New York Art Deco: A Guide to Gotham’s Jazz Age Architecture

Description

Of all the world's great cities, perhaps none is so defined by its Art Deco architecture as New York. Lively and informative, New York Art Deco leads readers step-by-step past the monuments of the 1920s and 30s that recast New York as the world's modern metropolis. Anthony W. Robins, New York's best-known Art Deco guide, includes an introductory essay describing the Art Deco phenomenon, followed by eleven walking tour itineraries in Manhattan each accompanied by a map designed by legendary New York cartographer John Tauranac and a survey of Deco sites across the four other boroughs. Also included is a photo gallery of sixteen color plates by nationally acclaimed Art Deco photographer Randy Juster. In New York Art Deco, Robins has distilled thirty years' worth of experience into a guidebook for all to enjoy at their own pace. Contents......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 New York in the Jazz Age......Page 14 The Skyscraper Architects......Page 15 The Art Deco Look......Page 16 The Art of Advertising......Page 18 Filtering Out and Down Across the Metropolis......Page 19 The Fall and Rise of Art Deco......Page 20 A Note on the Itineraries......Page 22 Itinerary No. 1 From Bowling Green to Wall Street......Page 24 MAP 1......Page 25 1.1b. 21 West Street Starrett & Van Vleck, 1929–31......Page 26 1.2. (NR HD) 29 Broadway Sloan & Robertson, 1929–31; Broadway addition, Boak & Raad, 1962–64......Page 28 1.3. Irving Trust Company (later Bank of New York, currently being converted to residential use), One Wall Street Ralph Walker, 1929–31......Page 30 1.4. Bankers Trust, 14 Wall Street Nassau Street extension: Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, 1931–33......Page 32 1.6. Cities Service Building, 70 Pine Street (formerly 60 Wall Tower) (Plate 1) Clinton & Russell, Holton & George, 1930–32......Page 33 1.7. 116 John Street Louis Allen Abramson, 1930–31......Page 35 1.8. 111 John Street Buchman & Kahn, 1928–29......Page 37 1.9. Insurance Company of North America Building (later American International Company), 99 John Street Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, 1932–33......Page 38 1.11. Insurance Center Building, 80 John Street Buchman & Kahn, 1925–26......Page 39 Itinerary No. 2 Civic Center and TriBeCa......Page 42 MAP 2......Page 43 2.1 American Stock Exchange, 86 Trinity Place Starrett & Van Vleck, original building 1921, expansion to Trinity Place 1929–31.......Page 44 2.2 East River Savings Bank (now Century 21), 22 Cortlandt Street Walker & Gillette, 1934......Page 45 2.3 (NR) Federal Post Office, 90 Church Street Cross & Cross, with Pennington, Lewis and Mills; Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect of the Treasury; 1933–37; top six floors added 1938......Page 46 2.4 New York Telephone Company (Barclay-Vesey Building, undergoing conversion to residential use), 140 West Street (Plate 2) Ralph Walker of McKenzie, Voorhees & Gmelin, 1923–27......Page 47 2.5 Bertrand Building, 157 Chambers Street (now Artisan Lofts, 143 Reade Street) Victor Mayper, 1931......Page 49 2.6 Western Union Building, 60 Hudson Street Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker, 1928-30......Page 50 2.7 New York State Building, 80 Centre Street Sullivan W. Jones and William E. Haugaard, 1928–30.......Page 52 2.8 Health, Hospitals and Sanitation Building, 125 Worth Street (Plate 3) Charles B. Meyers, 1933–35; ornamental metalwork by Oscar Bach......Page 53 2.9 Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, 100 Centre Street Harvey Wiley Corbett and Charles B. Meyers, 1940–41......Page 55 2.10 Long Lines Building, 32 Sixth Avenue Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker, 1930–32 (expansion of original of 1911–14 and 1914–16)......Page 56 Itinerary No. 3 From Murray Hill to Gramercy Park......Page 58 MAP 3......Page 59 3.1 (HD) New York Towne House, 108 East 38th Street Bowden & Russell, with Emery Roth associate architect, 1929–30......Page 60 3.2 (NR HD) Hotel Ten Park Avenue, 10 Park Avenue Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray, 1929–31......Page 61 3.3 Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue (introduction, continued in 3.6) Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, 1929-31......Page 63 3.4 Two Park Avenue Building (Plate 4) Buchman & Kahn, 1926–28......Page 64 3.5 Madison-Belmont Building (with the Cheney Brothers showroom), 181 Madison Avenue Building: Warren & Wetmore, 1924–25; Cheney Brothers storefront: Edgar Brandt of Ferrobrandt, 1925......Page 66 3.6 Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue (continued from 3.3) Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, 1929–31......Page 67 3.7 (HD) 261 Fifth Avenue Buchman & Kahn, 1928–29......Page 68 3.8 Metropolitan Life North Tower, 11 Madison Avenue Corbett & Waid, 1931–33......Page 69 3.9 Gramercy Arms, 102 East 22nd Street Sugarman & Berger, 1928......Page 70 3.10 New York Family Court Building (now Baruch College), 11 Lexington Avenue Charles B. Meyers, 1937–1939; aluminum reliefs by Harry Poole Camden......Page 71 3.11 Gramercy House, 235 East 22nd Street George & Edward Blum, 1930......Page 72 Itinerary No. 4 The Garment District......Page 74 4.1 (NR HD) Bricken Textile Building, 1441 Broadway Buchman & Kahn, 1929–30......Page 75 4.2 (NR HD) Continental Building, 1450 Broadway Ely Jacques Kahn, 1930–31......Page 77 4.3b (NR HD) 1400 Broadway Buchman & Kahn, 1930–31......Page 78 4.4 (NR HD) Navarre Building, 512 Seventh Avenue Sugarman & Berger, 1928–30......Page 79 4.5b (NR HD) 491–495 Seventh Avenue George & Edward Blum, 1925–26......Page 81 4.6 (NR) Herogel Building, 315–325 West 36th Street George & Edward Blum, 1925–26......Page 82 4.7 (NR HD) Bickford’s, 488 Eighth Avenue Stuckert & Company, 1929......Page 84 4.8 (NR HD) Hotel New Yorker, 481 Eighth Avenue Sugarman & Berger, 1928–29......Page 85 4.10 (NR HD) Nelson Tower, 450 Seventh Avenue H. Craig Severance, 1929–30......Page 86 Itinerary No. 5 Forty-Second Street East to West......Page 88 MAP 5......Page 89 5.1 Daily News Building, 220 East 42nd Street John Mead Howells, Raymond Hood, 1929–30......Page 90 5.2 Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, 304 East 44th Street Dennison & Hirons, 1928......Page 92 5.3 Beaux-Arts Apartments, 307 and 310 East 44th Street Kenneth Murchison and Raymond Hood, 1929–30......Page 93 5.4 Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue (Plate 5) William Van Alen, 1928–30......Page 94 5.5 Chanin Building, 122 East 42nd Street (Plate 6) Sloan & Robertson, 1927–29......Page 97 5.6 275 Madison Avenue Kenneth Franzheim, 1930–31......Page 98 5.7 American Radiator Building (later American Standard Building, now Bryant Park Hotel), 40 West 40th Street Raymond Hood, 1923–24......Page 100 5.8 McGraw-Hill Building, 330 West 42nd Street (introduction, continued in 5.12) Raymond Hood, Godley & Fouilhoux, 1930–31......Page 102 5.9 Paramount Building, 1501 Broadway Rapp & Rapp, 1926–27......Page 103 5.10 State Bank Building, 681 Eighth Avenue Dennison & Hirons, 1927–28......Page 104 5.11 Film Center Building, 630 Ninth Avenue (Plate 7) Ely Jacques Kahn of Buchman & Kahn, 1928–29......Page 105 5.12 McGraw-Hill Building, 330 West 42nd Street (continued from 5.8) Raymond Hood, Godley & Fouilhoux, 1930–31......Page 107 6.1a Panhellenic House (now Silver Suites Residences at Beekman Tower), 3 Mitchell Place John Mead Howells, 1927–28......Page 110 MAP 6......Page 111 6.1b 2 Beekman Place Rosario Candela, 1931......Page 113 6.2 Southgate, 433 East 51st Street and 400, 414, 424, and 434 East 52nd Street Emery Roth, 1928–1930......Page 114 6.3 River House, 435 East 52nd Street Bottomley, Wagner & White, 1930–31......Page 115 6.4 RCA Building (later General Electric/GE Building), 570 Lexington Avenue (introduction, continued in 6.6) (Plate 8) Cross & Cross, 1929–31......Page 116 6.5 Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, 301 Park Avenue (introduction, continued in 6.7) Schultze & Weaver—Lloyd Morgan, partner in charge—1929–31......Page 117 6.6 RCA Building (later General Electric/GE Building), 570 Lexington Avenue (continued from 6.4) Cross & Cross, 1929–31......Page 118 6.7 Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, 301 Park (continued from 6.5) Schultze & Weaver—Lloyd Morgan, partner in charge—1929–31......Page 120 6.9 Goelet Building (now Swiss Center Building), 608 Fifth Avenue (Plate 9) Victor L.S. Hafner and Edward Hall Faile, 1930–32......Page 123 6.10 Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue, West 48th to West 51st Streets The Associated Architects, 1932 ff.......Page 125 6.11 Central IND Substation, 126 West 53rd Street Squire J. Vickers, 1932......Page 130 6.12 The Brill Building, 1619 Broadway Victor A. Bark, Jr., 1930–31......Page 131 7.1 Bloomingdale’s, 743–765 Lexington Avenue (officially 1000 Third Avenue) Lexington Avenue extension Starrett & Van Vleck, 1930–32......Page 134 MAP 7......Page 135 7.2 Fuller Building, 41 East 57th Street (Plate 10) Walker & Gillette, 1928–29......Page 137 7.3 Squibb Building, 745 Fifth Avenue Ely Jacques Kahn, 1929–1930......Page 138 7.4 Barbizon Plaza, 106 Central Park South Murgatroyd & Ogden, 1928–1930......Page 140 7.5 Hampshire House, 150 Central Park South Caughey & Evans, 1931 and 1937......Page 141 7.6 Essex House, 160 Central Park South Frank Grad, 1929......Page 143 7.7 Hearst Magazine Building, 300 West 57th Street Joseph Urban and George B. Post & Sons, 1927–28; sculpture, Henry Kreis......Page 144 7.8 Twentieth Century Fox Building (now High School for Environmental Studies), 444 West 56th Street (Plate 11) Joseph J. Furman, 1929–30......Page 146 7.9 Kent Automatic Parking Garage or Kent Columbus Garage (now Sofia Apartments), 45 Columbus Avenue Jardine, Hill & Murdock, 1929–30......Page 147 Color Plates Photographs by Randy Juster......Page 150 Itinerary No. 8 Upper West Side: Central Park West......Page 166 MAP 8......Page 167 8.1 (HD) Century Apartments, 25 Central Park West Irwin S. Chanin, with Jacques Delamarre, 1931......Page 168 8.2 (HD) 55 Central Park West Schwartz & Gross, 1930......Page 171 8.3 (HD) Majestic Apartments, 115 Central Park West Irwin S. Chanin, 1930–31......Page 173 8.4 (HD) 10 West 74th Street H. Herbert Lilien, 1940......Page 175 8.5 (HD) 241 Central Park West Schwartz & Gross, 1930–31......Page 176 8.6 (HD) 5 West 86th Street Boak & Paris, 1937......Page 177 8.8 (HD) 40 West 86th Street Jacob M. Felson, 1930–31......Page 178 8.9 (HD) Eldorado Apartments, 300 Central Park West (Plate 12) Margon & Holder and Emery Roth, 1929–31......Page 179 8.10 (HD) Ardsley Apartments, 320 Central Park West Emery Roth, 1930–31......Page 181 8.11 (HD) 336 Central Park West Schwartz & Gross, 1928–29......Page 182 9.1 (HD) Broadway Fashion Building, 2315 Broadway Sugarman & Berger, 1930–31......Page 184 MAP 9......Page 185 9.2 (HD)Normandy Apartments, 140 Riverside Drive Emery Roth & Sons, 1938–39......Page 186 9.3 (HD) 565 West End Avenue Hyman I. Feldman, 1937......Page 188 9.4 (HD) New Amsterdam Apartments, 200 West 86th Street Schwartz & Gross, 1930......Page 189 9.5 (HD) 57 West 86th Street Fellheimer & Wagner, 1929......Page 190 9.6 Joan of Arc Junior High School, 154 West 93rd Street Eric Kebbon, 1939–40......Page 191 9.8 180 West 93rd Street and 175 West 92nd Street Horace Ginsbern, 1940......Page 192 9.9 Midtown Theater (now Metro Theater), 2624 Broadway Boak & Paris, 1932–33......Page 193 9.10 Former Horn & Hardart, 2710 Broadway F. P. Platt & Brother, 1930.......Page 194 9.11 315 Riverside Drive Boak & Paris, 1930–31......Page 195 9.12 Master Building (formerly Master Institute of United Arts), 310 Riverside Drive Harvey Wiley Corbett of Helmle, Corbett & Harrison, with Sugarman & Berger, associated architects, 1928–29......Page 196 Itinerary No. 10 Upper East Side......Page 198 MAP 10......Page 199 10.1 (HD) 3 East 84th Street Raymond Hood and John Mead Howells, 1927–28......Page 200 10.2 (NR) Lionello and Carolyn Perera Residence, 49 East 80th Street Harry Allen Jacobs, 1929–30......Page 201 10.3 (HD) Hotel Carlyle, 35 East 76th Street Bien & Prince, 1930......Page 202 10.4 (HD) 895 Park Avenue Sloan & Robertson, 1929–30......Page 204 10.5 240 East 79th Street Godwin, Thompson & Patterson, 1929......Page 205 10.7 (NR) 210 East 68th Street George & Edward Blum, 1928......Page 206 10.8 (HD) The Lowell, 28 East 63rd Street Henry S. Churchill, with associate Herbert Lippman, 1926; mosaic by C. Bertram Hartman......Page 208 Itinerary No. 11 Washington Heights......Page 210 MAP 11......Page 211 11.1 IND (Independent line) subway exit, 181st Street station on the A train; Fort Washington Avenue at West 184th Street Squire J. Vickers, 1932......Page 212 11.2 499 Fort Washington Avenue Jacob M. Felson, 1936......Page 213 11.3 (NR) Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist (now Hebrew Tabernacle of Washington Heights), 551 Fort Washington Avenue Cherry & Matz, 1932......Page 214 11.5 810–816 W 187th Street George Meisner, 1929......Page 216 11.6 250 Cabrini Boulevard Boak & Paris, 1936......Page 217 11.7 Chittenden Avenue, from West 187th to 186th Street......Page 218 11.9 205 Pinehurst Avenue Charles E. Greenberg, 1947......Page 219 11.11 265 Cabrini Boulevard Miller & Goldhammer, 1936......Page 220 11.13 680 Fort Washington Avenue Jacob M. Felson, 1941......Page 221 11.14b High View Apartments, 700 Fort Washington Avenue H. Herbert Lilien, 1944......Page 222 11.15 Fort Tryon Gardens, 720–730 Fort Washington Avenue Jacob M. Felson, 1938–39......Page 223 Itinerary No. 12 The Bronx......Page 224 12.1 Bronx Post Office, 560 Grand Concourse (at East 149th Street) Thomas Harlan Ellett, 1935–37......Page 225 12.2 Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse (at West 161st Street) Hausle & Freedlander, 1931–35......Page 226 12.3 (HD) 888 Grand Concourse Apartments (at East 161st Street) (Plate 13) Emery Roth, 1937......Page 228 12.4 Park Plaza Apartments, 1005 Jerome Avenue (at East 164th Street) (Plate 14) Horace Ginsbern & Associates, Marvin Fine designer, 1929–31......Page 229 12.5 1001 Jerome Avenue (at East 164th Street) Sugarman & Berger, 1937......Page 230 12.6 Noonan Plaza Apartments, 105–149 West 168th Street (at Nelson and Ogden Avenues) Horace Ginsbern & Associates, Marvin Fine designer, 1931......Page 231 12.7 (HD) 1150 Grand Concourse (at McClellan Street) (Plate 15) Horace Ginsbern, 1936–37......Page 232 12.9 (NR HD) 1500 Grand Concourse (at East 172nd Street) Jacob M. Felson, 1935......Page 233 12.10 Wagner Building, 2488 Grand Concourse (at Fordham Road) Nathan Rotholz, 1931–32, 1936......Page 234 12.11 Dollar Savings Bank (later Apple Bank), 2530 Grand Concourse (at Fordham Road) Adolf L. Muller of Halsey, McCormack & Helmer, 1932–33, 1937–38, 1949–52......Page 235 12.12 Paul J. Rainey Memorial Gates, Bronx Zoo (on East Fordham Road in Bronx Park) (Plate 16) Charles A. Platt, architect, Paul Manship, sculptor, 1929–34......Page 236 12.13 Herman Ridder Junior High School (Public School 98), 1619 Boston Road (at East 173rd Street) Walter C. Martin, Superintendent of School Buildings for the New York City Board of Education, 1929–31......Page 238 12.14 Crotona Park Play Center, Crotona Park (Fulton Avenue between East 172nd and 174th Streets) Aymar Embury II, consulting architect; Gilmore D. Clarke and others, landscape architects; 1934–36......Page 239 12.15 Orchard Beach Bathhouse, Pelham Bay Park Aymar Embury II, consulting architect; Gilmore D. Clarke and Michael Rapuano, consulting landscape architects; 1934–37......Page 240 Itinerary No. 13 Brooklyn......Page 242 13.1 National Title Guaranty Company Building, 185 Montague Street (at Clinton Street) Corbett, Harrison & MacMurray, 1929–30......Page 243 13.2 Long Island Headquarters of the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Company Building, 95–105 Willoughby Street (at Bridge Street) Ralph Walker, of Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker, 1929–30......Page 244 13.4 832 Ocean Avenue (near Dorchester Road) Kavy & Kavovitt, 1931......Page 245 13.5 855 Ocean Avenue (at Dorchester Road) William T. McCarthy, 1930......Page 246 13.6 Sears Roebuck, 2390 Bedford Avenue (at Beverly Road) Nimmons, Carr & Wright, with Alton L. Craft, 1932; expansion along Beverly Road, 1940......Page 247 13.8 Brooklyn Public Library, Central Building, Grand Army Plaza (at Eastern Parkway and Flatbush Avenue) Alfred Morton Githens and Francis Keally, 1935–1941; sculptors Paul Jennewein, bas reliefs, and Thomas H. Jones, screen over entry......Page 249 13.9 Brighton Beach Gardens Apartments, 1120–1130 and 1150–1170 Brighton Beach Avenue (at Brighton 14th Street and Seacoast Terrace) Kavy & Kavovitt, 1935–36......Page 251 13.11 711 Brightwater Court (at Coney Island Avenue) Martyn N. Weinstein, 1934......Page 252 14.1 Astoria Park Pool and Play Center, Astoria Park, 19th Street between 22nd Drive and Hoyt Avenue North John M. Hatton and others, architect; Aymar Embury II, consulting architect; Gilmore D. Clarke and others, landscape architects, 1934–36......Page 254 14.2 Church of the Most Precious Blood, 32–23 36th Street and 32–40 37th Street (between Broadway and 34th Avenue) Henry J. McGill and Talbot Hamlin, 1931......Page 255 14.3 Marine Air Terminal, LaGuardia Airport Delano & Aldrich, 1939......Page 256 14.4 Blessed Sacrament Church complex, 35th Avenue from 93rd to 94th Streets Henry J. McGill: School 1932, convent 1936, rectory 1937, church designed 1941, built 1948–50......Page 257 14.5 Ridgewood Savings Bank, 107–55 Queens Boulevard (at 108th Street) Halsey, McCormack & Helmer, 1939–1940......Page 259 14.6 RKO Midway Theater, 108–22 Queens Boulevard (at 71st Road) Thomas Lamb Associates, 1941–42......Page 260 14.7 Mathews Houses, Grand Avenue, Calamus Avenue, Ankener Avenue, Elks Road, 79th to 82nd Streets Curtis X. Mathews, 1931–1942......Page 261 14.8 Kurtz Brothers Store, 162–24 Jamaica Avenue (at Guy Brewer Boulevard, near 163rd Street) Allmendinger & Schlendorf, 1931......Page 263 14.9 La Casina, 90–33 160th Street (between Jamaica Avenue and 90th Avenue) c. 1933......Page 264 14.10 Suffolk Title and Guarantee Company Building, 90–04 161st Street (at 90th Avenue) Dennison & Hirons, 1929; terra-cotta panels by Rene Chambellan......Page 265 14.11 Montgomery Ward Department Store, 151–14 Jamaica Avenue (at 153rd Street) Montgomery Ward staff architects, 1930–31......Page 266 15.2 Paramount Theater, 560 Bay Street (at Union Place), Stapleton Rapp & Rapp, 1930......Page 268 15.3 Ambassador Apartments, 30 Daniel Low Terrace (at Crescent Avenue) Lucian Pisciotta, 1931–32......Page 269 15.4 Public Health Service Hospital (now Bayley Seton Hospital), 75 Vanderbilt Avenue (at Bay Street) Kenneth Murchison et al., 1933–36......Page 271 15.5 Lane Theater, 168 New Dorp Lane (at 8th Street), New Dorp John Eberson, 1937–38......Page 272 A Note on Sources......Page 274 References......Page 276 Index......Page 286 About the Author......Page 304