As your gaze gently sinks into the shimmering abyss of this composition, you notice a flurry of well-coordinated activity as fish flit across the inky black ground, with some moving so rapidly that all you catch is the golden gleam of their scales as they zip along. After a moment of being mesmerized by their...

The 1940s after World War II (1939-1945) marked a phase of industrial design that centered on the consumer. Coined by prolific industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss (1904-1972) as the “Decisive decade”, manufacturers began acquiring prestige by redesigning products that met the needs of a changing society.[1] Populations had grown extensively from incoming immigrants; housing for returning...

In the 1950s it was popular to hang themed wallpapers in functional spaces. Designs were produced for the kitchen and dining room that depicted food and drink, for children’s bedrooms that showed toys, cartoons and fairytale characters, and even designs featuring objects such as irons and scissors were made to be hung in spaces where...

Dating c. 1900, this feminine French sidewall belongs to a class referred to as “bathroom” or “sanitary” wallpapers. This designation is based on a water-resistant varnish that coats the panel, making it safe to hang the paper near the tub, and possible to wash it with less risk of damage or bleeding colors. For the...

This is one of those novelty wallpapers designed to put a smile on your face. The water theme clearly designates this as a bathroom paper, and what a way to start and end your day. The humor abounds, sometimes in-your-face obvious and other times more subtle, which is one of the signs of a good...

Lurelle Guild was a prolific industrial designer, producing useful and beautiful objects that modernized the American home spanning from vacuum cleaners to canapé plates. Guild’s usual method was to invent or develop the new product, patent it, and then assign the patent to the manufacturer, charging a fee and royalties. In 1933 and 1934 he...