Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Ensembles Nouveaux

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the Southeastern Architectural Archive retains not only architectural drawings, ephemera and three-dimensional objects, it also maintains a small collection of architecture publications. Some of these appear in Tulane's Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC); others do not.

The above illustration comes from a 1930's portfolio titled Ensembles Nouveaux, which was produced by the French fine arts publisher Charles Moreau. The Paris-based Moreau specialized in portfolios illustrated with heliotypes, photogravures and pochoir prints. Subjects included Art Deco interiors, ironwork and shop fronts, as well as Cubist painting and sculpture.

French Deco designers Louis Sognot (1892-1970) and Charlotte Alix (1892-1987) collaborated on the office interior shown above. The pair was known for its embrace of modern materials, and its innovative industrial design. The desk phone and the newspaper rack are wonderful!

Image above: Chevojon Frères, photographers. Charlotte Alix and Louis Sognot, designers. Plate 10 from Ensembles Nouveaux (Paris: Charles Moreau, 8 Rue de Prague, Paris, undated).

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