1994.8, Telechron mantel clock, Paul Frankl (designer), Warren Electric Company (manufacturer), c. 1928



GENERAL DESCRIPTION  
Seeing luxurious French art deco objects at the 1925 Paris design fair inspired some American designers to create similar works. Like their French counterparts, most of these pieces were made by hand from exotic materials and were thus expensive.

Paul T. Frankl's "Telechron" clock was introduced in 1929 as "the ultra-modern clock appropriately dressed in the art moderne, the new mode of decoration so sharply expressive of our swiftly moving age....For rooms decorated in the modern manner, what could be more appropriate?  Its daring originality inspired admiration--its perfect balance of form and tone satisfies the most exacting devotee of the new mode." Such innovative styling made Frankl one of the best known designers in the United States. 

Drawn from
  • Charles Venable, wall text from the 11/18/2001 to 5/20/2002 exhibition "Art Deco and Streamlined Modern Design, 1920-1950” 
  • Alastair Duncan, American Art Deco (New York: Harry N. Abrams,  Inc., 1986), 78.

NOTES
TMS Updates
I updated Geo Xrefs - place of origin
I updated Geo Xrefs - business location
updated Provenance
In TMS, under text entries, it still lists this object as "longterm loan" but according to deed of gift found in the object file, ownership was transferred in 1997 to the DMA . Should this info be updated? 

Catalogue essays

Artist/designers
Frankl_Paul: ULAN: 500317917

Cultures

Geography 

Process/materials

Historical periods
Art Deco (style or movement): 300021426

Individuals

Subject terms

RELATED OBJECTS 

PROVENANCE 
About 1928: Warren Electric Company (manufacturer), Ashland, Massachusetts

Until 1994: David T. Owsley (collector), New York, New York 

From 1997: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of David T. Owsley (collector) via the Alconda-Owsley Foundation on April 2, 1994 [1]

[1] According to the following documents found in the DMA object file: DMA Object receipt (dated January 14, 1994), Letter on David T. Owsley letterhead (dated January 18, 1994) addressed to Charles Venable (former chief curator of the DMA Decorative Arts and Design) from David T. Owsley, David T. Owsley's Deed of Gift (dated April 2, 1994), DMA Acquisition record (dated March 16, 1994), Letter on DMA letterhead (dated March 24, 1994) addressed to David T. Owsley from Charles Venable (former chief curator of the DMA Decorative Arts and Design)

AUDIO ASSETS 

VIDEO ASSETS

IMAGE ASSETS


WEB RESOURCES 
PBS American Experience~Read more about Industrial Designers and Streamliners
Paul T. Frankl~Read more about industrial designer, Paul T. Frankl

ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

FUN FACTS
  • Besides designing single objects, Paul T. Frankl also did entire interiors, including the Edmund and Louise Kahn house in Dallas.

TEACHING IDEAS

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Apply to objects where id equals 5256768

Category
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General Description
 
Seeing luxurious French art deco objects at the 1925 Paris design fair inspired some American designers to create similar works. Like their French counterparts, most of these pieces were made by hand from exotic materials and were thus expensive.

Paul T. Frankl's "Telechron" clock was introduced in 1929 as "the ultra-modern clock appropriately dressed in the art moderne, the new mode of decoration so sharply expressive of our swiftly moving age....For rooms decorated in the modern manner, what could be more appropriate?  Its daring originality inspired admiration--its perfect balance of form and tone satisfies the most exacting devotee of the new mode." Such innovative styling made Frankl one of the best known designers in the United States. 

Drawn from
  • Charles Venable, wall text from the 11/18/2001 to 5/20/2002 exhibition "Art Deco and Streamlined Modern Design, 1920-1950” 
  • Alastair Duncan, American Art Deco (New York: Harry N. Abrams,  Inc., 1986), 78.

Fun Facts
  • Besides designing single objects, Paul T. Frankl also did entire interiors, including the Edmund and Louise Kahn house in Dallas.

Archival Resources

Web Resources
 
PBS American Experience~Read more about Industrial Designers and Streamliners
Paul T. Frankl~Read more about industrial designer, Paul T. Frankl

Notes
TMS Updates
I updated Geo Xrefs - place of origin
I updated Geo Xrefs - business location
updated Provenance
In TMS, under text entries, it still lists this object as "longterm loan" but according to deed of gift found in the object file, ownership was transferred in 1997 to the DMA . Should this info be updated? 

Catalogue essays

Artist/designers
Frankl_Paul: ULAN: 500317917

Cultures

Geography 

Process/materials

Historical periods
Art Deco (style or movement): 300021426

Individuals

Subject terms

RELATED OBJECTS 

PROVENANCE 
About 1928: Warren Electric Company (manufacturer), Ashland, Massachusetts

Until 1994: David T. Owsley (collector), New York, New York 

From 1997: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of David T. Owsley (collector) via the Alconda-Owsley Foundation on April 2, 1994 [1]

[1] According to the following documents found in the DMA object file: DMA Object receipt (dated January 14, 1994), Letter on David T. Owsley letterhead (dated January 18, 1994) addressed to Charles Venable (former chief curator of the DMA Decorative Arts and Design) from David T. Owsley, David T. Owsley's Deed of Gift (dated April 2, 1994), DMA Acquisition record (dated March 16, 1994), Letter on DMA letterhead (dated March 24, 1994) addressed to David T. Owsley from Charles Venable (former chief curator of the DMA Decorative Arts and Design)

AUDIO ASSETS 

VIDEO ASSETS

rules
Apply To
Objects
id
Equals
5256768
tags
#draft
#completed
%copyedited_Gail
%Archived
glass (material): AAT: 300010797
*Decorative Arts and Design
decorative arts: AAT: 300054168
@bartsch-allen
aerodynamics: AAT: 300056101
brown (color): AAT: 300127490
brass (alloy): AAT: 300010946
time: AAT: 300133089
Art Deco (style or movement): AAT: 300021426
gold (color): AAT: 300311191
numbers: AAT: 300055665
silverplate: DMA
Frankl_Paul: ULAN: 500317917
Modern (style or period): AAT: 300264736
clocks: AAT: 300041575
mantel clock: AAT: 300041578
source file
object_notes_1_a-0448.xml.nores