The Great Depression

The late '20s saw a gradual decline in the first generation of electric fans: the market had become overcrowded with competitors (in the United States alone, there were more that eight hundred manufacturers).The economic crisis triggered by the Wall Street crash of 1929 led competing companies to focus on the price and the appearance of their product.

During the '30s, consequently, designer of fans set about exploring every technical and visual combination imaginable. As a result, the range and selection of product types on offer was notably varied. In terms of design, the two most significant developments in style to occur during the '30s and '40s were Art Déco and Streamline.