Book excerpt: In the late 1920s and early 1930s, American manufacturers created a stunning variety of powder compacts reflecting the modern design concepts of what we now call Art Deco. Powder compacts had first appeared in the early 1920s. While these early compacts were largely utilitarian, their embellishments rapidly evolved into miniature works of art. The height of this artistic expression occurred in 1930 and 1931. These compacts were considered jewelry and were sold in jewelry stores and better department stores. The advent of the Great Depression had a devastating effect on the producers of these beautiful compacts. Many manufacturers either went out of business or merged with other companies. The companies that did survive quickly redesigned their products by eliminating the complex case designs and their striking ornamentation. Although compacts of the early or high Art Deco era were produced by any number of American manufacturers, two companies, Elgin American Manufacturing Company of Elgin, Illinois and J. M. Fisher Company of Attleboro, Massachusetts, utilized these modern design concepts for virtually their entire product line during this period.The book includes comprehensive coverage of the Art Deco compacts produced by Elgin American and J. M. Fisher as well as a survey of Art Deco compacts produced by other American manufacturers of this era including Evans Case Company; Girey Company; Marathon Company; Pilcher Manufacturing Company; Richard Hudnut Corporation; Ripley & Gowen Company; Theodore W. Foster & Bros. Co.; Volupte, Inc.; and others. The book includes nearly 1200 color photographs, historical information relating to the emergence of powder compacts and Art Deco design, historical information concerning American compact manufacturers of this era, an extensive bibliography, and other reference materials.