Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom by Joseph Urban

A close look at an intimate Art Deco interior reveals how personal taste and modern design converged at the end of the 1920s.

Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom by Joseph Urban takes place on Saturday, January 10 at The Wolfsonian-FIU on Miami Beach. The talk centers on a custom bedroom designed in 1929 by architect and designer Joseph Urban for 17-year-old Elaine Wormser in Chicago’s Drake Tower, now part of the Cincinnati Art Museum’s collection.

Amy Dehan, curator of decorative arts and design at the Cincinnati Art Museum, discusses the room’s original commission, its reconstruction nearly 90 years later and Urban’s broader influence on American modern design. The program is presented as part of The Wolfsonian’s Mark Mamolen series on American homes, which examines how interior design reflects individual identity and social values, and is organized with the Miami Design Preservation League in conjunction with Art Deco Weekend.