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Object Timeline

1956

  • Work on this object began.

1957

  • We acquired this object.

  • Work on this object ended.

2012

2015

2024

  • You found it!

Sidewall (Germany)

This is a sidewall. It was manufactured by Marburger Tapetenfabrik. It is dated 1956–57 and we acquired it in 1957. Its medium is machine printed on paper, plastic coated. It is a part of the Wallcoverings department.

A profusion of abstract patterns following the war was in response to consumers’ demand for new patterns due to the moratorium on wallpapers during the war. Seemingly random crayon or chalk marks appear like a child’s scribble on the wall. The red, white, and yellow scribbles cover the glossy black background evenly and create a nice overall pattern.

This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled Sophisticated Scribbles.

This object was donated by Marburger Tapetenfabrik. It is credited Gift of Marburger Tapetenfabrik.

Its dimensions are

108.5 x 56 cm (42 11/16 x 22 1/16 in.)

It is inscribed

Printed in right selvedge: "Marburg-Tapete Made in Western Germany", in left: "958".

Cite this object as

Sidewall (Germany); Manufactured by Marburger Tapetenfabrik; machine printed on paper, plastic coated; 108.5 x 56 cm (42 11/16 x 22 1/16 in.); Gift of Marburger Tapetenfabrik; 1957-116-2

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If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18411561/ |title=Sidewall (Germany) |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=26 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>