An exploration of the dynamic changes in American taste and lifestyles during the 1920s, The Jazz Age at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum examines the period through a broad range of furniture, jewelry, fashion, textiles, decorative arts, and architecture, as well as art, film, and music.
Stretching across two floors of the Cooper Hewitt’s historic Carnegie Mansion, the show includes over 400 objects, ranging in scale from tiny earrings to large architectural elements such as doors and mural panels.
Accommodating the large checklist within the historic galleries demanded creative solutions.
A system of custom platforms with interlocking cases allowed for a dense object arrangement. Rich, saturated wall colors differentiate the thematic sections.
Stretching across two floors, the show includes a collection of decorative arts and fashion fashion installed within the museum’s large, permanent second floor vitrines.
The entire show was modeled and documented in 3D, allowing for a clear understanding of the objects and a smooth installation. This strategy was key in developing the display solution for two massive panels from Josef Urban’s Ziegfeld Theater on the museum’s grand stair’s landing.
The Jazz Age was designed by Field Guide founder Daniel Roush while partner at Vinci | Hamp Architects, Inc. The project was a collaboration with Tsang Seymour Design (graphics), Castro Watson (local architect), and the Smithsonian team. All photographs taken by Matt Flynn and shared courtesy of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum unless noted otherwise.
