A large 3 metre tall Art Deco chandelier designed by Georges Chevalier was the centrepiece of the Baccarat/Christofle pavilion at the 1925 "Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes" in Paris.
The Art Deco chandelier was sold after the exhibition and sent to Australia where it was installed in the foyer of the Regent Theatre in George street, Sydney (see photo below left). The Regent opened in 1926 and was demolished in 1990.
David Wilson designed and built a lightweight replica (photo right) of the original chandelier for the foyer of the new Metro Theatre that opened across the road from the original Regent Theatre site in 1992.
The original Art Deco chandelier had been dismantled and stored in cardboard boxes after its removal from the Regent. Measurements were taken of its components and from these construction drawings drafted. David made the basic structure and electrical wiring and supervised the stringing of the 1km of plastic beads. Once completed it was delivered to the Metro Theatre in three sections and installed into the foyer
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The original Baccarat chandelier hanging in the foyer of the Regent Theatre (below left) and hanging in the Baccarat/Christofle pavilion in 1925 at the Paris Exhibition. (Below right) (Courtesy Lourve Library, Paris) |
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This unique Baccarat Art Deco chandelier is of world significance and was reassembled in 2009 and restored here in Sydney.
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