-Woolworth Building- still bank 1915

Curator: What a curious object! It evokes a powerful sense of architectural ambition, yet it is clearly a functional item. Editor: Functional, how so? Curator: Well, this appealing metal sculpture, dating to 1915, is a still bank modeled after the iconic Woolworth Building. Kenton Hardware Manufacturing Co. produced it. It’s currently housed here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: My first thought was “urban monument” or perhaps a weighty paperweight—the lines are very Art Deco. Tell me, is that the original surface? It looks very weathered, almost terracotta-like in tone and texture. Curator: I find the weathering significant. Consider this bank as a product of the era. Mass production techniques and readily available materials meant this piece, replicating the grandeur of a skyscraper, was accessible to many. Its existence democratizes the experience of the towering skyscraper, shrinking the symbolic prowess of commerce and capital into a consumer object. Editor: The fact that it’s a bank adds another layer. It subtly encourages—no, almost trains—the public to participate in the same capitalist endeavors represented by the Woolworth Building itself. The symbolism is overt; the act of saving literally builds toward participating in that high society. And in Art Deco! Curator: Exactly! And how has this "participation" been shaped by this image of the Woolworth Building, mass-produced for household ownership, and accessible savings. What has become normalized? Editor: That mass-produced image surely further popularized the then-emerging cityscape of metal and steel, an endorsement in material form. Its Art Deco design made it modern, fashionable, and aspirational. Its symbolism seems intentional, doesn’t it? To see architecture, commerce, and saving merge into one discrete unit…fascinating. Curator: Absolutely, this small but impactful artwork prompts larger discussions of commerce, value, and accessibility. Editor: I will be looking at architectural forms in consumer products in a different light after this.