Cartier Alarm Clock

Cartier Alarm Clock

Wouldn't it be lovely if we all still used compacts? Instead of throwing all those plastic lipstick cases and makeup boxes into the landfill, shouldn't we women have a gorgeous Art Deco compact in our handbags, filled with a refill of our favourite colour of powder or rouge.

It seems a great shame to me, that Art Deco compacts these days are relegated to the collectables cabinet. Yes, they are truly beautiful there, but a pity that they are not serving their original function.

History of Art Deco Compacts

Putting on make up in public still has something of a taboo about it. In the 1920s the outrageous flappers would flirt, smoke, kiss and yes, even put on their make up in public. It was all part of the new freedom and emancipation of women. Of course, there was disapproval, and perhaps some of that has survived to this day. For apart from the occasional women you see doing her makeup in the car at the traffic lights, you don't see a lot of girls taking out their makeup in the middle of a party or at the restaurant dining table.

So during the Art Deco era, throughout the roaring twenties and the Depression years of the 1930s, compacts were incredibly popular and hundreds of thousands were made in every possible shape, size, colour and design.

Styles of Art Deco compacts

They were round, square, oblong, oval, biomorphic, hexagonal, camera shaped, shell shaped, shaped like animals or soft toys.

They were made of cheap metal, wood or plastic, Bakelite or Celluloid,or Guilloche enamel and silver or chrome. There were engine turned ones, sharkskin covered ones and diamond and jewel encrusted gold ones.

Art Deco motifs adorned the most stylish compacts - scrolls, parallel lines or ziggurats. The colours of the day included pale green, powder blues, black and silver, or black and ivory.

Symbols of animals were very popular,especially Scottie Dogs, an elephant or cartoon characters. A great find these days would be a rare compact with Mickey Mouse on it. There were hunting scenes, flowers or images of stylish ladies on the front.

The manufacturers showed off their skills with clever mechanisms, fold out compartments and little springs which made the lids pop up. some contained watches. I have seen one, which even has a little pop up watch with a stand which comes out of the top of the compact, like a mini alarm clock. There were many compacts in the shape of a camera, with space for cigarettes and money, as well as the powder and lipstick. The Art Deco compacts evolved into mini handbags, with places for combs, mirrors, money, cigarettes. These were called vanities or necessaires.

The makers and retailers

All the big names made Art Deco compacts, Cartier, Liberty, Tiffany, Van Cleef von Arpels, Boucheron, Sandoz, to name but a few, although these are extremely expensive today. More affordable names are Stratton, Bourjois, Elgina, Houbigant, and then there are the thousands of unmarked compacts which can be no less attractive.

Compacts were retailed by all the big department stores, chemists, jewellers etc. and you can even buy them marked with the names of the large ocean liners which plied the transatlantic routes in the 1920s and 1930s. A souvenir of a memorable voyage.

Maybe one day, when we realise we can't keep throwing out perfectly good plastic containers, the Art Deco compacts we've been treasuring for so many years will finally make it back out of the china cabinet or the dressing table drawer and come back into use. I, for one, would be delighted.

Decolish is a site for fans and collectors of Art Deco

http://www.decolish.com/ArtDecoCompacts.html

Alarm Clock $10 Alarm Clock

Alarm Clock - Gripper $16.53 Alarm Clock - Gripper Alarm Clock - Gripper

Alarm Clock Bell Runs $10 Alarm Clock Bell Runs

Shalala Alarm Clock $10 Shalala Alarm Clock

Alarm Clock-Chopsticks $10 Alarm Clock-Chopsticks

Peter Clown Alarm Clock $151 Peter Clown Alarm Clock

You, Me and the Alarm Clock $7.49 You, Me and the Alarm Clock

Clock,Alarm,Quartz,Bk $14.99 CLOCK,ALARM,QUARTZ,BK

Timex Stratos Alarm Clock $8.99 TIMEX STRATOS ALARM CLOCK

Citadel-the Alarm Clock - Gripper $16.53 Citadel-the Alarm Clock - Gripper Citadel-the Alarm Clock - Gripper

Juniors: Alarm Clock $21.99 Juniors: Alarm Clock - T-Shirt

Table Alarm Clock $24.99 Table Alarm Clock - Photographic Print

Casio Clocks Travel Alarm Clock $14.95 Travel Alarm Clock with Daily Snooze Alarm.

Color Change Alarm Clock $19.99 TIMEX T105WX COLOR CHANGING ALARM CLOCK

Cross-section of Alarm Clock $19.99 Cross-section of Alarm Clock - Photographic Print

Church Reminder, Alarm Clock $39.99 Church Reminder, Alarm Clock - Giclee Print

Strawberry Alarm Clock $249.99 George Shuba Strawberry Alarm Clock - Limited Edition

Alarm Clock Buzzing and Ringing $29.99 Alarm Clock Buzzing and Ringing - Photographic Print

Hawaii -university Of Alarm Clock - Gripper $16.53 Hawaii -university Of Alarm Clock - Gripper Hawaii -university Of Alarm Clock - Gripper

Crazy Hour Alarm Clock Purse $11.99 Crazy Hour Alarm Clock Purse

APP ENHANCED DUAL ALARM CLOCK $113.99 APP ENHANCED DUAL ALARM CLOCK

Geneva / ADVANCE ALARM CLOCK / 2054AT $19.39 Geneva - ADVANCE ALARM CLOCK - 2054AT

Geneva / LCD ALARM CLOCK / 3350E $23.88 Geneva - LCD ALARM CLOCK - 3350E

Geneva / LCD ALARM CLOCK / 3412E $19.18 Geneva - LCD ALARM CLOCK - 3412E

Geneva / LCD ALARM CLOCK / 3413AT $20.58 Geneva - LCD ALARM CLOCK - 3413AT

HoMedics / ECLIPSE ALARM CLOCK / HX-B040 $22.56 HoMedics - ECLIPSE ALARM CLOCK - HX-B040

Conair / LCD ALARM CLOCK / TS811LCD $21.34 Conair - LCD ALARM CLOCK - TS811LCD