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Good Questions: 1920's & 30's Interior Sources?

11-8-flapper.gifHello AT,

I want to find pictures of the interiors of New York apartments from the 1920's and 1930's. Is there any good source for this kind of research?

Thanks, David

David, this is for the crowd, but we will suggest that you speak to Micheal at Depression Modern as that is his specialty. Anyone else? (pic: geocities.com)

(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.)
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Comments (11)

there's a great place on the upper east side... not really furniture, but accessories for the house... I forget the name, unfortunately.

posted by paul on 2005-11-08 15:45:21

hey, this is rather obscure but this London Terrace newsletter has pics of apartments from the 1930's. They're not necessarily very inspiring but they're authentic. click my name for link!

posted by cristy on 2005-11-08 16:15:44

Try A.M. Richard Art & Design, you can find her at Triple Pier Antiques Show next weekend or call her at 212-517-2419. If she doesn't know she'll send you in the right direction.

CJM

posted by kate on 2005-11-08 16:41:40

If you're in New York I would start with the Picture Collection at the Mid-Manhattan library - they have tons of images and may also be able to direct you to other library divisions that could help.

You could also try the vintage magazine store Gallagher's on 12th street.

If you get really serious you could also request an appointment (it's by appointment only) at the library at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum.

posted by jenn on 2005-11-08 16:51:12

Seriously, go to eBay; sometimes there will be photographs or scans of items for sale, and maybe even just that picture file may be all you need! Maybe you don't even need to buy the item itself, unless you need to scan it at a better resolution.

One thing is that if you find some wallpaper sample books from that period, they SOMETIMES had black-and-white line drawing illustrations of interiors printed along with the blurbs about each sample printed onto the backs of them.

posted by Curtis on 2005-11-08 17:09:03

Try the marvelous prints and photographs collections at the following New York institutions: New York Historical Society, http://www.nyhistory.org/library/printroom.html; Museum of the City of New York, http://www.mcny.org/collections/67.html; The Brooklyn Historical Society (don't forget Broolkyn), http://www.brooklynhistory.org/photo_database.html; and even the Library of Congress American Memory collection, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/. You might also go to the NYPL and check out old interior design magazines (don't know any titles off hand).

posted by Margaret on 2005-11-08 17:37:19

hmmm david, what a great idea for a series of books, new york interiors at each decade of the 20th century. hello, taschen?

posted by patrick on 2005-11-08 22:03:47

http://www.laguardiawagnerarchive.lagcc.cuny.edu/defaultb.htm and click on "How Public Housing Transformed New York"

Not sure what socio-economic level of interiors David is looking for, but this has fascinating photos of tenement life, taken to document conditions prior to the tenements being replaced by Housing Authority developments.

posted by Carol on 2005-11-09 08:55:42

The Mattie Hewitt collection at the New-York Historical Society is chiefly images of New York apartment interiors from the 20's and 30's. Beautiful stuff. None on-line. Here's a link to the collection finding aid:


posted by sarah on 2005-11-09 14:47:08

HI,
Im doing a play at school, and I need more information on furniture from the 1920's & 1930's. The couple lives in Chicago, in a tenant apartment. If you have any resources I could use I would appreciate it.

Thanks, Samantha

posted by samantha on 2006-02-20 12:51:40

hey you way more information on your website

posted by krystle on 2006-02-21 17:04:13

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