Mercury: An Art Deco Masterpiece

Art Deco Shaped 100 Years of Forward-Thinking Design One hundred years ago in Paris a sprawling international exhibition was staged. It dazzled visitors with all that was new in architecture, design, fashion, and jewelry, and to establish France as the unassailable arbiter of taste of the western world. Called “L’Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs,” it ran from April to October 1925, attracted 16 million people, and was a celebration of Modernism and Art Deco design.

New York Central's Mercury: An Art Deco Masterpiece

Mercury was the name used by the New York Central Railroad for a family of daytime streamliner passenger trains operating between midwestern cities. The Mercury train sets were designed by the noted industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss, and are considered a prime example of Streamline Moderne design. The success of the Mercury led to Dreyfuss getting the commission for the 1938 redesign of the NYC's flagship, the 20th Century Limited, one of the most famous trains in the United States of America.

Design

In the mid-1930s, the New York Central launched an experiment to enhance its passenger traffic in the midwest. The goal was a new streamlined service focusing on speed and innovation. "Mercury," the name of the Roman god of messengers (and commerce), was chosen for its connotations of speed; the name was announced to the public on May 14, 1936. The new train was marketed as the "Train of Tomorrow" reflecting the emphasis on innovation.