Not currently on display at the V&A

Thrills

Dress Fabric
1927 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Paris Exhibition of decorative arts of 1925 had an enormous impact on American design when it toured the USA the following year. It encouraged American designers to create furniture and interiors in the modern style. One example is this printed silk dress fabric called ‘Thrills’ by Dwight Taylor for the Stehli Silks Corporation. The pattern shows a switchback in silhouette. It is part of the ‘Americana’ range of dress fabrics which the firm commissioned from leading artists in 1927. To make a change from ubiquitous floral patterns, these fabrics were designed specifically to depict contemporary American life.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThrills (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Printed silk crêpe de Chine
Brief description
Printed silk crêpe de Chine, USA, 1927.
Physical description
Idiosyncratically drawn repeat of the silhouette of a switchback railway in cream on a rust coloured ground, inspired by the one at Coney Island.
Dimensions
  • Length: 30.5cm
  • Width: 28.5cm
Style
Credit line
Given by the Stehli Silks Corporation
Object history
Registered File number 1929/8683.
Subject depicted
Summary
The Paris Exhibition of decorative arts of 1925 had an enormous impact on American design when it toured the USA the following year. It encouraged American designers to create furniture and interiors in the modern style. One example is this printed silk dress fabric called ‘Thrills’ by Dwight Taylor for the Stehli Silks Corporation. The pattern shows a switchback in silhouette. It is part of the ‘Americana’ range of dress fabrics which the firm commissioned from leading artists in 1927. To make a change from ubiquitous floral patterns, these fabrics were designed specifically to depict contemporary American life.
Bibliographic reference
Samuels, Charlotte. Art Deco Textiles. London : V&A Publications, 2003. Plate 62.
Collection
Accession number
T.87G-1930

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Record createdAugust 23, 2002
Record URL
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