The 10th World Congress on Art Déco, Montréal, 2009

Montréal ranks in the top ten cities in the world for its Art Déco architecture.

The Art Deco Society of Montreal is a bilingual, nonprofit organization formed to foster awareness and appreciation of the Art Deco period (c.1920-1940) and to preserve the precious decorative, industrial, and architectural arts of that era.

Presently there are over 30 Art Deco societies actively operating in major cities across the U.S., England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada (Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal). These are all members of the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies (ICADS).

World Congresses on Art Deco take place every two years. The 9th World Congress was held in Melbourne April 15 to 21, 2007.

The International Coalition of Art Deco Societies (ICADS) has awarded Art Déco Montréal the honour of hosting the next World Congress on Art Deco. It will take place in Montreal from May 24 to May 30, 2009.

For more information visit www.artdecomontreal.com

Demolition alert: Bens Restaurant, Montreal

BENS, a classic Streamlined Modern restaurant in Montreal, visited by many celebrities, is being sold and is in grave danger of being demolished.

Sam Benatar, president of SIDEV, the developer, has declared, "It isn't worth anything."

It is very ironic that there is now an exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on Streamlined Design, with carefully preserved examples of Streamlined Modern design but a beautiful public example of it is about to be destroyed.

Please send an email to these people in any language and forward this alert to anyone else who cares about good and historic design.
 
Josette Laurin, Josette.Laurin@mcc.gouv.qc.ca
Yves Laliberté, yves.laliberte@mcc.gouv.qc.ca
Caroline Dubuc, cdubuc@ville.montreal.qc.ca
Karim Boulos, karimboulos@ville.montreal.qc.ca
Benoit Labonté, benoitlabonte@ville.montreal.qc.ca
Melanie Faucher, melaniefaucher@ville.montreal.qc.ca
Catherine Sevigny, catherinesevigny@ville.montreal.qc.ca
Gerald Tremblay, geraldtremblay@ville.montreal.qc.ca
Lucienne Robillard,  Robillard.L@parl.gc.ca
Beverley Oda, Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
SIDEV,  info@sidev.com
Jacques Chagnon, jchagnon@assnat.qc.ca
Christine St-Pierre, ministre@mcccf.gouv.qc.ca

For more information about this alert, please email:

Sandra Cohen-Rose
President, Art Déco Montréal

info@artdecomontreal.com

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Sample letter
 
We would like to convey to you our concern over the future of BENS Delicatessen-Restaurant, a classic example of Streamlined Modern design with a magnificent terrazzo floor, which is closed and is being sold to a developer who plans to demolish it. It is very ironic that there is now an exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, American Streamlined Design: The World of Tomorrow, http://www.mmfa.qc.ca/en/expositions/exposition_43.html but a beautiful public example of it is about to be destroyed. The developer, Sam Benatar is quoted as saying, "It isn't worth anything." Surely, BENS is as important to preserve as the objects in the museum exhibit.
Ben and Franny Kravitz opened BENS Delicatessen in 1908. It moved to its current Art Deco building at 990 Blvd. de Maisonneuve, corner of rue Metcalfe in 1950, where it remained open until 2006.
Designed by Charles Davis Goodman (1894-1962), who was one of the architects of a number of well-known Montreal buildings, including the now demolished, and much mourned, 1948 Laurentien Hotel, the 1931 Jewish General Hospital and the 1948 Pascal Hardware. Goodman, a McGill University graduate, was elected a fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 1955. 
We believe this Montreal institution is one of significant value, worth preserving for future generations of Montrealers and visitors to Montreal to cherish and enjoy, and thus should be proclaimed a Heritage Building. It was the meeting place favoured by luminaries from Liberace to Leonard Cohen, to former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, singer and actor Bette Midler and the Montreal Canadiens hockey team, plus millions of Montreal visitors.
Autographed celebrity photos, including Burl Ives, the Ink Spots, and Ed Sullivan, attest to its heyday and place in our history. The current owners claim that it is where Montréal's famous smoked meat originated. 
Apparently McCord Museum has agreed to preserve its memorabilia, including autographed pictures of celebrities that decorated the yellow Formica and chrome deli. This is not enough. BENS must be preserved in its entirety, within the framework of any proposed new development. Whether used as a restaurant, or any other number of innovative uses, it is an asset to Montreal in history and in revenue as a tourist attraction and movie set.
The International Coalition of Art Deco Societies (ICADS) has awarded Art Déco Montréal the honour of  hosting the 10th World Congress on Art Deco. It will take place in Montreal from May 24 to May 30, 2009.  We are also hoping we will be able to show them BENS and demonstrate how Montreal takes pride in its heritage.
 
BENS is a building of which legends are made. It reflects a far too precious part of our history to set aside and destroy. It should be named a Heritage Building and preserved.