expositions – Page 6 – { feuilleton }

Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration #7

Continuing the delve into back numbers of Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration, the German periodical of art and decoration. Volume 7 covers the period from October 1900 to March 1901 and features a set of ornamental capitals throughout this edition designed by Karl Lürtzing, part of a presentation of typefaces in the Art Nouveau style. The figures in Lürtzing’s alphabet all seem to be Biblical or mythological (as with David and Eve above) although some are easier to decipher than others. Volume 6 paid a visit to the Exposition Universelle in Paris and there’s a few more examples from that event here, along with further examinations of the best in German art and design. As usual, anyone wishing to see these samples in greater detail is advised to download the entire volume (which comprises over 300 pages) at the Internet Archive. There’ll be more DK&D next week.

Remarkable interiors by Richard Riemerschmid.

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Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration #6

Continuing the delve into back numbers of Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration, the German periodical of art and decoration. Volume 6 covers the period from April to September 1900, and the content is still Art Nouveau all the way, with a dash of Symbolism. Among the contributors in this edition there’s Otto Eckmann and more work from Hans Christiansen, both frequent contributors to Jugend magazine There are further examples of stylish Art Nouveau interiors, and of considerable interest to this Exposition Universelle obsessive, a look at the Paris exposition of 1900 from the German side of things. As before, anyone wishing to see these samples in greater detail is advised to download the entire volume at the Internet Archive. There’ll be more DK&D next week.

The ubiquitous peacocks were never far away in 1900.

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Le Manoir a l’Envers

The only place of amusement which was an unqualified success was Le Manoir a l’Envers (The Upside-Down Manor). One entered this building through the roof. The furniture was suspended in the air and in the drawing-room people could walk round a chandelier whose lamps illuminated their feet; through the ventilator holes of the cellar there was a view of the surrounding district.

Philippe Jullian, The Triumph of Art Nouveau (1974).

A slight return to the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900; don’t think you escape so easily. Complaints will be referred to the word “obsessions” at the top of this page.

To date this is the only decent picture I’ve seen of the Upside-Down Manor and I’ve yet to find a credit for the architect. This seems surprising considering Philippe Jullian’s remarks about the success of the attraction but something of this nature wouldn’t feature prominently in the official guides or catalogues. Most of the printed matter produced for the exposition exudes the high seriousness of nations posturing and preening before each other, frivolities and entertainments were pushed to the margins.

For more upside-down houses, go here.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Suchard at the Exposition Universelle
• Esquisses Décoratives by René Binet
• Le Palais de l’Optique, 1900
• Exposition Universelle films
• Exposition jewellery
• Exposition Universelle catalogue
• Exposition Universelle publications
• Exposition cornucopia
• Return to the Exposition Universelle
• The Palais Lumineux
• Louis Bonnier’s exposition dreams
• Exposition Universelle, 1900

Art Institute, Stockholm, 1897

More eccentric exposition architecture. This edifice towered briefly over the Stockholm skyline for the General Art and Industrial Exposition of 1897, an event for which there seems to be very little information online. The exposition doesn’t receive an entry at ExpoMuseum and this is the only photo at the Library of Congress’s wonderful Photocrom archive. The Swedish Pavilion at the Paris Exposition three years later was the most eccentric structure on display and received favourable reviews as a result, many people finding it a lot more interesting than the staid architecture of other nations.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• The Columbus Monument
• The Palais du Trocadéro
• The Evanescent City
• Ephemeral architecture

Suchard at the Exposition Universelle

A pair of adverts from the Guide Lemercier for the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900, available as either a PDF or individual page scans at the University of Heidelberg’s archive. This looks like it would have been a very usable guide, with coloured maps and a good selection of photographs. The Suchard adverts provide splashes of colour throughout and this is the only guide I’ve seen to date which favours a single company this way. The space for notes on each ad page is rather generous as well as being something you can’t imagine anyone trying now.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Esquisses Décoratives by René Binet
• Le Palais de l’Optique, 1900
• Exposition Universelle films
• Exposition jewellery
• Exposition Universelle catalogue
• Exposition Universelle publications
• Exposition cornucopia
• Return to the Exposition Universelle
• The Palais Lumineux
• Louis Bonnier’s exposition dreams
• Exposition Universelle, 1900