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Deco Dandy

Designing Masculinity in 1920s Paris

John Potvin author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Manchester University Press

Published:13th Oct '20

Should be back in stock very soon

Deco Dandy cover

Deco dandy contests the supposedly exclusive feminine aspect of the stylemoderne (art deco) by exploring how alternative, parallel and overlapping experiences of decorative modernism, nationalism, gender and sexuality in the years surrounding World War I converge in the protean figure of the 'deco dandy'. The book suggests a broader view of art deco by claiming a greater place for the male body, masculinity and the dandy in this history than has been given to date. Important and productive moments in the history of the cultural life of Paris presented in the book provide insights into the changing role performed by consumerism, masculinity, design history and national identity.

'Beautifully produced and elegantly written, to say Deco Dandy is an important book is an understatement. It is an instant classic.'
Joseph McBrinn, Journal of Design History

'Copiously illustrated, Potvin’s six chapters allow us to observe how the films of L’Herbier, the paintings of Dardel, and the dances of Börlin, along with the pages of Monsieur and a few other journals of the time, disseminated a fascinating array of images that register overlapping notions of modern style, movement, interior design, sartorial elegance, masculinity, effeminacy, androgyny, and same-sex eroticism...'
Michael Lucey, French Studies

'A truly important book about a critically formative period in modern times, this book is highly recommended.'
Sun News Tucson

ISBN: 9781526134790

Dimensions: 240mm x 170mm x 27mm

Weight: 980g

352 pages