Prelude to International Style: The 1927 Machine-Age Exposition

In the mid to late-1920s, European Modernist designs began to appear in New York galleries. These appearances started rather sporadically, but soon evolved into a sensation and were joined by American indigenous Modernist works. Among these displays, the Machine-Age Exposition of 1927 stood out with its wide coverage of Modernist exhibits and a strong theme. Placing the Machine-Age Exposition in historical perspective, this study traces the origins of the Machine-Age Exposition, examines the Modernist exhibits and their accompanying rhetoric, and reviews the contemporary responses of the show. The study also investigates the limitations of the event, as well as the constituents that established the Machine-Age Exposition as the most important event in disseminating Modernism in America in the pre-International Style era.