow? 

With the exception of Diane Vreeland, these are names I was introduced to for the first time in the first chapter. Have you heard of these fashion creating women or the women who helped these fashions succeed? 

Nancy McDonnell, a fashion historian, has obviously put time into researching and bringing these women and their accomplishments into the light of the twenty-first century. 

Though I would have also liked to read more about WOC in fashion, I enjoyed this, spent a lot of time googling, and learned quite a bit. 

Recommended for anyone interested in fashion, history, 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC 

[docrotten]

PIN (1988) – Episode 253 – Decades Of Horror 1980s

“Where did you learn to do that?” Learn to do what? Oh…that. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr along with guest host Ralph Miller – as they visit another strange twist on the ventriloquist/dummy subgenre called PIN (1988).

Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 253 – PIN (1988)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! Click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Gruesome Magazine is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of Decades of Horror 1980s and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

Isolated by his strange parents, Leon finds solace in an imaginary friend, which happens to be an anatomy doll from his father-the-doctor’s office. Unfortunately, the doll begins to take over Leon’s life, and his sister’s life as well.

  Directed by: Sandor Stern

Writing Credits: Sandor Stern (screenplay); Andrew Neiderman (based on the April 1981 novel by)

Selected Cast:

David Hewlett as Leon

Cynthia Preston as Ursula (as Cyndy Preston)

Terry O’Quinn as Dr. Linden

Bronwen Mantel as Mrs. Linden

John Pyper-Ferguson as Stan Fraker (as John Ferguson)

Helene Udy as Marcia Bateman

Patricia Collins as Aunt Dorothy

Steven Bednarski as Leon – Age 13

Katie Shingler as Ursula – Age 11

Jacob Tierney as Leon – Age 7

Michelle Anderson as Ursula – Age 5

Joan Austen as Nurse Spalding

Jamie Stern as Eddie Morris (as James Stern)

David Gow as Officer Wilson

Terrence Labrosse as Dr. Bell

Aline Vandrine as Mrs. Shaver

Joanna Noyes as Mrs. Henry

Andrew Carter as Andy

Leif Anderson as Dave

Joel Johnson as Jack

Shawn Johnson as Tim

Robin MacEachern as Richie

Jonathan Banks as PIN (voice)

Beware the anatomy doll! Ralph Miller III joins Jeff, Bill, and Chad for a look back at PIN (1988) from director Sandor Stern. The cast includes David Hewlett (Scanners II: The New Order, Cube), Cynthia Preston (The Brain, Prom Night III: The Last Kiss), and Terry O’Quinn (Silver Bullet, The Stepfather, Lost). While it struggled to find an audience upon its initial release, critics praised PIN as well-made, bizarre, and disturbing. Fangoria would later feature it in its “101 Best Horror Films You’ve Never Seen.” Now, it’s time for the Grue-Crew to revisit the film and share their thoughts.

At the time of this writing, PIN is available to stream from YouTube.

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, moving into our Grue Believer Celebration Shenanigans month and chosen by guest host Scott Wells, will be The Queen of Black Magic (1981), an Indonesian horror film quoted as being an inspiration to modern-day Indonesian filmmakers such as Kimo Stamboel and Joko Anwar. You can check this one out on YouTube.

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans – so leave them a message or comment on the Gruesome Magazine Youtube channel, on the Gruesome Magazine website, or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com.

Check out this episode!

[historical-nonfiction]

After the stock market crash in 1929, American department stores had a conundrum. How could they sell fashion and stay in business in a country that was experiencing such a severe economic depression? There were various answers to that question. Some stores went high-end, trying to tempt women with the most glamorous and expensive looking clothes. Other stores went bargain basement, selling as cheap as possible. Neither approach worked very well.

In 1932 Lord and Taylor, led by Dorothy Shaver, tried something different: promoting American fashion designers as American fashion designers. Until then, French fashion was dominant, and everyone worked for French fashion houses or copied their products. But under Shaver's direction, American fashion became desirable for being American. Between 1932 and 1939, Shaver's presentations featured the practical sportswear creations of more than sixty designers. These designers espoused a new "American Look" which was made up of interchangeable separates, in simple designs, which could look good at multiple types of events.

This was revolutionary. Today, it is hard to grasp how much of a jump this was, but before the American Look, fashion was about selling women complete looks (usually a dress, perhaps with a matching jacket) which could be worn at specific types of events. It was assumed chic women would change at least twice a day, so their outfits could match their activities, and that whatever they were doing their dress would not get dirty or sweaty. The American Look did away with that.

The American lady at top is from 1935. Notice how her jacket and printed silk top are separates, able to be mixed and matched.

[pulpsandcomics2]

“Amazing Stories”  August 1946    cover by H. W. McCauley

The Sea People by Richard S. Shaver

March of the Mercury Men by Don Wilcox

The Gift by Berkeley Livingstone 

Some Are Not Men by John and Dorothy de Courcy

Bothon by Henry S. Whitehead

New Evidence for Atlantis by Vincent H. Gaddis

[planetdrivenbrands]

Episode 20: Dorothy Shaver, Global Marketing Sustainability Lead @ Unilever & Board Member @ Food for Climate League

Planet Driven Brands Podcast Dorothy Shaver. Dorothy is a global leader in plant-based, sustainable food and is absolutely committed to making as big a difference to the planet as she can. She works in the foremost with sustainability of the Knorr brand at Unilever, but is also actively involved with the Food for Climate League, the WWF partnership with  Future 5o Foods and  "World Eat for Good" day, plus the KM Zero Squad! I have no idea how she packs it all in, but if you listen in to this podcast you'll understand the reserves of energy Dorothy possesses and is using to help spread the message. It's a must listen podcast for everyone as Dorothy gives us snapshot of her journey through all of the above. She describes it as "the most delicious revolution ever"! She ends on such a positive note with a rallying call for 'varietarianism'  As she points out: "The impact is through food, and the way to make the most positive impact is to eat a wider variety of food, which is better for you, better for the planet and also can be absolutely delicious!" I love it. Count me in as an endorser!! Dorothy, like all our panellists, is passionate not just about her business brands, but about all businesses and brands and the role everyone is playing in creating a better future. Here, in Planet Driven Brands Podcast Dorothy Shaver shares her passion and experience with us. I think you'll love it and I certainly enjoyed the chat :) If you'd like to meet Dorothy digitally here is her LinkedIn profile About The Podcast The planet driven brands podcast is a library of thought leadership on brands and their responsibility to the welfare of the planet. We are about changing the world, one brand at a time. It may sound a little pretentious, but it is a real belief. We know brands have positive impacts on consumers and we want to bottle that! We will highlight brands as drivers for change and the role they play as influencers. This is a library of useful content for all to share. It's our small contribution. If you enjoyed this please do tell someone! If you'd like to subscribe please do so here: SUBSCRIBE Recruiting Thought Leaders We want to attract the best guests to come and tell us how we can harness the power of brands to help us build a better planets for all – people, animals, plants, the oceans – you get the drift! It may be a lofty aim; who knows, let’s find out. If you'd like to come on the show, I'd love to hear from you Nic is a brand consultant and has over 30 years experience with brands across agencies, consultancies and brand owners – here’s the LinkedIn profile! Here’s the RSS feed for the podcast should you wish to copy it! If you have any comments please get in touch. The same goes if you want to come and chat to us and be a star of our show Thanks for listening to the Planet Driven Brands Podcast Dorothy Shaver.

Check out this episode!

[ishtarphotography]

5 Painting with Light Images/Artists

1.HAROLD ROSS

Harold Ross is the most recognisable artists using the ‘’Painting with Light’’ technique. He has even created his own tools which you can buy on his website. He usually photographs objects that seems random at first, but they always have an interesting back story that has some value to Ross. 

2. ALLAN MENDEZ

Allan Mendez has a very similar style to Harold ross, however his composition reminds me of an old oil painting a lot - fruits, vases, objects that make the image look even more like a painting. 

3.Dorothy Ringler

Dorothy was one of Harold Ross’s students, what I really like about her work is that she photographs a lot of metallic surfaces, which is something that I would want to try when doing my work. I also love how she kept the detail in the background - the letters engraved in wood

4.Peter Zentjens

I really like the vintage, nostalgic look and feel of Peters photos, the yellowish tint to the photos is setting the right mood. Peter is also a painter, who uses watercolours so he has an additional understanding of how the light works in paintings which has an affect on his photography, giving it a very original look.  I really like the small details he captures in his images - for this one, its hair sprinkled round the old school shaver .

5.Vadims Pjatrikovs

Vadims is a still-life photographer and light painter, he has been working on different commercial and still life photography projects in London, UK, for the last 10 years. He has started of as a painter which is definitely a big bonus that  helped him develop his own light painting style. The reason I have picked this image is because I have never seen anybody capturing fire when light painting, it looks very interesting and adds to the composition.

[doubledaybooks]

Vintage Lord & Taylor ads that introduced shoppers to American designers. Most stores were taking inspiration from Paris, but Dorothy Shaver put American designers at the center of the store during WWII.

Learn more about the glamorous history of deparmant stores in WHEN WOMEN RAN FIFTH AVENUE by Julie Satow.

[abwwia]

Dorothy Shaver (Jul 29, 1893 – Jun 29, 1959) was a well known leader of the fashion industry.

Shaver graduated from high school in 1910 at the age of 17. She then earned a teaching certificate from the University of Arkansas. Shaver returned to Mena and began teaching seventh grade. Her teaching career ended abruptly in May 1914, when the local board refused to renew the contracts of Shaver and three other single female teachers because they had attended an unchaperoned dance. (?!?)

....

Shaver served as president of Lord & Taylor until her death in 1959. By the time of her death, sales at Lord & Taylor reached $100 million a year. via Wikipedia

#DorothyShaver #FashionHerStory #historyoffashion #FashionIcon #PalianShow

[bespokehandengravedstationery]

#1 of 6 EARLY-APRIL SERIES. Photograph by Horst P. Horst, a fashion magazine advertisement art directed by Jeff McKay for Donald Brooks, as seen in jeffmckay.us, the website that I designed. "...Mr. Brooks emerged as American designers began to develop their own style during and after World War II, introducing more casual sportswear while stepping out of the backrooms of garment manufacturing to become fashion personalities with their own labels. Mr. Brooks was hand-picked by the influential Lord & Taylor president Dorothy Shaver to design a collection for the store in the 1950's. … …He was more interested in theater than anything else," said John Fairchild, the retired publisher of Women's Wear Daily. "He was one of the early American designers who did clothes for the theater and movies, and that was where his niche was. He was atypical of Seventh Avenue." —Excerpted from Donald Brooks, 77, Designer of Stage and Screen Fashions, Dies by Eric Wilson, The New York Times, August 3, 2005. . . . @horstphorst #horstphorst #fashionphotographer #americancouture #couture #vintage #vintagecouture #fashion #vintagecouture #vintagefashion #fashionhistory #lizaminnelli #leeremick #diahanncarroll #carolburnett #julieandrews #hollywoodcostume #hollywoodglamour #hollywoodcostumes #hollywoodinbrisbane #costume #collector #style #filmcostume #fashioninfilm #gay #glamour #donaldbrooks https://www.instagram.com/p/B-7B5grp1Q6/?igshid=1dbsqm7tok1v1

[talhaghafoor2019-blog]

Jim Bailey column: Music, music, music — and you could understand the lyrics

Probably the first popular song I can remember was recorded in the late 1940s by an artist named Art Mooney:

I’m looking over a four-leaf clover

That I overlooked before.

It was a simple song by today’s standards. No hidden meanings. Few moral or political allusions. No rock, heavy metal, reggae, rap or disco sounds. But you could understand the words.

That was the tail end of the crooning era. Most of the artists had a soft, sweet sound, a mellow voice or a catchy lilt. And big bands were in vogue.

Teresa Brewer’s big hit was typical:

Put another nickel in,

In the nickelodeon,

All I want is lovin’ you

And music, music, music.

Radio and television in those days aired the top few songs every week on "Your Hit Parade," featuring Frank Sinatra, Eileen Wilson, Snooky Lanson, Russell Arms, Dorothy Collins and Gisele Mackenzie.

Some of the top songs of the late 1940s and early ‘50s included “Goodnight Irene” by Gordon Jenkins and the Weavers, “Cruising Down the River” by Blue Barron, “Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy” by Red Foley, “Buttons and Bows” by Dinah Shore, “Mister and Mississippi” by Patti Page and others, and “Sentimental Me” by the Ames Brothers.

Les Paul and Mary Ford ushered in multiple-track recording as they doubled down on tunes such as “Tennessee Waltz,” “How High the Moon” and “Mockin’ Bird Hill.”

Western swing caught on with Vaughn Monroe’s “Riders in the Sky.” Then came “Mule Train,” seemingly recorded by every artist in the business. The Weavers, who already had teamed with Gordon Jenkins on “Goodnight Irene” and “Tzena, Tzena, Tzena,” climbed to the top with “On Top of Old Smokey.” Monroe came back with “Bamboo,” a number predicted to overshadow even “Mule Train.” It didn’t.

Crooners were in their element. Bing Crosby had “Galway Bay,” “Dear Hearts” and “Gentle People and Faraway Places.” Perry Como had “Hoop-De-Doo.” Nat King Cole was king with songs such as “Mona Lisa” and “Too Young.”

Then there was the big band sound: “Harbor Lights” and “Room Full of Roses” by Sammy Kaye, “The Hucklebuck” by Tommy Dorsey and Charlie Shavers, and “My Truly, Truly Fair” by Guy Mitchell and Mitch Miller.

Some got gimmicky: “If I Knew You Were Coming I’d Have Baked a Cake” by Eileen Barton; “The Thing” by Phil Harris (I discovered a bump-bump-bump right before my eyes); “Aba Daba Honeymoon” by Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter; Rosemary Clooney’s accented “Come On-a My House;” the Ames Brothers’ “R-A-G-G M-O-P-P Rag Mop!” and of course Spike Jones’ classic spoof on horse racing to the tune of The William Tell Overture.

The advent of rock and roll and later musical evolvements would change popular music. But the era when you could actually tell what the artists were singing lives on in history.

Jim Bailey’s reflections on Anderson’s past appear on Sunday. His regular column appears on Thursday. He can be reached by email at jameshenrybailey@earthlink.net.

[ztafraternity]

Four ZTA sisters who were ahead of their time

This article was originally published in the Winter 2019 issue of Themis magazine.

By Patti Cords Levitte, Archivist (@ztamsu), and 
Susan L. Beard, Archives Committee Chairman (@samfordzta)

Zetas today take great pride in being progressive, but that’s not a new trend. Throughout our history, many women have made ZTA proud by being ahead of their time and forging new paths with their ideas and in their careers. These four Zetas are no exception.

Pictured: Founder Ruby Leigh Orgain served as the Clerk of Dinwiddie County (Virginia) at a time when it was uncommon for women to hold political office.

We cannot mention women ahead of their time without giving credit to Founder Ruby Leigh Orgain, who stepped out of the very defined social role women had in the South in the early part of the 20th century. When her husband, Albert M. Orgain II, passed away in 1928, Ruby was left with three young children and no job. Albert had been elected as the Clerk of Dinwiddie County, an office he and his father before him held continuously since the end of the Civil War in 1865. Although it was uncommon for women to hold political office in Virginia at the time, Ruby was selected to fill his unexpired term just eight years after women won the right to vote.

Ruby, who went on to be re-elected several times, served in that office for a total of 17 years. She loved her government work, even though it was something she had never planned on doing, and enjoyed defying people’s expectations. Ruby was always the rebel of the Founders!

Pictured: Dorothy Shaver worked her way up to the role of president of Lord & Taylor Department Stores.

Another Zeta who defied expectations was Dorothy Shaver (Epsilon Chapter, University of Arkansas), one of the earliest female fashion executives in the United States. She began her career with Lord & Taylor Department Stores in 1921 after moving to New York City to pursue a career in design and eventually made her way up through the ranks until she became president in 1945.

Dorothy promoted the “American look” throughout the 1930s, urging women to buy American products and look to U.S. designers for trends rather than Parisian designers. She was instrumental in encouraging the growth of the U.S. fashion and textile industries, which was beneficial when the U.S. entered World War II in 1941 and lines to European designers were cut off for years. During the war, Dorothy served as a consultant to the U.S. Armed Forces and designed uniforms for the Army branches.

Dorothy was also one of the first female executives to empower her female workforce, encouraging them to have children and then return to work. In 1937, while at Lord & Taylor, she said: 

Far from penalizing women…we hold their jobs for them until they are ready to come back…we can trust them to handle their lives with sufficient skill so that both their homes and their jobs are protected. 

This was an extremely progressive viewpoint at a time when getting pregnant usually meant the end to a woman’s career. According to “Life” magazine, she was the highest-paid female executive when she was president of Lord & Taylor. She remained in that position and continued to support the balance of career and family for women until her death in 1959.

Pictured: Geraldine Townsend Fitch was a big proponent of closing cultural gaps with education.

There was another Zeta in our history who broke the mold by working for a more globally-connected world and promoting the idea of cultural exchange. Geraldine Townsend Fitch (Beta Tau Chapter, Albion College) was an educator and YMCA worker in the Far East. She wanted American women to interact with the Far East rather than just view it as a collection of “exotic cultures.”

After marrying George Fitch in 1924, Geraldine became an advocate for Korean independence from Japan. She and her husband were close to Chinese President Chiang Kai-Shek and his wife Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. In fact, the Fitches were the first foreigners to host them after their wedding in 1927.

This relationship led to Geraldine working with ZTA’s National Council in 1944 to develop a program to fund scholarships for promising Chinese women at Ginling Women’s College in Nanjing. This was a way to bring American educational concepts to Chinese colleges. Geraldine also hoped to create an exchange program between Ginling College and colleges with ZTA chapters so our Fraternity could play a bigger part in bridging the East-West culture gap. Unfortunately, our continued work with Ginling College came to an end when the communist revolution began in China in 1946 and President and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek went into exile. Geraldine did, however, open our eyes to how cultural differences could be better understood through education.

Pictured: Margaret Brewer was the first female general in the Marine Corps.

Another groundbreaker was Margaret Brewer (Alpha Gamma Chapter, University of Michigan), who became the first female general in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1978. Beginning in 1952, Margaret served in various roles in the Marine Corps and rose through the ranks. By 1977, she was the Director of Women Marines.

Her promotion to general came when the Marine Corps decided to integrate women completely into their branch rather than having a separate section within the Corps for females. Because there was no precedence for promoting a woman to the level of general, President Jimmy Carter had to submit her nomination to both Houses of Congress, which approved her appointment in 1978. Margaret went on to win the Legion of Merit from the Marine Corps twice, and she was honored as ZTA’s Outstanding Alumna in 1984. Her ability to thrive in a field that wasn’t entirely welcoming to women made her a Zeta who changed the rules and paved the way for other women.

These women should serve as inspiration for all Zetas to challenge themselves and their circumstances so they can make a positive difference in the world.

[cooperhewitt]

Beautiful Objects for General Consumption: The New York Department Store and Modern Design in the 1920s

In the 1920s, the New York department store was an early promoter and exhibitor of European modernism and a distiller of these new styles for the American consumer. Good Furniture magazine reported in 1928 that “Lord and Taylor has taken a very definite step forward toward the actual placing of modern furniture in American homes.”[1] R.H. Macy & Company, Lord & Taylor, and B. Altman not only exhibited European objects, but also founded their own departments of modern designing to make affordable pieces on site and many took their cue in form and decoration from European models.

In 1928, Dorothy Shaver, Lord & Taylor’s Director of Fashion and Decoration, worked with the architect Ely Jacques Kahn to design an “Exposition of Modern French Decorative Art” to test American taste and buying power for modernism. As the New York Times reported, “The aim of the exposition, according to Samuel W. Reyburn, president of Lord & Taylor, is to determine the reaction of the American public to modern art in all its developments and to ascertain whether there is sufficient interest here to justify activity on the part of American artists, manufacturers, and merchants in the production and presentation of such merchandise as a business venture.”[2] Attendance numbers indicated enthusiasm: from February 23 to April 7, 1928, more than three hundred thousand people attended.

The department store borrowed a period room display strategy (staging objects from a similar time period in one setting, simulating a living environment) from this display practice commonly found in museums. Visitors were invited to wind their way through a series of French groupings separated by room type. For instance, Pierre Chareau designed a study outfitted with furniture in sleek geometries (below).

Photograph, View of Pierre Chareau study at Lord & Taylor, 1928; Photographed by Sigurd Fischer; Retrieved from the Library of Congress, http://ift.tt/2rsNgFy

The exhibition showcased the work of leading French modernists, who in addition to Chareau included Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, Jean Dunand, Süe et Mare, and François Jourdain.[3] By curating coordinated room settings, the department store provided guidance on how to create ensembles of new objects. One review pointed out the transporting effect that the Lord & Taylor’s rooms triggered: “One notes the women putting themselves in the midst of these rooms and wondering if they could live in them.”[4]

Photograph, View of Süe et Mare’s “corner of a living room” at Lord & Taylor, 1928; Photographed by Sigurd Fischer; Retrieved from the Library of Congress, http://ift.tt/2rsTvct

The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s includes a great range of objects by these French craftsmen, linked above, that are representative of their signature styles that were exhibited with great acclaim at this important Lord & Taylor exhibition. Also included at the department store were five room settings with American adaptations, designed by Lord and Taylor and executed there. In the exposition catalogue Shaver expressed her hope that American designers could be prompted by the displays “to make their own contribution to this movement” and learn from the French designers to “make for a closer alignment of the artist and manufacturer in the production of beautiful objects for general consumption.”[5] By April of 1929, Lord & Taylor had opened “The Modern Shop,” an in-house cabinetmaking shop to cater to public interest for affordable modern design. A recently engaged, modern-minded American customer Marie-Louise Montgomery ordered a vanity table and bench to be made at Lord & Taylor from a sketch she brought to the store. The realized design is currently on view in The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s.

Dressing Table And Bench, ca. 1929; After Léon Jallot (French, 1874–1967); Retailed by Lord & Taylor (New York, New York, USA); lacquered joined wood, mirrored glass, metal; H x W x D (a: dressing table): 79.3 x 105.4 x 60.3 cm (31 1/4 x 41 1/2 x 23 3/4 in.) H x W x D (b: bench): 49.5 x 54.8 x 31.5 cm (19 1/2 x 21 9/16 x 12 3/8 in.); Gift of James M. Osborn; 1969-97-7-a/i

Marie-Louise’s concept for the vanity was directly drawn from a dressing table and bench exhibited by the French designer Leon Jallot at the 1928 Salon des Artistes Decorateurs.

Dressing Table, 1925–35; Leon Jallot (French, 1874–1967); Photograph by Therese Bonney (American, 1894–1978); 20.5 x 25.5 cm.; Collection of Smithsonian Institution Libraries

With two pedestal legs in the shape of inverted triangles and drawers that graduate in width from the widest at the top to the narrowest at the bottom, Jallot’s model is nearly identical in outline to the one that Marie-Louise owned and used. This table’s strict geometries and angularity align it with the formal characteristics of Cubism. While the Jallot model was finished in expensive sharkskin, the Osborns’ table was in lacquer that made it an affordable but still dramatic statement in the interior. This dressing table and bench, along with a Tea and Coffee Service by Puiforcat, the Tourbillons Vase by Suzanne and René Lalique, and an elegant green evening dress with radiating geometries are a few of the many modern objects on view in the exhibition that were made available to American consumers through New York department stores in the late 1920s.

Emily Orr is the Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary American Design and served on the curatorial team for the exhibition The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s, on view at Cooper Hewitt through August 20, 2017.

[1] N.C. Sanford, “American-Made Furniture in the Modern Trend,” Good Furniture, June 1928, 287.

[2] “Shows French Art to Test Its Value” New York Times, February 29, 1928.

[3] “Lord & Taylor advertisement,” New York Times, April 6, 1928.

[4] Lewis Mumford, “Modernist Furniture” The New Republic, March 21, 1928.

[5] An Exposition of Modern French Decorative Art exh. cat. (New York: Lord & Taylor, 1928), 8.

from Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum http://ift.tt/2rtcfbS via IFTTT

[fashionbooksmilano]

American Ingenuity

Sportswear, 1930s–1970s

Richard Martin

Metropolitan Museum of Art ,New York 1998, paperback ,96 pages, out of print

euro 90,00*

email if you want to buy :booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

Beginning in the early 1930s, American designer sportswear came into its own, later becoming a major force in fashion that continued into the 1990s to influence the way women dress. Designers such as Bonnie Cashin, Tina Leser, Vera Maxwell, Claire McCardell, Clare Potter, and Emily Wilkens initiated a new standard of dressing, one that is right for the lifestyle of the modern woman and that is purely American in its practicality, simplicity, and democratic elements. This was clothing for comfort and versatility that rationally answered the needs of women and was created mostly by women. In 1932, a legendary retailer at Lord & Taylor, Dorothy Shaver, presented a series of showings in the store of new American sportswear trends, for the first time bringing the designers together and specifically naming them. The new sensibility was toward freedom of movement and freedom of choice, and the clothing included mix-and-match ensembles, playsuits, pants, and a variety of activewear. This was the start of the particular branch of fashion history that is presented in American Ingenuity.

The body of this book is divided into five sections, which provide a view of the individual fashions along with discussions of the characteristics and techniques of a number of the innovators of American sportswear. "Wrapping and Tying" features clothes that exemplify the creation of outfits that adjust to the individual wearer, such as Claire McCardell's cottons that make use of tying at both waist and neck and her washable cotton bathing suits that give both comfort and convenience. "Latching," which stresses easy and independent fastening, includes Bonnie Cashin's use of snaps and luggage fasteners. Chapter three is about "Stowing," and here we see big pockets, conspicuous on purpose, which are intended to free women from carrying purses. "Harmonizing" is next and presents mix-and-match separates that allow women to create their own "new look," one that is very different from that of Dior. The last chapter is "Adapting" and is about elements taken from menswear and carefree activewear. Following is a group of twenty-three Profiles of Designers that bring together information about the major practitioners of American sportswear from the 1930s to the 1970s.

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[bellabooks]

Not watching the Inauguration? Here are 8 things to do instead

Photo by Lindsay Shaver On Friday, January 20th, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Yeah, it’s nearly here. Let that sink in for a moment. The Trump campaign has had some serious issues getting big time entertainers and celebs to attend and perform, and there have been an unprecedented amount of elected officials who are opting not to attend. The same can be said for many Americans, who have been vowing not to watch the Inauguration. So what can you do when the world’s eyes are turned to the most controversial Inauguration in modern history, but your eyes won’t be? Here are eight ideas for what you can do instead of tuning in. Support your local women’s shelter by volunteering. Every major city and many smaller ones have shelters that are specifically for women and their children. Give your time and energy to them instead of the inauguration. Go see Hidden Figures. Hidden Figures is the true story of three remarkable and brilliant women, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, who were instrumental in engineering NASA flight missions. The discrimination and lack of credit the women received because of their race and gender is finally being illuminated in this film, and it’s a must see. Considering the amount of racist rhetoric that has been dominating so much of this election, it’s also vital that we support the people and ideals that matter.   Make signs for the Women’s March on the 21st. Grab some glitter, a couple of poster boards, sharpies and go to town. You’ll be hard pressed not to find a friend, coworker or family member attending one of the nearly 400 marches across the globe. If you can’t attend yourself, help them shout from the rooftops with an epic sign. I’ll be at the Charlotte march, hope to see you there. Binge watch lady and queer centric shows on Netflix. Orange is the New Black, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The L Word, Scandal, anything your heart desires. It also shows Netflix that people are very much watching female, queer and trans fronted shows. Have a Meryl Marathon. Watch Meryl Streep movies all day. Suggestions: Start with Postcards from the Edge, then Silkwood, the Devil Wears Prada, and what the heck, a little Mama Mia to close it out. via Giphy   Call your elected officials and tell them you need them to uphold the rights of minorities, women and the LGBTQ community. Flood their voicemails. Contact your Senators here, and your Congress Representatives here. Spend time reading and supporting queer media like Autostraddle, Curve Magazine, Elixher, Bella Books and more. It’s not easy out there in Queer Media Land, and independent sites need your eyeballs more than ever. There is bound to be some excellent coverage of the new administration as well as the marches and protests happening on many of these sites, so now’s the time to bookmark and visit these sites on the daily. Turning on your TV to anything but the Inauguration. Like, seriously, anything. Even Antiques Roadshow. Actually, especially Antiques Roadshow. Wouldn’t it be something if AR scored better ratings that day?   What do you plan to do on  Inauguration day? http://dlvr.it/N7Z2Wl