Phoenix Art Deco Society

08/14/2026

How can you spot the difference between a 1920s dress and a 1930s dress? Both decades exist in the Art Deco era, but one of the biggest changes comes down to the silohette! A frock from the 1920s embraced a rebellious drop-waist and boyish cut - often adorned with appliques, patterns, and decoration that was common in early Art Deco. Compared to the sleek, minimal, and feminine features of a 1930s dress that popularized the bias-cut, the trasition wasn't just a random change in fashion, it was a response to the cultural, economic, and social shifts happening during the end of the Jazz Age and into the Great Depression.

08/03/2026

Raise your eyes to the sky! ⛅ It was August 1930, and the world had never seen anything quite like it. As the Chrysler Building opened its doors, New York welcomed more than just another skyscraper. It unveiled a glittering monument to the Machine Age, where stainless steel gleamed like polished chrome.

For a fleeting moment, it was the tallest building on Earth, a breathtaking symbol of human ambition rising just as the Great Depression began to cast its shadow. Nearly a century later, it's radiant crown still catches the sunlight, reminding us why it remains a jewel of the Art Deco movement.

Cheers to the 96th anniversary of this icon!🥂

07/21/2026

Our friends at Preserve Phoenix have been hard at work saving a 124 Queen Anne home from ASU's eminent domain lawsuit. We are celebrating this hug win for preservation alongside them! The court proceedings have not been formally concluded. If you haven't signed the petition to show your support, you can still do so here:
https://www.preservephx.org/emersonhouse

PreservePhoenix is thrilled to report that Arizona State University and the Arizona Board of Regents have stated they will file for dismissal of their eminent domain lawsuit and will alter plans for the full site to accommodate Phoenix's historic Louis Emerson House.

This is a huge win for the neighborhood and downtown Phoenix to maintain this unique building's character, history, and placement. Our board of directors is grateful to you and literally thousands upon thousands of others for your support and advocacy.

07/16/2026

A heartfelt thank you to those who attended our first Art Deco Fashion Show & Afternoon Tea last month!

Thank you to our clothing sponsors: Erin Lindsey, Red Head Sadie Vintage, Meloo Vintage, Antique Sugar, and Reese's Vintage Pieces.

07/14/2026

In the film My Man Godfrey, actor William Powell plays Godfrey a "forgotten man". The term forgotten man was applied during the 1920s and 1930s to the neglected infantrymen and veterans of the Great War who faced economic hardship, high unemployment, and societal indifference upon returning home.

Post-war cultural portrayals, such as those in 1930s Hollywood films, highlighted how these men transitioned from celebrated heroes to unwelcome. My Man Godfrey isn't just a screwball comedy, it's a view of something cultural at the time that looks beyond the glitz and glamor of the Art Deco era.

Join us this Sunday, July 19th for the screening of the film and see how the forgotten man was portrayed at the time. Link in comments for tickets 🎟️

07/10/2026

Check out this lecture happening on Sunday with our friends at the Rosson House! Sarah Matchette is a wealth of information!

Don't forget- our next lecture, "Temperance and Trapdoors: Prohibition and the Rosson House Museum" is this Sunday at 12pm! 🥂 Join Program Director Sarah Matchette as she takes us through the development of Prohibition in Arizona and how it intersected with our 1895 Queen Anne Victorian 🏠

Tickets are going quick- reserve your spot today: thesquarephx.org/discover-summer-lecture-series/

07/09/2026

A July escape, 1929 style! When Phoenix temperatures climbed into the triple digits, there was one place everyone wanted to be: the movies.

The Arizona Republic was filled with advertisements promising the latest talking pictures, cool air, dazzling interiors, and an evening of glamour. For just a few cents, moviegoers could step out of the desert heat and into another world.

Nearly a century later, there's still something magical about sitting beneath the lights of a historic movie palace in the middle of a Phoenix summer. Some traditions never go out of style.

07/03/2026

🎬 Join the Phoenix Art Deco Society for a Sunday afternoon screening of My Man Godfrey. The 1936 comedy blends sharp wit, Art Deco glamor and surprising social commentary into one unforgettable screwball film. Sunday July 19th at 4:00pm. Link in comments for tickets 🎟️