Art Deco made its formal appearance in Paris at the 1925 L'Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, a showcase for art, architecture, and design that promoted progress, modernity, and the present. The greatest export from this exhibition was a style that has since been recognized as one of the great design movements of the 20th century. Art Deco's growing recognition coincided with the growth of Los Angeles as the entertainment capital. Between world wars, the city's architecture sprouted characteristic signs of Art Deco: the interplay of vertical and horizontal features, geometric shapes, use of exotic and modern materials, as well as simplified streamlined forms. This volume's marvelous collection of images celebrates Los Angeles's Art Deco heritage, showcasing such structures as Bullock's Wilshire, Sunset Tower, the Oviatt Penthouse, the Wiltern and Pantages Theatres, and many, many more.
Authors Suzanne Tarbell Cooper, Amy Ronnebeck Hall, and Frank Cooper Jr.—all board members of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles—display images from their own extensive collections as well as those from Bison Archives, USC Archival Collections, and others to draw a remarkable portrait of L.A.'s Art Deco treasures.