These striking mascots, designed in the 1920s, were a sign of things to come in the 1930s. These pieces embrace industrialization as artful.

Gone are the intricacies of the lost wax process: the materials and construction evoke a new age of machined mass production. The aerodynamic lessons learned from aviation in the 1920s would be applied to the passenger automobile in the 1930s. Streamlining, for reasons of both science and style, brought the era of the mascot to an end.

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1907: Henri Farman (left) and Gabriel Voisin were pioneering aviators and airplane constructors. They both went on to found luxury car marques that featured technological advancements made possible by the aircraft industry. (Gallica/BnF)
1925: “L’Informatrice” was designed by Cassandre for newspaper L’Intransigeant. Telegraph wires gather information from across the world and transmit it directly into the ear of the subject, who then amplifies the news through her open mouth. This iconic symbol could be seen on newsstands and delivery vehicles throughout Paris. (photo of lithograph, courtesy of Jon N. Zoler)
1926: Cassandre’s design for L’Intransigeant was celebrated by his peers. This diagram, from an issue of L’Affiche française, analyzes the geometry of his work. (Gallica/Bnf)
1929: Roques’ designs and collaborations took many forms, as seen on this page from magazine L’Art Vivant. (Gallica/BnF)