
The Vanguard
Central European Emigres and American Modern Design, 1910-1940
Yale University Press
Published on 6. May 2025
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-0-300-27878-1 (ISBN)
Description
An insightful and beautifully illustrated new perspective on the role of Central European emigre artists, architects, and designers on American modernism
While the history of modernism in the United States is often seen as having roots in French art moderne, Jewel Stern and Christopher Long instead argue that Central European emigre designers had an outsized impact on the formation of a uniquely American modernism. The Vanguard examines the lives and careers of nearly fifty designers from Austria, Germany, and Hungary-including Paul T. Frankl, Ilonka Karasz, Winold Reiss, and Joseph Urban-who contributed to the early rise of modernism in America. From 1910 to 1940, these figures played a vital role in bringing to the fore the discussion of modernism and contributed to its ascendancy through their designs, writings, and exhibitions. Stern and Long reveal how this modernism reflected distinct American realities and tell a comprehensive new story of modernism's emigre roots.
The Vanguard examines the lives and careers of these designers, many of whom are hazily known at best, and argues that they had a significant influence on the new modernist aesthetic. Deeply researched and lavishly illustrated with nearly 300 color and black-and-white images, this book offers a full reorientation of our understanding of American modernism and the role of Central Europeans in its formation.
While the history of modernism in the United States is often seen as having roots in French art moderne, Jewel Stern and Christopher Long instead argue that Central European emigre designers had an outsized impact on the formation of a uniquely American modernism. The Vanguard examines the lives and careers of nearly fifty designers from Austria, Germany, and Hungary-including Paul T. Frankl, Ilonka Karasz, Winold Reiss, and Joseph Urban-who contributed to the early rise of modernism in America. From 1910 to 1940, these figures played a vital role in bringing to the fore the discussion of modernism and contributed to its ascendancy through their designs, writings, and exhibitions. Stern and Long reveal how this modernism reflected distinct American realities and tell a comprehensive new story of modernism's emigre roots.
The Vanguard examines the lives and careers of these designers, many of whom are hazily known at best, and argues that they had a significant influence on the new modernist aesthetic. Deeply researched and lavishly illustrated with nearly 300 color and black-and-white images, this book offers a full reorientation of our understanding of American modernism and the role of Central Europeans in its formation.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
165 color + 128 b-w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 315 mm
Width: 251 mm
Thickness: 31 mm
Weight
2128 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-300-27878-1 (9780300278781)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Jewel Stern is an artist, independent curator, and art historian specializing in modern American design and architecture. Christopher Long is the Martin S. Kermacy Centennial Professor in Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin.