The International Design Center NAGOYA houses a collection of American design products from the Art Deco period of the 1930s. In the history of 20th century design, such American design products had a major influence on Japanese industrial design. The collection includes over 2,000 pieces, including graphic art works, furniture, tableware, and a wide array of products that featured in all aspects of people’s lives.
This time, as a part of the IdcN 30th anniversary commemorative events, we hold a “Request” exhibition that introduces these collection works from a more multifaceted perspective. We will exhibit around one hundred of “recommended, favorite, or want-to-see works” selected from the perspective of designers, people concerned design organizations, design educators, and design students in the Nagoya area, along with comments received.
The 1930s, when the age of mass production was approaching, was the time when the profession of “designer” came to be socially recognized for the first time. This style of design, which emerged in the United States, reflects a major turning point in the social and industrial structure of the 20th century. In the 1940s and 1950s, the United States exerted a strong influence on product design and lifestyles not only in Japan but around the world. Please take a look at the design products of the 1930s, which created the unique design style, along with the historical background.

■Exhibits

　
Dinnerware “American Modern”/1937/Russel Wright/Stubenville Pottery (Left)
St. Francisco World’s Fair Indian Court Official Poster/1939/Louis Siegrist (Right)

Airliner Number 4 (model)/1933/Norman Bel Geddes