Consuming Modernism: Erich Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, and the Museum of Modern Art

Masculinist histories of modern architecture haveshied away from acknowledging the degree to which it was a fashion and, assuch, successfully marketed to women, often by other women. Considering thecontribution of House Beautiful to its reception in the UnitedStates begins to redress interpretations that also marginalize men, such asErich Mendelsohn, who primarily designed building types, such as departmentstores and cinemas, frequented predominantly by women. In particular itchallenges the primacy of Museum of Modern Art to a development for which itshould instead share generous credit with female journalists writing in theshelter press and in the arts pages of daily newspapers. Acknowledging the roleof these women as tastemakers also challenges us to understand what about thenew style appealed to their readers.

Kathleen James-Chakraborty is professor of Art History at the University College Dublin.

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Scientific organization: Marieke von Bernstorff

_{Image caption: Cover,House Beautiful, Maurice Day, January 1927}