American Art Deco (WW Norton & Co)

Art deco architecture flourished in urban areas thropughout America in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of the best examples - office buildings, cinemas, hotels and churches - are still in use. Deco architects, artists and designers drew on European styles but were committed to a style that grew organically from their native soil. Two themes bound Deco buildings and their decorative schemes together: a regional pride that tied buildings to their specific locales and functions, and a growing national symbolism that asserted the buildings' identity as American. This book features descriptions and photographs of 75 innovative and lavishly designed art deco buildings, demonstrating the full scope of this stunning architectural style.