Living history: The design is in the details

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After photographing art deco buildings for over three decades, Tim Morawetz recently published Art Deco Architecture in Toronto: A guide to the city’s buildings from the Roaring Twenties and the Depression.

Art deco was in vogue for only a couple of decades just before the middle of the twentieth century, but it left an impressive legacy, including many outstanding examples in Toronto. While the art deco period was brief, Morawetz says it was “a very important period in architectural history as a transition between the last of the ornamented styles … and the modern movement beginning around 1940 or 1950.”

The book includes maps, a glossary, and brief biographies of the architects behind the buildings, as well as hundreds of photos and descriptions of several dozen buildings. It was recognized with a 2010 Heritage Toronto Award of Merit.

To obtain a copy, ask at your local bookseller or order online at ArtDecoToronto.ca/order.php.

All photos below by Tim Morawetz.