Modern American Luxury: The Reception and Adaptation of the French High Style in the United States 1925-1939

The years between 1925 and 1939 proved a dynamic time in regards to the emergence of modern luxury decorative arts in the United States. The 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industries presented to the world at large a uniquely French style of luxurious design. This French high style introduced to Americans the long-standing French tradition of expensive and customized decorative objects in a modern form. This thesis specifically focuses on the means in which Americans received and adapted the style to form a distinct mode of modern luxury in the United States. Through the organization of three chapters, this thesis analyzes and discusses the history of French traditionalist design, its reception and adaptation in the United States, and the resulting rise of modern American luxury from 1925-1939.