The Art Deco and Modernism Society of Australia Inc.

Collecting Art Deco
2023-08-24 19:45 - 22:00 (Australia/Melbourne) | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
Collecting Art Deco – From fine art to ephemera
Guest speaker and ADMSA member, Dr Peter Sheridan AM is an internationally recognised and respected historian, collector and speaker on Art Deco design. Over 25 years Peter and his wife Jan have built a world-class collection of Art Deco pieces from all over the world which highlight the beauty, flamboyance and the variety of Art Deco design in all its iterations, with unique individual pieces complemented by exceptional assemblages of rarely-seen sets and groupings.
In this informative presentation Peter will share images from his soon to be released book of his remarkable collection that spans from rare and valuable museum pieces to accessible and affordable collectibles.
There is something for everyone at this event so please join us at the Racecourse Hotel on Thursday 24 August.
Please use the booking form below to register by 19 August 2023.
Past Event

Post 2023 World Congress Presentation
2023-07-20 20:00 - 22:00 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
16th World Congress on Art Deco: Modernism – Florida’s Hidden Treasures

The 16th World Congress on Art Deco: Modernism – Florida’s Hidden Treasures was held in April 2023. Attendees were treated to a celebration of Art Deco and Modernism that included guided tours, lectures, exhibits, and events highlighting the early 20th Century architectural history and design treasures of Central Florida, Miami/Miami Beach and Palm Beach.
ADMSA members David Wharton, Alison Finch, Julie Lord and Brian Scott will each share their highlights, photos and memories of the Congress.

Please join us on Thursday, 20 July 2023 for this visual feast and special tour of the Congress through the eyes of our own ADMSA presenters. Use the booking form below to register by Saturday, 15 July 2023.
When: Thursday, 20th July 2023, 7.45pm for an 8.00pm start.
Where: Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East VIC 3145
Cost: $20 Members, $25 non-members (includes tea, coffee and nibbles)
Past Event

Fashions of the Thirties
2022-07-28 20:00 - 22:00 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
It was a time of sartorial extremes: from the luxury of Hollywood glamour, to the destitution of the Great Depression. Women wore playful, beautiful and colourful clothing which served as an escape from life’s grim realities: a welcome return to femininity, with frills, flounces, bows and curls.
Film stars like Jean Harlow, Katharine Hepburn and Joan Crawford typified the desired look and inspired millions. Madeleine Vionnet innovated with the bias-cut technique and Elsa Schiaparelli collaborated with artists Dali and Cocteau to create stunning and shocking gowns. As the decade comes to a close with another World War, we see a return to nostalgic fashions and shoulder pads.
Please join fashion historian and author Nicole Jenkins for an illustrated talk on ladies’ fashions of the 1930s.
Bookings must be forwarded to ADMSA no later than Tuesday, 26 July 2022.
Past Event

Beaumaris Modern
2022-05-26 20:00 - 22:00 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
Our guest speaker is Fiona Austin, President of Beaumaris Modern. When Fiona, a long-time resident of Beaumaris, saw those buildings she admired were being demolished, she, along with a group of concerned residents, started this community group. Fiona will be sharing her love of this area, its location to the bay, the modernist architecture and its natural landscape.
Following her presentation on Beaumaris Modern, Fiona will talk about her ongoing interest in her Tasmanian family links to Holyman Airways – (which became Australian National Airways – ANA) and the family company ‘Modern Art Furniture’ which designed the furniture and interiors for passenger terminals around Australia.
DATE: Thursday, 26 May 2022
TIME: 7:45pm for an 8 o’clock start
VENUE: Racecourse Hotel, cnr Dandenong Rd and Waverley Rd, Malvern East
COST: $20 members, $25 non-members (includes tea, coffee & snacks)
All bookings to be received no later than Tuesday, 24 May 2022.
Past Event

Clarice Cliff (rescheduled)
2022-04-07 20:00 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
We can confirm that the Clarice Cliff presentation originally scheduled for 31 March will now go ahead on Thursday, 7 April. Same time and venue (7.45 pm for 8.pm start, Racecourse Hotel, East Malvern).
Please contact Robyn Saalfield, if you are still available to attend as numbers are required for catering. For those who have already booked and cannot attend please advise if a refund is required or to hold credit for a future event.

Guest speaker, Vaughan Macefield, will be sharing his keen interest in the work of Clarice Cliff, one of the most recognised designers of ceramics during the interwar years. Inspired by her visit to the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels and important designers like Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Cliff created her own designs featuring bold colours, fantastic geometric patterns and shapes for which she became famous. Her work was instantly popular and has continued to be so with collectors around the world.
Vaughan will explore Cliff’s work, influences and legacy in his excellent presentation. Join us for this interesting and fun evening as we return to the Racecourse Hotel for our first in-person event for 2022.
DATE: Thursday, 7 April 2022
TIME: 7.45pm for an 8 o’clock start
VENUE: Racecourse Hotel, cnr Dandenong Rd and Waverley Rd, Malvern East
COST: $20 members, $25 non-members (includes tea, coffee & snacks)
Past Event

St Kilda Art Deco Walk - Postponed
2021-02-28 09:30 - 12:00 | Quilkeys Dairy, 14 Cowderoy Street, St Kilda West, Victoria, 3182
Regarding the proposed walking tour of St Kilda scheduled for 28 February, after discussions it was agreed that there was still an element of risk associated with conducting the walk. We regret that the walk will not proceed and has been deferred for a month i.e 28 March.
Please join ADMSA Committee members for our next St. Kilda Walking Tour. St. Kilda has some outstanding examples of interwar architecture and design – apartments, houses, theatres, hotels and public gardens. Estimated duration time is 2 hours, and we will finish at the Palais Theatre (and then adjourn to the Espy for a cocktail?).
Past Event

Parkville Walk
2020-09-13 09:30 - 12:00 | Victoria
Join ADMSA for a walk around inner Melbourne suburb, Parkville – Sunday, September 13th 2020
Past Event
Purchase walk booklet here

Interwar Cinemas of the Eastern Suburbs - CANCELLED
2020-05-07 20:00 - 22:00 | Victoria
Given the current circumstances regarding self-isolation with people staying at home for their own safety and the safety of others, the talk by Tony Tibbals from the Cinema and Theatre Historical Society of Australia (CATHS) about the interwar cinemas of Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs that was scheduled for Thursday, May 7th 2020 has been cancelled.
We are hopeful that we will be able to reschedule Tony’s talk at some point in the future.
Stay safe and healthy!
Past Event

St Kilda Art Deco Walk - POSTPONED
2020-03-22 | Victoria
We regret to announce that the St Kilda Walk scheduled for 22 March will NOT proceed.
Stay Safe.
Best Robin
Robin Grow
President, Art Deco & Modernism Society of Australia, Inc
Past Event

Route 66
2020-01-30 19:30 - 22:30 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
Join us for a special night with renowned Melbourne tour guide and raconteur, Kenneth Park, as he takes us on a tour along the U.S.A’s Route 66. Sure to be a fun and entertaining evening as Kenneth shares his first-hand knowledge of the Deco (and other) delights along the legendary route between Chicago and Los Angeles .

Date:
Thursday, 30th January 2020

Starting Time:
7:30pm for an 8 o’clock start

Venue:
Racecourse Hotel, cnr Dandenong Rd and Waverley Rd, East Malvern

Cost:
$20 members, $25 non-members (light refreshments included)

Bookings no later than Tuesday 28 January 2020.
Past Event

Miami Meets Melbourne - Cancelled
2020-01-27 19:30 - 22:30 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
Unfortunately our speaker at the Miami Meets Melbourne Night has cancelled his Australian trip, due to concerns about the bushfires and the effect on his respiratory health from smoke. This means that the event scheduled for 27 January will not proceed.
However, we have organised a great replacement, to be held on Thursday 30 January at the Racecourse Hotel. Tour leader and raconteur Kenneth Park will take us on an entertaining tour along the legendary Route 66, America’s best-known road.
We are sorry for any inconvenience.
Past Event

Buenos Aires World Congress on Art Deco
2019-11-28 19:30 - 22:30 | Victoria
Please join us for a presentation on the World Congress on Art Deco, held in Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata and Montevideo.
Share our memories as some of the attendees recount tales of the vibrant architecture, culture and fashion found in these exciting locations.

Time: 7.30pm for an 8 o’clock start.
Venue: Racecourse Hotel, upstairs function room, cnr Dandenong and Waverley Roads, Malvern East.
Cost: $20 members, $25 non-members.

All bookings to be received no later than Tuesday, 26thNovember 2019.

Past Event

15th ICADS World Congress on Art Deco
2019-11-05 - 2019-11-15 | Victoria
Rioplatense describes the culture of a region on both sides of the Rio de la Plata that produces crops and cattle but also tango music, avant garde literature and arts as well as modern architecture and design.
The minimalist landscape of plains and waters of the region inspired the building of modern artefacts that borrowed ideas, images and materials from different parts of the world to shape eclectic cityscapes.
The Congress will offer an exceptional experience of the Rioplatense Deco World that flourished during the 20s, 30s and 40s by means of tours and visits, lectures and readings, cocktails and events.
Past Event

Annual General Meeting
2019-10-17 | Victoria
Annual General Meeting
Thursday 17 October – Evening function
‘The Esmond Collective’
Following our AGM, guest speakers Margaret Pitt and Paddy Dorney will present jointly on architect Esmond Dorney’s life and the evolution of his work. Dorney’s Melbourne Art Deco practice (1931-1941) and the Hobart Modernist practice (1947 -1991) will be covered in their presentation.
Past Event

Texas Down Under
2019-08-27 20:00 - 22:00 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
Please join us for a special event when we visit Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. Created for the Texas Centennial Exposition of 1936, Fair Park is one of the finest collections of Art Deco art and architecture in the United States.
In this illustrated lecture, featuring historic and current images and newsreel footage from the Centennial Exposition, Fair Park Deco co-author Jim Parsons takes us through the park as a visitor might have experienced it in 1936.
Jim Parsons, a native Texan, puts a passion for the state’s history and architecture to work as Programs Director for Preservation Houston.

Tuesday, 27th August
7:30 pm for an 8 o’clock start
Venue: Racecourse Hotel, upstairs function room, cnr Dandenong Road and Waverley Road, Malvern East.
Cost: $20 members, $25 non-members (light refreshments included).

Bookings essential by Sunday 25th August.

Past Event

Mid-century Women's Fashion post WWII
2019-07-18 20:00 - 22:00 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
Join author and collector, Nicole Jenkins, for a slideshow presentation on Australian ladies wear of the post-WW2 period, when femininity and grown up glamour reigned and the local manufacturing industry thrived. Style, fabrics and construction details will all be included in this detailed look at fashions from 1947 to 1964.
Also, if you have a particular article of clothing or fashion accessory from this period, we encourage you to bring (or wear) it for an informal ‘show & tell’ following Nicole’s presentation.

Date:
Thursday, 18th July 2019

Starting Time:
7.30pm for an 8 o’clock start

Venue:
Racecourse Hotel, cnr Dandenong Rd and Waverley Rd, East Malvern

Cost:
$20 members, $25 non-members (light refreshments included)

All bookings to be received no later than Tuesday, 16thJuly 2019.
Past Event

Melbourne City Centre Art Deco Walk
2019-06-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Why not join us for a walk and take in the many Art Deco treasures in Melbourne’s City centre? We will see commercial buildings, department stores (past and present), cinemas, arcades, banks, car parks, post offices – all contributors to Melbourne being one of the world’s great Art Deco cities.
Colour walk booklet will be provided. Hope to have you join us!
Date: Sunday 9th June, 2019
Starting Time: 9.45 am for a 10.00 am start
Starting Point: Manchester Unity Building, cnr Swanston and Collins Streets, Melbourne
Cost: $30 members, $35 non-members (walk booklet included)
All bookings to be received no later than Thursday 6th June, 2019.
Past Event

Chicago Art Deco & Johnson Wax Complex, Racine
2019-05-09 | Victoria
Join ADMSA President Robin Grow for an exploration of the wonderful Art Deco to be found in Chicago – including skyscrapers, hotels, apartments, shopping centres, and much much more.
He will be joined by David Thompson, who will take us to the city of Racine in Wisconsin, home of the wonderful Johnson Wax Company Complex (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) and other impressive buildings.

Date:
Thursday, 9th May 2019

Starting Time:
7:30pm for an 8 o’clock start

Venue:
Racecourse Hotel, cnr Dandenong Rd and Waverley Rd, East Malvern

Cost:
$20 members, $25 non-members (light refreshments included)

All bookings to be received no later than Tuesday, 7thMay 2019.
Past Event

Art Deco Sydney
2019-03-28 19:30 - 22:00 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
Join us for an entertaining evening as Dr Peter Sheridan launches his latest book entitled Sydney Art Deco. Dr Peter Sheridan AM is an internationally recognised historian, collector, author and speaker on Art Deco design.
This is the first comprehensive reference book on Sydney’s Art Deco heritage. It explores the impact of the Art Deco style on the landscape, life and architecture of Sydney during the 1930s and 1940s. The book explores commercial, residential, civic and industrial buildings as well as cinemas, pubs and shops and identifies over 100 local architects. Peter’s presentation will show the best of Sydney’s Art Deco.
Copies of Sydney Art Deco will be for sale on the night at $80 (20% discount), cash sales only.

Date:
Thursday, 28th March 2019

Starting Time:
7:30pm for an 8 o’clock start

Venue:
Racecourse Hotel, cnr Dandenong Rd and Waverley Rd, Malvern East

Cost:
$20 members, $25 non-members (light refreshments included)

All bookings to be received no later than Tuesday, 26th March 2019
Past Event

Walking Tour - Golf Links Estate, Camberwell
2018-12-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Golf Links Estate, Camberwell, corner Camberwell Road and Christowell Street, Camberwell, Victoria, 3124, Australia
Join us for a walking tour of the Golf Links Estate, Camberwell where we will view examples of Art Deco and Moderne architecture, as well as garden designs of the period.

Date: Sunday, 2nd December, 2018
Starting Time: 9.45am for a 10.00am start
Starting Point: Corner Camberwell Rd and Christowell Street, Camberwell
Cost: $30 members, $35 non-members (includes walk booklet).

Past Event

Purchase walk booklet here

The Big Bands and Swing Music
2018-09-13 19:30 - 21:30 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
Our guest speaker is Henry Kovacevic, Founder and Director of the B#BigBand. Join Henry as he leads us on a musical journey that explores the evolution of dance music. Beginning with the society dance music of the 1920s, Henry will explain the influence of such greats as Paul Whiteman and Louis Armstrong in creating what came to be known as ‘swing’ and the big bands, including Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and Ted Heath. Sure to be a fun night.
DATE: Thursday, 13thSeptember 2018
TIME: 7:45pm for an 8 o’clock start
VENUE: Racecourse Hotel, cnr Dandenong Rd and Waverley Rd, Caulfield East
COST: $20 per member, $25 per non-member (includes tea, coffee & snacks)
All bookings to be received no later than Tuesday, 11thSeptember 2018.
Past Event

20th Century Textiles and Mid-Century Furniture Design
2018-08-02 19:30 - 22:00 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
Please join us for a presentation about the exciting world of textiles and mid-century furniture.
Our first presenter is Laura Jocic, who will cover Australian Modernist textiles from the 1920s to 1960s. She will examine the development of textile design in Australia in those years, which centred on the production of printed textiles in response to a Modernist aesthetic whilst drawing inspiration from the local environment.
Our second presenter is Kirsty Grant, who will cover furniture by Australian designers such as Featherston, Meadmore, McLay etc. – design, manufacturing and sales, together with aspects of modern architecture and interior design.
DATE: Thursday, 2ndAugust 2018
TIME: 7:45pm for an 8 o’clock start
VENUE: Racecourse Hotel, cnr Dandenong Rd and Waverley Rd, Caulfield East
COST: $20 per member, $25 per non-member (includes tea, coffee & snacks)
Bookings by Tuesday 31 July
Past Event

International images of Fascism in the Art Deco Era: the Italian pavilions at the World Fairs of the 1930s
2018-06-07 20:00 - 22:00 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
The 1930s saw World’s Fairs hosted in a number of cities that were key centres of technological and design innovation, such as Chicago 1933, Paris 1937 and New York 1939.
These massive events influenced design and styling during this momentous decade and provided the pathway to the future as the world embraced technology and consumerism.
Join architectural historian and academic Flavia Marcello for a lively and entertaining presentation about how Fascist Italy presented itself in these international arenas.
Date: Thursday, 7th June 2018
Venue: Racecourse Hotel, Caulfield East, cnr Dandenong and Waverley Roads
Time: 7:30 for an 8pm start
Cost: $20 per person

All bookings to be received no later than Tuesday, 5th June 2018.

Past Event

Tel Aviv Modernism
2018-04-26 19:45 - 22:00 | The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, VIC, 3145, Australia
Join ADMSA President Robin Grow for a night exploring the wonderful interwar heritage of one of the world’s most vibrant cities – the “White City” of Tel Aviv, now a UNESCO World heritage site and home to about 4,000 modernist buildings. We will visit fairgrounds, apartments, hotels, offices, schools, museums, synagogues, cinemas, beach pavilions and even a kibbutz! Also included will be the fascinating cities of Jerusalem, Haifa and Jaffa.
Date: Thursday 26 April 2018
Time: 7.45 pm for an 8 o’clock start
Venue: Racecourse Hotel, cnr Dandenong & Waverly Rds, Caulfield East
Cost: $20 (includes tea, coffee & Snacks)
Bookings by Tuesday 24 April 2018
Past Event

South Yarra Walk
2018-02-04 10:00 - 12:00 | Royce Hotel, 379 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia
Join us for a walk around the tree-lined streets of South Yarra, one of Melbourne’s most attractive inner suburbs, and explore the variety of interwar building types and styles – hotels, apartment blocks, houses, schools and streetscapes.
Date: Sunday, 4 February
Starting Time: 9.45am for a 10 o’clock start; duration – 2 hours approx
Starting Point: Royce Hotel, 379 St Kilda Road, Melbourne 3004
Cost: $30 (includes walk booklet)
All bookings to be received no later than Thursday 1st February, 2018.
Past Event
Purchase walk booklet here
