wallpaper
Amusing and Decorative WallpaperWhile Steinberg trained as an architect he is best known for his satirical cartoons in The New Yorker. He began drawing shortly after enrolling in college and had his first cartoon published in The New Yorker in 1941, and even after joining the US Navy in 1943 he continued sending in cartoons from his various stations across Europe. Over the span of his career he was given 85 covers and had 642 illustrations published in The New Yorker. Steinberg, horses, wallpaper, circus, military, uniform |
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Looking into the FutureI have always been fascinated by these wallpapers with flying space ships and astronaut papers designed for boys in the 1950s. With their scenes of lunar landings and astronauts charting their progress, they really were looking to the future. Printed in 1954 this paper pre-dates Sputnik, the Soviet Union’s successful launch of the world’s first satellite in 1957, and the first walk on the moon by Neil Armstrong in 1969. This is one of many wallpapers featuring space ships and astronauts designed for boys in the 1950s. wallpaper, outer space, astronaut, moon, lunar |
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Fascinated with French PoodlesOne can’t go through the mid-century without being shown some poodles. French poodles appeared on numerous wallpapers during the 1950s. This is Gigi, printed on Super Sanitas. As you can see, Gigi is getting coiffed for a night out in Paris. The design contains 4 different scenes, showing Gigi getting coiffed and pedicured, having her hair set, and promenading with her beau in front of Club Chien. The color is predominantly pink, with accents of metallic silver and gold. Very 1950s! wallpaper, poodle, dog, fifties, Sanitas |
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Not So Innocent Foliage PatternEfeu [Ivy] appears to be a photographic rendering of a lush growth of ivy consuming a wall. This rendering is more dense than usual but the design of ivy growing up a wall has been a popular theme in wallpaper for many years. Ivy patterns are rather casual, relaxing, non-offensive, a design that is rarely questioned. This design, however, does have a darker side. As with many of Demand’s works, this is actually a reconstruction of his own creation, which was then photographed and manipulated to create a repeating pattern. wallpaper, foliage, ivy |
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A Subtle Blooming WallpaperThis very high-quality wallcovering, produced by the New York firm Leissner & Louis, ca. 1872-78, is woodblock-printed on embossed paper, demonstrating a well-executed design and of equal quality print. wallpaper, floral, Victorian, aesthetic, japanesque |
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Robinson CrusoeI find it interesting that the novel Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe in 1719, while not originally intended for a child audience, became the subject of one of the earliest children’s wallpapers. Early children’s wallpapers were designed to be educational and not to amuse. While this book was a novel about travel and adventure and would certainly have appealed to the imaginations of children, it also delivers a strong message of faith. This is the aspect of the novel that would have appealed to manufacturers and parents. wallpaper, Children, Crusoe, washable, intaglio |
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Winnie the Pooh friezeThis children’s frieze captures the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin. This is a woodblock print and was probably produced at the same time as the book, which was written by A.A. Milne in 1926 and illustrated by E.H. Shepard. The frieze contains all of the original illustrations from the chapter on Christopher Robin’s Expotition to the North Pole. The illustrations are lined up along the length of the frieze, softly colored, and joined together by an idyllic landscape. This frieze is 40 ft long with no repeat. wallpaper, frieze, landscape, Pooh bear, child |
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Interactive wallpaperFrames is a new rendition of an old idea in children's wallpaper. While it follows in the tradition of interactive wallpapers designed for children, it is attractive and has a very strong graphic presence even as purchased. It doesn’t need the addition of artwork to be beautiful. Frames invites children of all ages to draw pictures or paste their favorite photos within the frames. The paper was cleverly designed so it can be installed horizontally as a border at any child-friendly height or vertically, repeating in the usual fashion. wallpaper, interactive, frames, print room |
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Braille wallpaperListen and Record is the first Braille wallpaper I have encountered. A number of years ago, I curated a show on children’s wallpaper and wanted to include some designs for visually impaired children. Although I understand that a paper of this kind would appeal to a small market, I was still surprised to learn that no such wallpaper existed. wallpaper, Braille, polka dots, flock, typography |
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Trompe l'oeil Wallpaper FriezeI have always been captivated by the realism and voluptuousness of this frieze. This trompe l’oeil design, with its drapery swags, ostrich plumes, jewels, and tassels, is an over-the-top depiction of luxury materials. The attention to detail required to bring this degree of realism to light is exemplary. The drapery swags are flocked, then overprinted with several colors to create highlights and shadows that better capture the look of silk velvet. wallpaper, frieze, drapery, passementerie, jewels, trompe l'oeil |
