The difference between Art Nouveau and Art Deco, all comes down to "flowery" vs. "streamlined." Art Nouveau is the decorative one. Art Deco is sleeker. Some magicians are more Art Nouveau than Art Deco.

I was going to respond in terms of those two art movements, but then I realized what you were really saying.

Yes, the simplification serves a purpose here... even if the generalization is a bit overly simple.

We are planning to decorate the old joint soon; we were looking into it when we read that “Quick Trick” on how to tell the difference between the two and magic sprang to mind.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/19891/art......fference

This is right up my alley, so I'm going to vent a bit...

I just love it when some guy skims Wikipedia and then goes on to write a piece online that oversimplifies the subject just so he can appear smart. Actually, Wikipedia does have reasonably good articles on both Art Nouveau and Art Deco, with lots of photos. He could have also done a search for both and looked at the hundreds of images that come up.

First, Art Nouveau is not "flowery." The actual term is "organic." Yes a lot of the graphic design of the period features stylized flowers (used in a very specific manner), but a heckuva lot of it does not, and there's nothing flowery about the Eiffel Tower, even though he uses it as an example.

Second, Art Deco is not always streamlined. A lot of the products and locomotives designed by Raymond Loewy and other designers in the 30's are streamlined, but there's a heckuva lot that's very (or even extremely) ornamental for its own sake, mostly using geometric shapes. The Art Deco style includes a lot of the government buildings left over from the WPA days, most of the musicals from the 30s and early 40's (think Fred Astaire and Busby Berkeley), and the insides of any number of theatres from the period, which are extremely ornate.

Actually. and I almost hate to say this, a good amount of the illusions and larger props made during the 30s and 40s tried to simulate an Art Deco style, although, from what I've seen over the years, they weren't very successful at it.

Third, the "Art Deco" building in his photo is an awful example of Art Deco -- if it was even built during that period. The overall shapes, the colors, and especially that tower, make it look more like a bad knockoff of some of Michael Graves' early Post-modern buildings, created during the 1980's. If that building was actually built in the 30s or 40s, somebody massacred it.

Ok, end of vent...

But we have already gone and bought Tulips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QOcYfEXCAI

Oh, I guess it's okay, then.

We have just picked up cheaply a load of very organic burr walnut furniture from an Hungarian fellow on ebay. We think it needs a bit French polishing which should be no problem as we have French cook. The problem is we can’t find the secret draws in it, so can you tell us where they are please?

Sounds nice, but you gotta be careful with those French cooks. They're liable to use butter instead of shellac on your furniture.

As far as the draws, well... how about contacting the Hungarian fellow?

Beatle juice eh, thanks.

Harry Houdini, he was Hungarian. He always insisted that it was a Birmingham locksmith who gave him "one of the hardest tests". Actually it is Walsall where all the best locksmith are, which is not far from Birmingham and strangely where the Hungarian resides.

Multi-purpose sports floor



SPORTS VINYL FLOORING

I was looking for flooring when this caught my eye; Organic or not organic that is the question?

Art Nouveau

1890-1910 is one of my favourite historical periods. One of my favourite tv series was Paradise, which aired in the late(19 )80s, to early 90s.

I like Edwardian clothing, particularly the cotton lawn, lace dresses. I'm a fan, too, of dropwaist dresses of the 1920s, which flowed from the Art Nouveau period, I expect. And a few years ago, I discovered some lovely art medals, which I had posted in the Nothing Up My Sleeve section of the Café ("Coins As Art") - most of those links don't show the pics now, so I'll see if I can find some new photos.

Just fantastic work. Attention to quality and detail we often don't see incorporated in items today, though some do indeed still make the time and effort.

I'll be back...

...

1910s bronze 50mm

https://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/1910s-FRENCH......:25:pf:0




1891 bronze 36mm

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/65546851......lery-1-7

1910 Edwardian Tea Dress (source Pinterest)




Embroidered mixed lace tea dress c.1922 (source Pinterest)

The mystery of the Tea Dress

There is a black hole about which we know almost nothing, though the lack of reliable sources and information did not stop others from fabricating stories about it.

Some say she who wears the dress can read tea leaves.