Telescope domes are designed to keep the telescopes inside safe and on-target. But just because they’re practical doesn’t mean they can’t be beautiful. That’s especially true of some built in the 1930s. They were influenced by the design style that was all the rage – known today as art deco.

The event that popularized art deco began 100 years ago this week – the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Modern Industries, in Paris. It was a showcase for French design in architecture, art, furniture, clothing, and other fields. Most countries participated. The only restriction: Everything had to be modern.

The exhibition inspired a design wave across the United States. Popular examples include the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building in New York, along with trains, airplanes, cars, consumer goods, and more.

Astronomy got into the act as well. The best-known example is Griffith Observatory, in Hollywood. Its domes and grounds have been featured in dozens of movies and TV shows.

The domes of Palomar Observatory feature art-deco design as well, including the one that houses the 200-inch telescope – the largest in the world for decades.

And no list is complete without our own McDonald Observatory. Its original dome was dedicated in 1939. It housed not only the observatory’s 82-inch telescope, but also labs, offices, and living space for the astronomers – all executed in beautiful art deco style.

Script by Damond Benningfield