Paul T. Frankl

Paul T. Frankl (October 14, 1886 – March 21, 1958),was an Art Deco furniture designer and maker, architect, painter and writer. Together with his friend Joseph Urban ,he was one of the first modernist designers who worked in the United States before 1925.He settled in New York City and brought with him an outsider’s fresh perspective and an enthusiasm for forging a uniquely American design aesthetic. Frankl began as an architect and later switched to designing and painting fine art and furniture. In the years between the two world wars he, more than any other designer, helped shape the distinctive look of American modernism. In the 1920s, he introduced his celebrated skyscraper style (before turning to metal furnishings in the 1930s). Frankl opened Frankl Galleries on 48th Street, calling his company Skyscraper Furniture, which became an epicenter of American modernism, including modern textiles and wallpapers imported from Europe. Frankl wrote several books and magazine articles about the Modern Style and was its most vocal proponent.