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Art Deco Fantasies

November 23, 2025

Art Deco Fantasies Day at WMODA was a sold-out success, and guests put on pearls to celebrate the era with our expert speakers! The bubbly was flowing as Sharon Koskoff, the Duchess of Deco, cut the ribbon to open the new Art Deco library, which she donated to the museum. Louise Irvine acknowledged all the staff and volunteers, who have been working diligently behind the scenes to create this new resource, including Nia Green, Mary Brown and Alain Montour.

Louise launched the lecture program with an in-depth look at the Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre collection and encouraged the audience to believe in fairies, just like many distinguished authorities in the 1920s, notably Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. Louise also highlighted the devilish antics of the flappers and vamps at the costume balls of the Art Deco era in the cult movie Madam Satan.

Movies also inspired the fascinating talk by Joel Levine, tour guide and chair emeritus of the Miami Design Preservation League. With clips and commentary, Joel explained how the Art Deco architecture of South Beach has been captured on film from the 1920s to the present day. He also showed that the evolution of the restoration of the Art Deco district by the MDPL has been “accidentally” recorded in TV shows and movies, including Miami Vice and Scarface.

Sharon Koskoff and George Neary, interim Director of the MDPL, both attended the World Congress in Paris celebrating the Centennial of the Art Deco era. They regaled the audience with tales of their fabulous experiences and the spectacular exhibitions that impressed them in France. Sharon brought back a souvenir umbrella with the World Art Deco Congress logo, which she presented to WMODA.  She also brought the museum three stunning Art Deco prints by Gustav Kaitz, gifted by his daughter Revalee, who attended the event.

Guests had fun taking photos with Sharon’s Egyptian Mummy, which she made from recycled materials. They also had the opportunity to purchase souvenirs of the event from a special exhibition of Esther Gold’s jewelry. In the 1970s, Esther discovered a treasure trove of original Art Deco jewelry components which she incorporates in her beautiful designs for the WMODA Museum Shop.

Contact WMODA if you would like to purchase any of Esther’s jewelry or have access to any of the WMODA libraries. Let us know if you are interested in volunteering behind the scenes in the museum’s archives and helping with future events at WMODA.