Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom by Joseph Urban
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Time: 3–4pm
Location: The Wolfsonian–FIU @ 1001 Washington Avenue
In 1929, architect and designer Joseph Urban was commissioned to create a bedroom for 17-year-old Elaine Wormser, who lived with her parents in Chicago's Drake Tower. This bespoke bedroom is now part of the Cincinnati Art Museum collection. Amy Dehan, the museum’s curator of decorative arts and design, will share details about the bedroom, its resurrection nearly 90 years after completion, and Joseph Urban's significant contributions to the development of American modern design.
Presented as part of The Wolfsonian's Mark Mamolen program series on American homes, investigating how the design of living space powerfully expresses individual personality and social values. Organized with Miami Design Preservation League and presented as part of Art Deco Weekend.
Watch the recorded talk online.
Banner image: Installation view (detail), Bedroom for Elaine Wormser, Chicago, 1930, as installed at the Cincinnati Art Museum, 2022. Joseph Urban, designer. Photograph by Rob Deslongchamps.
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