The Merle Norman Building is a

streamline moderne Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by Aerodynamics, aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In indu ...

and

art deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

building in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

which was the former headquarters of Merle Norman Cosmetics located at 2525 Main Street. The building was designated as Santa Monica Historic Landmark #44 on June 10, November 11, 2002. The building was constructed by H.G. Thursby in 1936 and towered above the low-rise commercial structures throughout Main Street during the height of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, signaling an optimistic architectural design utilizing a mix of

and

elements. The company utilized the building until 1952 when it moved to a larger complex in Westchester.

References

1936 establishments in California Streamline Moderne architecture in the United States Nethercutt–Richards family Buildings and structures in Santa Monica, California {{California-struct-stub

See also

References