Humidor c. 1935

Curator: What a sleek, streamlined form. This piece, simply titled "Humidor," dates to around 1935 and resides here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: It's striking! That metal sheen is captivating. I immediately notice the layering effect, giving it this very contained, almost secretive feeling. What’s it made of? Curator: We believe it's primarily made of metal. It really embodies the Art Deco style, with its emphasis on industrial materials and clean lines, even in a functional object. Editor: Precisely! The rivets and stepped design reveal hand craftsmanship—a deliberate articulation of labor and material that would appeal to someone, shall we say, attentive to means and modes of production? Do we know the artist or workshop? Curator: That remains a mystery, unfortunately. It’s listed as by "Anonymous," a frustrating but also intriguing gap in our knowledge. It invites us to focus on the object itself and the broader cultural currents that shaped its creation. The rise of industrial design in America... Editor: Which itself catered to emerging appetites fueled by new production capabilities. These rounded edges signal luxury, and this kind of functional metalwork brings an implicit connection to the machinery and industries that defined that time period. Is there more we know about its origin and placement in public spaces? Curator: What interests me is its role as a humidor, right? It speaks to the social rituals around smoking, particularly cigars, and the presentation of leisure and luxury in a pre-war context. It’s about taste, display, and aspirations of upward mobility... how such things were shaping the collective desires of people, influencing home décor, etc. Editor: So it’s less a quiet box, and more an emissary for new ideals about accessibility, consumer goods, and domestic lifestyle. Thanks, that gives me a new way to understand it. Curator: Absolutely. It's an object that reflects both artistic trends and shifts in American society.