ART DECO Society of New York

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The Art Deco Society of New York is a non-profit organization that advocates for the appreciation, understanding, celebration, documentation, and preservation of Art Deco architecture, design, and culture in New York and around the world.

Hello, Stella Tower!We’re looking forward to our Chelsea walking tour this Saturday.📷 Image: Photo by Ericlaudonien ...
06/17/2026

Hello, Stella Tower!

We’re looking forward to our Chelsea walking tour this Saturday.

📷 Image: Photo by Ericlaudonien

Art Deco’s emergence in the Philippines during the American Colonial Period (1898-1946) reflects a complex interplay of ...
06/16/2026

Art Deco’s emergence in the Philippines during the American Colonial Period (1898-1946) reflects a complex interplay of imposition and resistance.

The sleek, modern lines of Art Deco were used by colonizers as a means of oppression to project a distinctly American brand of cosmopolitan modernity onto the Philippine architectural landscape and, in turn, promote American dominance over indigenous motifs. But this is not where the story of Art Deco in the Philippines ends.

Art Deco, introduced, in part, as a symbol of control and cultural erasure, became an unlikely canvas for quiet resistance against U.S. colonial rule. Filipino architects, many of whom were sent to be educated in the West, imbued Deco designs with uniquely Filipino motifs, subtly using architecture to express cultural authenticity under the spectre of colonialism. Juan Arellano, for example, mimicked Philippine fruit and flora in low relief on the ceiling of the Metropolitan Theater in Manila. At the Capitol Theater, designed by Juan Nakpil, a pair of Filippina muses dressed in the traditional baro’t saya are carved onto the exterior front. This hybridity led to a new form of Art Deco unique to the Philippines, a direct product of the historical context in which it was created.

To learn more about Philippine Art Deco, join us on July 8 for a special virtual tour through “Art Deco: Design and Modernity in the Philippines, 1925-1950,” a special exhibition on view through October at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila, capital of the Philippines.

Register now at the link in our bio.



Image 1: Metropolitan Theater architectural drawing
Image 2: The completed Metropolitan Theater circa 1932/John Tewell Collection
Image 3: The architect Juan Arellano circa 1926/Manila Nostalgia
Image 4: The Capitol Theater circa 1935/Figure 23 from “Conquest and Resistance: Intersections of Colonialism and Modernity in Twentieth Century Philippine Architectures”
Image 5: Juan Nakpil / Prabook

Happy pride month! Much of the material culture of the Art Deco period was shaped, and ultimately preserved, by members ...
06/15/2026

Happy pride month! Much of the material culture of the Art Deco period was shaped, and ultimately preserved, by members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Have you ever heard of Leonard Horowitz?

Horowitz (1949-1989) was a New York-born architect and industrial designer who, in 1976, founded the Miami Design Preservation League alongside Barbara Baer Capitman. Together, they championed the preservation of South Beach’s sweeping collection of Art Deco buildings when they were at risk of demolition.

To emphasize the beachfront architecture’s distinctive character, Horowitz formulated the now well-known pastel color palette of 1980s Deco revival, reminiscent of 1920s two-tone Technicolor: seafoam greens, flamingo pinks, sunset hues. As Horowitz explained, “ I formulated my palette on the basis of a sunset, sunrise, the summer and winter oceans and the sand on the beach,” musing that “they are the same ones that the original designers used.”
His tropical color vision drew international attention, helping transform Miami Beach into a global design destination as buildings were restored in his signature palette. Sadly, Horowitz died of AIDS in May 1989, just 43 years old.
In 2016, his legacy was honored with the installation of a new commemorative crosswalk on Ocean Drive, inspired by his vibrant palette. Today, thanks in part to his work, Miami’s Art Deco District has the world’s largest collection of Deco architecture, with over 800 preserved buildings—a lasting testament to Horowitz’s vision and advocacy for early 20th-century design.
Follow us for daily Art Deco History!
***rhistory

✍🏻: ADSNY Volunteer Liv Elniski,

Image 1:
Friedman's Bakery circa 1982/WLRN, “Meet the Man Behind All Those South Beach Pastels”
Image 2:
Miami-Dade Public Library System. “Leonard Horowitz: The King of Art Deco (1988).” Historic Threads, August 2025. https://mdpl.org/historic-threads/2025/08/leonard-horowitz-the-king-of-art-deco-1988/
Image 3:
Friedman’s Bakery in Miami Beach circa 1983/ Miami-Dade Public Library System
Image 4:
Barbara Baer Capitman Archives, Miami Herald, March 13, 1988/ Miami-Dade Public Library System
Image 5:
A palette of pastels created by Leonard Horowitz/ WLRN
Image 6:
Newspaper clippings/ Miami Design Preservation League, Miami-Dade Public Library System
Image 7:
Leonard Horowitz/ WLRN
Image 8:
Crosswalk on 12th and Ocean Drive in Miami created in October 2018 inspired by Horowitz’s color palette/ Miami Design Preservation League

Images 1, 5, and 7:
WLRN. “Meet the Man Behind All Those South Beach Pastels.” Nov. 16, 2013. https://www.wlrn.org/culture/2013-11-16/meet-the-man-behind-all-those-south-beach-pastels.
Images 2, 3, and 4:
Miami-Dade Public Library System. “Leonard Horowitz: The King of Art Deco (1988).”

Already tired of the heat but still craving a taste of the tropics? Take a trip to sunny Manila, the vibrant capital of ...
06/12/2026

Already tired of the heat but still craving a taste of the tropics? Take a trip to sunny Manila, the vibrant capital of the Philippines, and see a spectacular, one-of-a-kind exhibition, all without leaving the comfort of home!

On July 8, snuggle up next to your air conditioner and join us for a virtual tour of “Art Deco: Design and Modernity in the Philippines, 1925-1950.” The special exhibition, on display through October at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila, brings together more than 300 objects from private and public collections across the archipelago to trace how the movement found a distinctly Filipino voice.

While many associate Art Deco strictly with Europe and North America, it is a global phenomenon, with an impressive presence in Southeast Asia. Don’t believe us? Come along on our virtual vacation and see these treasures for yourself.

Register now at the link in our bio.



Image 1: Philippines Travel Brochure circa 1925/Bureau of Commerce and Industry, Manila/ Vanersborg Museum/John Tewell

In the heart of Manhattan’s Garment District, witness the unlikely combination of Art Deco grandeur and the labor moveme...
06/11/2026

In the heart of Manhattan’s Garment District, witness the unlikely combination of Art Deco grandeur and the labor movement in a recently landmarked masterwork by one of Jazz Age New York’s most brilliant architects.

Designed by Ely Jacques Kahn in 1927 and completed the following year, the Lefcourt Clothing Center rises 27 floors and takes up an entire city block, stretching along the east side of Seventh Avenue from 25th to 26th Streets.

The father of the New York skyline, Kahn was particularly prolific in the Garment District, an area of Midtown he helped transform, through his designs for 14 buildings in the neighborhood, into a hub for the clothing and textile industries. Notable for not only its large footprint but also its monumental setbacks, decorative metal window frames and uniquely patterned brick and terracotta, the Lefcourt Clothing Center is an Art Deco icon, granted landmark status by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in June 2025.

Though the building itself is a design marvel, its fascinating history also contributed to its official landmark status. While the building’s early tenants were primarily manufacturers, in 1935 the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, one of the country’s largest labor unions and the first to have primarily female membership, leased a floor to create a health center for members. The New York Times reported in January 1936 that the space contained “clinical and diagnostic departments modernly equipped to take care of the ills that arise among members of the I.L.G.W.U. and thirty-seven affiliated unions in the printing, building and other trades.” By 1945, the union owned the building outright, having bought it for an estimated $2.5 million (over $40 million today) to create the largest ambulatory clinic in its field.

To see this iconic structure up close and soak up its storied history, along with that of Chelsea’s other Art Deco treasures, join us tomorrow, June 20, for a special tour led by the architectural historian Matt Postal.

Just one ticket left! Register now at the link in our bio!



Image 1: Ella Ge**er singing “Oh, It Isn't Cricket” in a performance of the ILGWU's original musical “Pins and Needles.” Photograph by Lucas and Pritchard, 1930s. From the International Ladies Garment Workers Union Photographs (1885-1985) collection / Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University / National Park Service

Image 2: Exterior of the Lefcourt Clothing Center / Historic Districts Council

Image 3: An advertisement for Personality Clothes highlighting its move to the Lefcourt Clothing Center / Men’s Wear, Feb. 6, 1929 / Daytonian in Manhattan

Image 4: Garment workers sewing in a factory, 1940s. From the International Ladies Garment Workers Union Photographs (1885-1985) collection / Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University / National Park Service

Happy pride month! The LGBTQIA+ community played an important role in defining much of the Art Deco period’s popular cul...
06/10/2026

Happy pride month! The LGBTQIA+ community played an important role in defining much of the Art Deco period’s popular culture. 

Have you ever heard of Gladys Bentley?

Born in Philadelphia on Aug. 12, 1907, Bentley was a pioneering African American blues singer and pianist — a major star of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s.

From her early days, Bentley did not like wearing dresses, preferring to borrow her younger brother’s clothing. She transgressed the era’s racial, sexual and gender boundaries by performing in a signature tuxedo, signing b***y song parodies and openly living as a le***an.

Known for her rich contralto voice and spirited stage presence, Bentley captivated audiences in Harlem’s vibrant nightclub scene. She moved to New York City in 1923, making a name for herself performing at well-known q***r speakeasies like Harry Hansberry’s Clam House, which entertained a notable gay and le***an clientele. This underground scene of speakeasies, illegal drinking, and jazz became a place to experience sexual liberation. There Bentley felt she could express herself freely and be celebrated for her talent.

While cross-dressing performers were not uncommon at the time, Bentley’s gender non-conformity extended beyond the club’s four walls. She walked the streets of Harlem cross dressed in men’s clothing, becoming a visible and influential figure for young le***ans and gender-nonconforming people of the 1920s and ’30s.

Follow us for daily Art Deco History!

***rhistory

✍🏻: ADSNY Volunteer Liv Elniski,

Image 1: 
Photograph of Gladys Bentley/NMAAHC Collections, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History
Image 2:
Photograph of Gladys Bentley/Dressing D***s, “The Miraculous Masculinity of Gladys Bentley”
Image 3:
Photograph of Gladys Bentley/Picturing Black History
Image 4:
Photograph of Gladys Bentley/ Drag King History
Image 5:
Photograph of Gladys Bentley/Dressing D***s, “The Miraculous Masculinity of Gladys Bentley”

Meet Carson Dobos! Since joining as a volunteer, Carson has enjoyed working on various research projects, including revi...
06/09/2026

Meet Carson Dobos!

Since joining as a volunteer, Carson has enjoyed working on various research projects, including revising the ADSNY book list, starting a film list and updating the Art Deco Registry & Map. Carson recently graduated from Clark University in Worcester, Mass., with a B.A. in art history. He looks forward to continuing his studies at University College Cork, pursuing an M.A. in modern and contemporary art history, theory and criticism. Carson currently works at ArtsWorcester, a member-based art gallery, where he co-leads a program teaching high school students how to curate and install their own professional exhibitions. In his free time he enjoys visiting museums, traveling, and watching old Hollywood movies.

“Volunteering at the Art Deco Society of New York has given me the fulfilling opportunity to create and refine resources for the organization. Since first learning about Art Deco during my undergraduate studies, I’ve been captivated by the design and culture of the 1920s, and I am thrilled at the opportunity to continue engaging with the era through ADSNY.”

06/08/2026

Oh, for the love of shoes!

When hemlines rose in the 1920’s, this once-hidden accessory was no longer just a utilitarian item, but a fashionable one. This cultural shift resulted in a booming footwear industry and eventually led to the standardization of sizing as we know it today.

Take a look at some of the dazzling evening shoes produced by New York-based manufacturers during the period.

Which is your favorite?



Images: Mustafaev, Nazim. “Shoe Collection.” Shoe Icons, eng.shoe-icons.com/collection/shoes.htm.

Opened in 1941, the Central High School of Needle Trades (now called the High School of Fashion Industries) located at 2...
06/07/2026

Opened in 1941, the Central High School of Needle Trades (now called the High School of Fashion Industries) located at 225 West 24th St. was New York’s first skyscraper high school. Standing an incredible 11 stories tall, the structure was the third home of the Central High School of Needle Trades, which had previously operated out of first a factory loft on West 31st Street and then a dozen empty elementary school classrooms on 24th Street. 

When the cornerstone for the new building was laid, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia said the structure would be “a model school in the field of education.”

The finished building is an Art Deco tour de force, with streamlined curves and bold horizontal “speed lines” throughout its facade. Above the main entrance is a vivid four-panel mosaic, but even more impressive is the auditorium, featuring a mural by Ernest Fiene, “History of the Needlecraft Industry.” 

The mural depicts, wedged chronologically between scenes of exploitation of garment workers and the reforms brought on by the New Deal, the infamous 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. While not officially commissioned by the WPA, the art reflects the spirit of those federal projects, making it of particular interest to Art Deco devotees.

On June 20, we’ll take a closer look at the High School of Fashion Industries, as well as several of Chelsea’s other Art Deco treasures, including designs by visionaries like Emery Roth, Ralph Walker, Horace Ginsbern and Ely Jacques Kahn. 

Register now at the link in our bio!

ArtDecoSocietyNY

Image 1: Ernest Fiene’s “History of the Needlecraft Industry,” High School of Fashion Industries, New York, completed 1938-40 / Living New Deal

Image 2: High School of Fashion Industries entrance / MR Magazine

Image 3: Mosaic above the front doors / Ephemeral New York

What an incredible evening exploring one of New York City’s most remarkable Art Deco treasures. Thank you to everyone wh...
06/06/2026

What an incredible evening exploring one of New York City’s most remarkable Art Deco treasures. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this exclusive behind-the-scenes tour. Together, we stepped beyond the public spaces and into extraordinary interiors that few New Yorkers have the opportunity to experience, uncovering the history, craftsmanship, and stories hidden within this architectural masterpiece.

A special thank you to our guides and team for sharing their expertise and offering such unique access to spaces that have remained largely unseen for decades. 

We were thrilled by the enthusiasm, thoughtful questions, and passion for preservation shown by everyone in attendance. Events like these remind us why celebrating and protecting New York’s Art Deco heritage is so important.

If you missed this tour, stay tuned for future ADSNY programs and exclusive member experiences. We have many more opportunities to explore the city’s extraordinary Art Deco landmarks together.



Images Credit: Klaus-Peter Statz,

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PO Box 6205
New York, NY
10150

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