The Deco Diaries

Chronicling the inspiration and creativity of the Art Deco era

Diary Articles

Dora Maar with little hands, by Man Ray, 1936

Dora Marr Photographer

Dora Maar with little hands, by Man Ray, 1936Dora Maar, born Henriette Théodora Markovitch in 1907, was a French surrealist photographic artist and painter.  She studied...

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Tennis Stars of the 1920s

Tennis Stars of the 1920s

Helen Wills in action, wearing her signature outfit  As we near the start of Wimbledon, we take a look back at some of the tennis...

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Art of Erte

Art of Erte

Sunrise, by Erté, 1984 The evocative work of Romain de Tirtoff, otherwise known as Erté, is quintessentially Art Deco.  Erté was an artist, designer and sculptor born in St....

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Steam Ship Sudan 1930s

Steam Ship Sudan 1930s

The Steam Ship Sudan - the grande dame and last witness to the Belle Epoque days of Nile cruising between 1922 and 1935.   With the...

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1920 Diamond Styles

1920 Diamond Styles

Asscher cut diamond ring in a platinumArt Deco design was reflected in the jewellery of the 1920s and 1930s. New materials, such as platinum and bright...

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1920s Winter Wear

1920s Winter Wear

Cover of La Femme Chic a Paris - November 1926 At Christmas 2018, we thought it would be a good time to take a look at outerwear,...

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Adele, Fred and Ginger

Adele, Fred and Ginger

Hollywood Stars, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers - 1930s Fred Astaire and his sister Adele, were born in Omaha, Nebraska. Their mother recognised her children’s talents...

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Hedy Lamarr inventor

Hedy Lamarr - inventor

“The brains of people are more interesting than the looks I think,”Hollywood actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr  Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna in...

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The Fashionable Silhouette

The Fashionable Silhouette

Coco Chanel in a Jersey suit, Biarritz, France 1928 The 1920’s fashionable silhouette lacked structure and was radically different to the Edwardian corseted fashions.  This trend was...

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