Drawings for proposed decorations of Mike Lyman’s Restaurant, 424 W. Sixth St. Los Angeles, CA.] [Scheme 1; elevation – K – showing bar 1945

This is a drawing made in 1945 by Winold Reiss for the proposed decorations of Mike Lyman’s Restaurant in Los Angeles. Reiss was born in Germany but he spent much of his career in the United States, where he was known for his modernist designs and his commitment to representing the diversity of American society. This elevation drawing of the restaurant bar shows us how Reiss integrated abstract design with the specific requirements of the space. The bright colors, the geometric patterns, and the stylized depictions of glassware are a product of the Art Deco style, an aesthetic that became popular in the 1920s and 30s. These motifs were meant to evoke a sense of luxury, progress, and modernity. To understand the place of Reiss’s art in this period, we might look at magazines, advertisements, and other popular media to investigate the social function of places like Mike Lyman’s restaurant. We can then ask: what kind of experience was Reiss trying to create for the restaurant’s patrons?