Fighting Modernism: Elizabeth Gordon Defines the House Beautiful

Propaganda comes in many forms, and in 1953, House Beautiful editor Elizabeth Gordon decided it came in the form of the Barcelona chair. 

In the controversial essay, "The Threat to the Next America," she identified a cabal of powerful curators, critics and institutions whom she felt were selling postwar Americans on sterile, unlivable dream houses, all sharp angles and minimal furnishings.

Her vision, displayed through the Pacesetter House program, was softer, emphasizing indoor-outdoor living, family traditions, a tchotchke or two. 

Her essay split the architecture field, with some, like Frank Lloyd Wright, sending her telegrams in praise and others, like Eliot Noyes, calling her a "pretty lady on a soapbox." It was a huge controversy at the time, once again linking politics and homemaking.

But Elizabeth Gordon never backed down, and her career, which started with tips for Depression-era house buying, and ended with a sincere appreciation for Japanese design, offers rare insight into the way taste is made and propagated through editors, photographers, and the glossy pages of shelter magazines.

If you've ever wondered why every celebrity owns the same chair, questioned the turn back to traditionalist taste, or found yourself buying a lamp off Instagram … here's a look at how the dust ruffles are sewn.

Buckle up for "Fighting Modernism: Elizabeth Gordon Defines the House Beautiful." 

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Special thanks in this episode to Monica Penick, Kathleen Corbett, Jennifer Watts, and Louise Cort. The archival audio is from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library at Columbia University, Smithsonian Archives, and UCLA Library Special Collections.

This podcast is brought to you by the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation. It is hosted by Alexandra Lange and produced by Brandi Howell. Editorial assistance provided by Jen Grosso.

You can find other episodes of New Angle: Voice wherever you find your podcasts. And if you liked this episode, please leave a review and share with a friend.

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