Industrial Arts

While modern day students think of industrial arts as their shop classes, this is actually the origin of the Art Deco style. In 1925, the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes was held in Paris. It is here that this form of building and design was showcased. The style was incredibly popular at this time, and the name was shortened to Art Deco by those who embraced it. While it was actually invented more than a decade earlier, the First World War interrupted lifestyles all over the globe.

The Paris showcase was an attempt to revitalize the building of Europe after the war and introduce this style again. It was organized by artists and designers of the period who wanted a modern look that people would buy. The show helped raise awareness of this decorative style, and it survived even the Great Depression in the next decade before it faded in favor of simpler styles of the times.