How is it different from Art Deco?
Art Deco was lavish and excessive, reflecting the economy of the 1920s (also known as the Roaring Twenties). But when the Great Depression hit, design styles had to be adjusted in order to cut costs. Here’s how Streamline Moderne strayed from the Art Deco movement: • Lavish decoration was cut • reflected America’s love affair with the new machine age • More influenced by aerodynamic design of planes, train and automobiles • Popularity of ocean liners was reaching its peak at this point • More simple and functional New technology like the 1935 Hindenburg airship was a Streamline Moderne influence. The 1934 Chrysler Airflow was readily compared to the streamlined trains of the time. Elements of Streamline Moderne • clean, curved shapes and rounded corners • long horizontal lines • occasional nautical elements (such as stainless steel railings and porthole windows) • occasional bas-relief panels (depicting tropical scenes) • lack of decoration or ornamentation • bands of windows • flat ro
