The Decorative Thirties (hardcover 1988)

This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.

Decorative Thirties by Martin Battersby
Decorative Thirties by Martin Battersby

Decorative Thirties (1988 edition)

by Martin Battersby

The decorative thirties began in the 1930s and followed the era’s elegance until the end of World War II. The book deals with the arts and objets d’art of the ’30s in their most outrageous form. Battersby uses the insecurity and illusion of the times as his philosophical base, demonstrating how the glitter of Hollywood can coexist with Dali’s weird surrealism. “Anything Goes,” sang Cole Porter, and in terms of overall fashion, Porter’s assessment of his decade’s diversity was spot on.

A sofa in the shape of Mae West’s lips, cocktail cabinets (of peach-coloured mirror glass, carpets (one in tomato pink and white) and chess sets (with no recognisable pieces) abound.

Battersby also delves into the linked realms of interior décor, ceramics, glassware, high fashion, textiles, and architecture, and it is beautifully illustrated with 180 images.

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