There was a new style in visual arts and architecture that was first shown at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris that began to influence tablecloth designs. "Art Nouveau," which literally means "new art," was developed by a brilliant and energetic generation of artists and designers. They sought to fashion an art form appropriate to the modern age by breaking free from the constraints of the somber Victorian age and the pressures of the Industrial Revolution.

Tablecloths from this era have a crisp Art Deco styling and are characterized by geometric prints, squares, circles, stylized florals, good luck symbols, horseshoes, wishbones, laurel wreaths, and ribbon and animal prints. Because the white damask and lace tablecloths were still socially "correct" for entertaining, you will only find a few examples of printed tablecloths from this era, and they will be smaller 35" and 45" to fit the luncheon table. Art Nouveau fashion brought flat, pastel colors; silver gray, pale greens, and blues, muted turkey reds, dim orange, pink, mauve, and violets. They must have seemed fresh and charming to the Victorians so long accustomed to the stodgy, gloomy dark colors of the earlier Victorian age.

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The beginning of the decade found America in war with Germany which was a big problem for the tablecloth manufacturers. By 1914 Germany was producing about 85% of the world's supply of dyes and dyestuffs, and its trading partners were responsible for the remaining. There were only 7 firms in America that produced dyestuffs during this time. The Allied blockade of German shipping caused a "dye famine" in the U.S., forcing American textile research facilities to rush to create new sources of dyestuffs. By 1919, there were over 90 new manufacturers producing American made dyestuffs. In an attempt to deal with the dye famine, dyestuffs that had been abandoned for years were taken from warehouses and mill storerooms and used. Even colors intended for tinting of paper were sold to textile mills. These dyes were unstable and not color fast. There are very few examples of tablecloths produced between 1914 and 1920 that are still in good shape or retain their original colors.

Styles utilizing whiplash curves, human forms with insect wings, butterflies, peacocks, women with flowing hair, the Iris flower, sensuous lines, fantasy type prints, and moon and stars and sweetheart Linens were all popular themes and could be found in the rich damask tablecloths and linen stamped, smaller tablecloths of the time.