CRAFT VS MANUFACTURING (the CHICAGO WORLD FAIR 1933)

Although Art Deco had European origins, it was America that modified it and embraced its wide appeal. By the late 1920s, American architects had great success incorporating Art Deco architecture into the cultural landscape of major urban centers. American architectural influence continued into the 1930s, increasingly becoming a world center of creative design. U.S. Designers forged new paths, even with the onset of the Great Depression -- achieving ultimate pre-eminence with the Chicago World's Fair of 1933. Its theme was, "The Century of Progress". Nowhere was this progress more evident than in the United States. In Europe, the wide distribution of Art Deco products was hampered by being tied to the handwork of craftsmen and artisans, who essentially created the "look" of Art Deco through meticulous skill, as shown by a silver tea service set. Made of fine silver and ebony handles, it exhibited at the Paris Exposition in 1925. Its production was limited, however, due to the fact that it was essentially hand made. In America, Art Deco designs were being integrally linked to the industrial complex. Taking inspiration from the auto and aircraft industries, products and buildings were designed in the new elegant style, yet made available to the masses through the efficiencies of machine production. This contrast between crafts from Europe and manufacturing from America was highlighted at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933.