Everything Old is New Again
“Art Deco Style” as a popular term, really came into regular usage during the 1960’s, during the revival of interest in the style it represented and remains in use today.
For me, it was what contributed to a way of life in my home from the late 1920’s until the early 40’s. Being a middle class “depression family” we were able to avail ourselves of the abundant mass-produced, machine made products. These were dubbed “kitsch” - a German word meaning “trash.” Today, kitsch is often spelled with a capital “K,” and one can pay more today for a Chase Chrome item accentuated with Bakelite than my mother did for an Art Nouveau vase then. The key word here is “stylish.” It was cheap in price then but it had style. As I clearly recall, the kitchen was the heart of family life - as it still is in many homes today.
Our table was set with colorful tablecloths, some of which were “State” themes, if the family went on vacation and they would bring home a souvenir tablecloth - such as Florida or California. Mom would wear aprons that also had themes, but always cheerful and colorful designs. Tea towels were used - sometimes they were converted into caf