DELUX DICTIONARY

A COLLECTION OF RETRO-VINTAGE TERMS, DESIGN GENERES, STYLES, 

eras AND LABELS i have learned...

SO MANY TIMES I have WISHED for A REFERENCE book on THE 

THINGS I am INTO…so here it is!

I HOPE THIS HELPS WITH YOUR RETRO LIVIN!

ANY TERMS YOU HAVE - PLEASE SHARE

IF THERE ARE ANY CORRECTIONS THAT MAY NEED TO BE DONE...PLEASE LET ME KNOW

Kitsch-

A form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value; GAUDY

Googie- 

Space Age designs depicting motion, such as boomerangs, Roofs sloping at an upward angle, starbursts, flying saucers, atoms, parabolas, and free-form designs such as "soft" parallelograms and an artist's palette motif along with sharp and bold angles. This was a representation society's fascination with Space Age themes and futuristic designs. Popular among motels, coffee houses and gas stations.

Atomic-

Development of the atom bomb profoundly affected the lives of people in the United States. This resulted in atomic style ceramics, lighting, wallpapers, textiles, furniture, linoleum and general graphics. A major driving force and consolidator for the atomic style was the Festival of Britain in 1951.

Mid Century Modern Design

Pioneering this style was Joseph Eichler, who furthered Frank Lloyd Wright principles. Eichler was instrumental in bringing Mid-Century Modern architecture ("Eichler Homes") to subdivisions to Los Angeles. Utilizing then-groundbreaking post and beam architectural design that eliminated bulky support walls and went for a open clean floor plan

Influenced by Scandinavian Designers

         (Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden)

·      Democratic Design and natural shape

·      It is a design movement characterized by simple designs, minimalism, functionality, and low-cost mass production.

Designers:

§  Glassware:           Littala        (Finland)

§  Ceramics:            Araba         (Finland)

§  Tableware:           Jenson       (Denmark)

§  Lighting:               Henning     (Denmark)

§  Furniture:             Danish Modern

§  Ceramic Dishware:        Healthware “Coupe”

Materials:

§  Steel

§  Molded Ply-wood

§  Plastics

Greasers-

A working class youth subculture that originated in the 1950s among young United States street gangs. The style and subculture then became popular among other types of people, as an expression of rebellion. Characterized by a white t-shirt, cuffed sleeves, Levi's 501s, rustler jeans or any straight legged jeans and cuff either 1-4 inches with slicked back hair

Art Deco-

These were the buildings of the future: sleek, geometric, dramatic. With their cubic forms and zigzag designs, art deco buildings embraced the machine age. Yet many features of the style were drawn not from the Jetsons like Googie, but the Flintstones.

Reto-futurism-

Retro-futurism incorporates two overlapping trends which may be summarized as the future as seen from the past and the past as seen from the future. Characterized by top and bottom of structure appearing as a separate objects—a huge flying saucer-like space ship on top of structure

Tiki Kitsch-

Polynesian Style joined with kitsch saw post war due to the soliders stories of the south pacific and Hawaii. Americans were also traveling more for the first time out of the continental US.  Examples include Hula girls, Tiki’s, and floral prints

Eames Era-

CHARLES EAMES and his wife, RAY designed some of the most important examples of 20th century furniture. Eames' plywood pieces combined an elegant organic aesthetic with a love of materials and technical ingenuity. After plywood, they focused on other materials like fibreglass, plastic, aluminum and, for the 1956 Lounge Chair, leather and very opulent plywood. The Lounge became an icon of the 1960s and 1970s

DANISH MODERN: Minimalist Wood Furniture

Vintage style of minimalist wood furniture from Denmark associated with the Danish design movement. Starting in the 1920s this post-war period style, had clean, pure lines that are recognizable for their simple, elegant, and airy forms and made of very high quality. 

·      Danish Designers created affordable furniture and household objects that are functional and elegant

·      Teak wood has become synonymous with this style because of it s ability to be resistant to the elements

Characteristics of Danish Modern

1.   Clean Lines- uncluttered and sleek –dramatically different from pre war furniture of the 1950s

2.   Infusion of man made materials – fiberglass & Teak

3.   Colors and Textures- (White and Mustard) Ero Saarinen “Womb” Chair and Eames Fiberglass Chair

4.   Plastic- Bakelite, Plexiglass and Lucite

5.   Woods- Oak, Birch and Teak (blonde or bleached)

6.   Heavy Vinyl and bleached leather

Notable Pieces and Designers:

·      Henningsen -

    Lighting/Shades (created shades that reduced glare and light entire area rather that particular area.)

·      Jacobsen - Father of Modernism  

    The Egg, The Swan, 3 Legged Ant Chair, 1 piece plywood, Chair, 7 Chair

The EGG

The WOMB

·      Juhl -         

    2 piece bench (USA)

·      Wegner -    

    Round Chair (Named most beautiful chair in 1949)

·      Jalk-           

    He and She Chair

·      Panton-       

    Plastic

KEEPING YOUR EYES PEELED:

1.   HIGH ROLLERS:        Eames and Herman Miller  

2.   RUNNER UP:   Knoll- Grasshopper, womb, pedestal

3.   WANTED:                 George Nelson’s Starburst Clocks

4.   DICE ROLL:               Luxury “No Name” brands

         

Vintage Western- 

 Influenced by classic western movies and America’s fascination with cowboys like John Wayne in the 1950s, the rockabilly music scene embraced this style which included bright embroidered western style shirts, hats, and boots as well as bolero ties. Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash are known for their western style. This style also rolled over to home décor, textiles and toys. 

Mod-

Innovative, creative, bold and brash- Sixties fashion belonged to London, England. The Brits set the tone and the world followed. Color played a big role in defining the look. The muted and pastel palette of Fifties fashions gave way to bright, bold color often splayed in geometric patterns.Notable Influences-Psychedelic Rock (The Who and Small Faces)British Skinheads, Scooter Rallies and all night raves2 Subcultures (Beatniks and Teddy Boys)The Movie The Wild One. 

Rockabilly-

JUST A Description: A lifestyle that is steeped in the 50s & 60s, it encompasses clothing, tattoos, cars, hairstyles, music, homes, and motorcycles. It started with music, a mix of country (honky tonk), blues and rock and roll. Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis all play this style coined the “Memphis Sound”. Sun Records, in Memphis, is the recording label known for making this genre and making these stars who they are. Rockabillies have a unique style and for a better definition of what rockabilly is check out these sites:
Viva Las Vegas
Bernie Dexter - Pinup
Rockabilly

**VIVA LAS VEGAS WEEKEND 2009** 

Cheesecake Pinup-

A genre of glamour photography and poster art made popular in wartime of the 1940's, often featuring modest poses by sweet ladies (usually meaty) displaying lots of leg but little explicit nudity. When the US boys were overseas, they took with them pin-ups as reminders of what it was back home they were fighting for. Cheesecake was painted on the noses of airplanes and photos and magazines decorated lockers and bulkhead walls. The women in the pictures were both nameless "girls next door" and movie stars. (Notable pinups Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable) 

Boudoir- pronounced  bŏo dwăawr.

French word meaning woman’s bedroom or private sitting room, Usually takes place in a setting such as a bedroom or a hotel room… an intimate setting to create classy images that can be soft, romantic, sexy, sensual, or naughty. The main focus of a boudoir photographer is to capture you in the most flattering way by guiding you through the poses that compliment your body type. 

Golden Era or Golden Years-

How Americans have come to view the postwar period.The 1950s in particular - as America's Classic Era, a place in time to be admired and emulated forever. With its innovative spirit, boundless energy, and seemingly limitless possibilities, most Americans have embraced this unique, colorful era as the touchstone for the course of the nation. Seen as an era when "everything was right" and a period in which the United States really fulfilled its fate as the leader of the world in all respects 

Silver Screen-

Associated with the Golden Years of Hollywood – refers to Movies and the stars that played in them.Starlets of Silver Screen -Maryiln Monroe, Bridgette Bardot, Rita Hayworth, Mamie Van Doren, Joan Crawford and Jayne MansfieldStars of Silver Screen – Roc Hudson, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Charleston Heston and Warren Beaty

  

PostWar-

Generally referring to time after WWII 

VLV- (VIVA LAS VEGAS)

A style subgenera of Rockabilly that refers to the vintage Viva Las Vegas style – Elvis, the rat pack and the lounge feel  

Bombshell-

A HOTTIE 

Boogie Woogie-

Is a style of piano-based blues that became popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, It is characterized by a regular bass figure, in the left hand. The bass figure is transposed according to the chord changes. Boogie Woogie piano playing originated in the lumber and turpentine camps of Texas and in the sporting houses of that state.  A fast, rolling bass—giving the piece an undercurrent of tremendous power—power piano playing.""Neither Pine Top Smith, Meade Lux Lewis nor Albert Ammons originated that style of playing—they are merely exponents of it." 

Pompadour-

A style of men's haircut which takes its name from Madame de Pompadour, it is big on top and close to the head on the sides 

Case Study Homes-

Experiments in American residential architecture, which commissioned major architects of the day, including Richard Neutra, Raphael Soriano, Craig Ellwood, Charles and Ray Eames, Pierre Koenig and Eero Saarinen, to design and build affordable and efficient model homes for the US Residential boom caused by the returning soliders at the end World War II. The program ran intermittently from 1945 until 1966. The first six houses were built by 1948 and attracted more than 350,000 visitors. While not all 36 designs were built, most of those that were constructed were built in Los Angeles; a few are in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one was built in Phoenix, Arizona. A number of them appeared in the magazine in iconic black-and-white photographs by architectural photographer Julius Shulman. Many homes are still around and can be viewed today 

Ranch Style-

First built after the post war boom, it is noted for its long, close-to-the-ground profile, and minimal use of exterior and interior decoration. The houses fuse modernist ideas and styles with a flare of the American Western period working ranches.

• Single story
• Long, low roofline, Asymmetrical rectangular L-shaped, or U-shaped
• Attached garage
• Sliding glass doors opening onto a patio
• Large windows, often decorated with shutters
• Vaulted ceilings with exposed beams
• Exteriors of stucco, brick and wood
• Large overhanging eaves
• Cross-gabled, side-gabled or hip roof 

Knotty Pine Style-

A type of timber used in the 1950s to construct houses with country accents or a rustic or Western theme. The wood is very distinctive because of its large knots, or defects, which make a striking pattern when the wood is used on walls, flooring, or cabinetry. 

Streamline Modern-

Streamline Moderne and its design style reflected the growth of speed, travel and technology in the 1930s. The style of buildings looked similar to that of the new technology - automobiles, trains, ocean ships and airplanes. It is emphasized by curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. Visualize Luxury vintage railcar, with sleek, smooth, rounded edges – vintage Airstream trailer! 

Populuxe-

Low-cost consumer goods that are also perceived as being stylish or fashionable; a style that is reminiscent of or based on 1950s architecture and design. That quintessential 1950s look, think tail fins on cars, aerodynamic appliances with chrome accents, and pastel shades galore! Also known as Googie or Doo Wop

Shawnee-

Shawnee Pottery was the manufacturer of various types of household pottery from 1937 through 1961.Because of the large amounts of natural clay in that area the Shawnee Indian tribes lived and produced pottery near the site of the plant well before the area was settled and began to thrive.

Old Hollywood Glamour

Old Hollywood Glamour is a style of luxury and elegance. Marilyn Monroe, Bridgette Bardot and other starlets from the golden age (1920s thru 19602). Women were glamourus and sexy, they wore deep shades of lipstick, had pin curls, silk and feathers, light golden and champagne shades.