Our Blue Rhine bookmark, with its rippling embellishment suggestive of water in motion, comes from a 1729 book originally published in Basel, Switzerland, along the banks of the River Rhine. Like the Rhine, this bookmark has a long and winding European history.

Central Park. The Statue of Liberty. Times Square. New York City is home to a seemingly endless number of famed landmarks, bringing in tourists from all over the globe to witness the sights up close. Standing out among these urban monuments are the skyscrapers that punctuate the New York City skyline.

Described in an original brochure as the “mise en scene for the romantic drama of American business,” one such tower is the Chanin Building. This midtown Manhattan landmark was built by developer Irwin S. Chanin in the late 1920s. The building’s magnificent lobby, the result of a collaboration between designer René Chambellan and architect Jacques L. Delamarre, draws in architecture aficionados. Ornately adorned with bronze grilles representing some of the finest Art Deco in the city, the lobby was modernly styled around a “City of Opportunity” concept. One such ventilator grille, with loops, spirals and geometric lines used by the designers to symbolize human thought and emotion, is reproduced for our Chanin Spiral design.

The Chanin Building’s exuberant craftsmanship led it to be designated as an official city landmark in 1978, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It remains emblematic of the uniquely New York City take on the Art Deco style and one of many reasons to pay attention to the architectural achievements lining the city’s streets.

Take a piece of NYC history home with New York Deco!