Look The Part With These Awesome Art Deco Driving Accessories
What were once gentlemanly essentials have suffered a series of setbacks in the past century, brought on by hideously casual clothing, the demonization of smoking and drinking, and the general triumph of convenience over elegance.
So as not to entirely lose touch with that more appealing era, we’ve assembled a selection of gent’s accessories made for chivalrous activities, from an age when doing things in style mattered above all—with a motoring theme, natch. London’s impossibly cool Pullman Gallery has the goods:
1.) Rare sterling silver and enamel cigarette case depicting a stylized Art Deco racing car in scarlet, the reverse with vertical lines of engine turning, and foliate borders to each end on both sides. Signed in the enamel E. Zwickl, Austrian circa 1928, with red leather presentation case.
2.) A highly unusual Art Deco sterling silver novelty hip flask in the form of a petrol can, made in 1929 by William Base & Son of Birmingham. With a flat ‘carrying’ top handle and a hinged knurled bayonet-fitting cap, complete with a British racing green calfskin presentation case.
3.) A rare black canvas automobile running-board camping /picnic trunk, with leather stays inside the lid holding metal plates, knives, forks and spoons for six, two servers, and salt and pepper pots; the base of the trunk holding two large cork-stoppered Thermos flasks and two metal picnic boxes, with six enamel cups, three lidded glass jars and a set of nickel-plated beakers. Made c. 1915.
4.) Eberhard & Co. ‘Chronotest’ metal-cased dashboard chronograph stopwatch with tachometer, progressive registers and bezel winding, and a back plate with knurled nuts for dashboard mounting. Signed on the dial and movement and set within a black leather presentation box. Made c. 1936.
5.) An elegant pair of silver enameled cufflinks in the form of the Alfa Romeo badge, presented to the legendary works driver Guiseppe Campari (1891-1933) by co-driver and (later) team manager Attilio Marinoni (1872-1940), in 1925.
6.) ‘Pneu Pirelli’ engine-turned cigarette case in sterling silver by James Dixon and Sons, hallmarked Birmingham, 1934, with enameled plaque depicting a car at speed advertising the world famous tire manufacturer and cartouche engraved ‘RBS’, complete with red leather presentation case.
7.) Silver cigarette case featuring the Mercedes-Benz emblem from 1916 in red, black and white enamel to the front, with a vertical enamel stripe decoration. With a bespoke, burgundy calfskin presentation case with blind embossed Mercedes emblem to the front, and embossed in black on the silk, c.1920.
As I said above, the Pullman Gallery has an impossibly cool selection of Art Deco items. Visit its website if you’d like to lose a few hours to ogling collectibles.
