Art Deco and Art Moderne of Cleveland Ohio

06/25/2021

One of Cleveland's major art deco icons and in a international publication on art deco. The pylons of the Hope Memorial Bridge (Lorain - Carnegie Bridge). The name changed when it was discovered that Cleveland actor/comedienne, Bob Hope's father was part of the construction of the bridge.

01/07/2018

This is one fun weekend for Deco Lovers! I have been there in the past and hope to make it again soon.

The 49th Annual festival occurring Jan 9-11, 2026 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA.

10/07/2017

Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation has just announced that it has purchased the 'Palace' Deco Building at 4274 Pearl Rd., near the State Rd. intersection. Built in 1940, in the Streamline Moderne style. It was originally a furniture store, then a church, in 2005. Purchased by OBCDC, in March 2017, this is great news, as many are just razed, not rehabbed. The project architect is Paul Beegan and will be a multitenant building. The blade signage out front will be retained and say "Old Brooklyn," as seen in the new rendering of the project. Photos are coming. I believe, I photographed it, (pre-digital camera time) and will scan any prints I have to post. –WG

12/11/2014

WHAAAAAAAAA! They started tearing down the Parma Theater this week 12-8-14. Parma took down Bearden's/Eddies for a Mission style Fire Station a few years ago. Now this. They could have at least kept the front facade intact and built behind it, like Washington D.C. did with the Greyhound Bus Station, there. Cleveland Heights kept the entrance of the original city hall for the front of a new car dealership, as a tribute to the original building. No sense of art and style in Parma! Where's Ghoulardi when you need him?

08/23/2014

Beside Architecture, Cars, Furniture, Art, Household Items and Decorative Objects Of Desire and more deco and mid-century modern are all welcome here!

08/06/2014

People are trying to save The Parma Movie Theater. Hope it doesn't go the way of Eddies (formerly Bearden's Drive In Restaurant, on Pearl Rd. - now the home of some retro-arts and craft fire station!?!?) Meanwhile, some empty, useless, no-character, generic buildings are right across the street! Could of built the fire station there and got rid of the crap. No, we loose a cool fifties Icon. The Michael Stanley Band once shot a video at EDDIES/BEARDEN's complete with car hops. I have photos of it, too. Anyway, the Parma Theater was re-habbed in the 1990's and was running once again, only as a bargain Movie Theater. Now not. Hope a new venture can save it. The facade is Theater Deco and a nice paint scheme.

07/18/2014

ADSC INFO:

In the 1990's (1993-98) I was on the board and publisher for The Art Deco Society Of Cleveland. A small group of modern 20th century decorative art (1925–1945) enthusiasts got together and held monthly meetings and events. We formed a society and had roughly 150 dues paying participants. I designed a logo and we sold t-shirts and coffee mugs.

Unfortunately, the ADSC folded in 1998, because we could not get descent financial backing and no one wanted to assume board duties, after 5 years of the same people doing all the work. Many, including myself, were burnt out and not getting paid to do a lot of the work. Myself, Frank Gerlak and my friend, Ann Telzrow published six newsletters, annually, in booklet form, mailing it out to members. Frank and I went on Saturday photo safari's many times to record exteriors and interiors of Deco buildings though out Cleveland and other areas. Frank, also led bus tours of Downtown Deco twice, published a guide (available at The Cleveland Public Library) and we had many speakers and presentations, including Frank's.

Sally Weingart (Sally Eisenstadt) of Antiques On Balcony, in the Halle Building, started a petition to see how many of her customers would be interested in an Art Deco Society. I lived and worked near her store and bought many deco items there. She finally had enough supporters and held our first meeting at Tower City to kick it off, in 1993. After her term, Cynthia Barta of Studio Moderne on Larchmere, became the next President and Ann Telrow, the Vice President. Elaine Hersch was Secretary, Albert Dispenza, the first treasurer was replaced by Doug Copeland, Treasurer and Frank Gerlak was the historian and published the first newsletter. I followed him, as Publisher/Graphic Artist/Photographer, starting with the second issue, in March of 1994.

I wasn't playing in any bands then, I had been in bands since I was 12 years old, so I had more free time. Cleveland was not known as a hub for Art Deco. Most think of Miami, New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, as Art Deco centers. How many people know New Zealand is a Great Art Deco Area? An earthquake destroyed many buildings in the middle of the 20th Century, so new modern ones went up and they were designed in the modern Art Deco style of the times.

It was a labor of love that still interests me and others. I just started this Art Deco and Art Moderne of Cleveland, Ohio Face Book page to post photos and the newsletters from the past. I am trying to get some former members to post or "like" the page. I assume most of the work on it will be done in winter months, when I/we are inside more often. It will also include 1950's or mid-century modern, because I have always enjoyed that style, too. It is more the atomic/plastic age/biomorphic style. Some of the art deco purists used to call that "Art Yucko!" ha ha! So, we didn't cover it too much in the past.

Thanks,
Wally Gunn, former publisher and board member of The Art Deco Society Of Cleveland
contact me at: wally.gunn@ yahoo.com or on Face Book for more info.

Check it out some time: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-Deco-and-Art-Moderne-of-Cleveland-Ohio/1510994165799139?ref_type=bookmark

07/16/2014

Why are many movie theaters designed in the Art Deco style? Mainly, because the art deco era is when many were built. Color films started becoming more prevalent in 1939. Deco was the modern design style then. It stuck. Even today's new theaters have a retro deco look. It just says "Movie Theater" to many!!! I shot the Miles Drive In, in 1994, after it closed, in the city of Warrensville Hts., Ohio. It has a great Art Deco look on the flip side of the screen. Not sure it still exists - probably not. Video killed the drive ins. I am not sure where kids go to make out these days?

07/16/2014

How I became an Art Deco Enthusiast by Wally Gunn:

My wife, Rose and I went to Miami for our honeymoon, in August of 1986. I had never been to Florida or any tropical climate place before. We had dessert with our friend, Larry on the porch of The Carlyle Hotel, 1250 Ocean Drive, next door was The Cardozo at 1300 Ocean Drive, across from Miami Beach. I was blown away with the Streamline Modern buildings, beaches, palm trees, etc. It was like I caught a bug! I was hooked and became obsessed with Streamline Deco!

Every two years after, we visited The South Beach (SOBE) Historical District of Miami Beach. It was like heaven on earth to me. All these white and pastel buildings grouped together, on Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue near Miami's famous beach, looked like wedding cakes with a modern flair! The clean lines, rounded corners, port hole windows with permanent eye brow sun shades over them, were a sight to see! I joined the MDPL that year.

Rosie bought my first book on the subject, "Tropical Deco: The Architecture and Design of Old Miami Beach" by Laura Cerwinske and photographer, David Kaminsky (Rizzoli) and I purchased many more, thereafter. I took as many photos as I could, on each trip.

In 1986, the Art Deco District was just starting to become re-vitalized. A few of the small hotels had been rehabbed and back in business. I have many photos of buildings before and after. It became "The American Riviera" for some and big money was coming in. Celebrities, like Gloria Estefan (The Cardozo, on 1300 Ocean Drive - This hotel was featured in the 1962, Frank Sinatra Movie: "A Hole In The Head") and Madonna (The Delano, on 1685 Collins Ave.) were buying hotels to rehab!

The post Miami Vice area, in the district, kicked the market up and millions were now being spent to make it cool! The Miami Preservation League was formed after the district was declared historic, in 1979, to stop "get rich quick" investors from tearing down these wonderful buildings, to build cheap, generic, high rises, that would block out the ocean and all it's glory. Miami was already full of them, up and down the coast of Route A1A.

Pioneers of preservation, like Barbara Capitman the founder of MDPL and designer, Leonard Horowitz, were putting a stop to the uncaring, destruction and leading the way to rehab these charming and fun looking buildings!

Originally, the buildings of the 30's and 40's were mostly white with some trim, but Leonard Horowitz added the pastel palette and made them even more fun to see! Thank You!!! It is too bad our Cleveland Preservation Society has not done the same here. Our Society tends to help preserve pre-twentieth century structures for the most part. We have lost many Deco buildings and gained some horrible replacements. Later, you will see some of our lost treasures.

I didn't know it at the time, during my college years, I was drawn to certain modern styles. I later found out the style was called Art Deco or Streamline Moderne. I bought things because of the way they looked. Later again, I found other like minded collectors that were into Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern.

07/15/2014

Art Deco Images from Cleveland, Ohio

07/10/2014

A handful of Art Deco and Art Moderne enthusiasts got together and formed The Art Deco Society of Cleveland, back in 1994. The Society grew in membership to around 150 dues paying members. We published a quarterly newsletter and held events and meetings monthly. The Society was discontinued in 1998, for lack of new board members. The board at the time was doing a lot of volunteer work and needed sponsors and help. Since we still have a lot of photos and articles on the subject, I have started this Face Book page, so that those interested in Art Deco and Modern Decorative Art can post photos and information to share with others. Please like our page and feel free to post relevant images or writings. Thank You - Wally Gunn, former publisher of The ADSC.