On a bright yellow background are six repeating historic scenes of human activity in black and white. Scrolling down, from left to right, three figures are playing with a basketball as a basket hangs from a tree branch. The next image are male and female figures dancing to the backdrop of a triumphant arch and a boom box on the left of the male. On the left is an image of a figure in a dress, jumping over a tree truck lying on the road being chased by horses. On the right, is an image of a seated picnic with a focus on a well dressed women being served, sitting next to a tree. Below this are seated women getting her hair braided while a woman holding a mirror sits under a tree and three young girls skip rope.

There are 2 other images of this object. See our image rights statement.

See more objects with the tag interior, domestic, home, arches, landscape, trees, sidewall, wall, New York, Harlem, toile.

Object Timeline

2006	Work on this object began.
2007	We acquired this object. We photographed this object.
2008	We photographed this object.
2014	This was an Object of the Day.
2017	We photographed this object. We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Sidewall, Harlem Toile de Jouy

This is a sidewall. It was designed by Sheila Bridges. It is dated 2006 and we acquired it in 2007. Its medium is screen printed on paper. It is a part of the Wallcoverings department.

Harlem Toile de Jouy features scenes of young men playing basketball, a couple dancing to a boom box, and people eating fried chicken and watermelon. Toiles are traditionally copper plate printed fabrics popular in the 18th century. They frequently showed pastoral scenes and personifications of the Continents. Toiles did not appear as designs on wallpapers until early 20th century during the Colonial Revival period. There are a number of these early toile papers in the collection.
Harlem Toile de Jouy was created by African-American designer Sheila Bridges for Studio Printworks. Bridges, who opened her own interior design business in 1994, received much acclaim for designing the Harlem office of former president Bill Clinton. She was named “America’s Best Interior Designer" in 2001 by CNN and Time magazine. Bridges began hosting her own television show, Sheila Bridges Designer Living, for the Fine Living Network, in 2003. In 2006, she made Essence magazine’s list of the world’s 25 most inspiring women. In addition to interior design, Bridges has expanded into home furnishings design, creating pieces such as Harlem Toile.

This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled A New Twist on Toiles.

It is credited Gift of Studio Printworks.

Bandbox, Engine Company No. 13
block printed on handmade paper, pasteboard support.
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt.
1917-36-7-a,b

Sidewall, Modern California Villa's
machine printed on paper.
Gift of Suzanne Lipschutz.
1991-89-227-a,b

Sidewall (USA)
machine printed on paper.
Gift of Suzanne Lipschutz.
1991-89-145

Its dimensions are

H x W x D: 457.2 x 76.2 cm (15 ft. x 30 in.) Repeat H: 76.2 cm (30 in.) Roll: 457.2 cm (15 ft.)

It is inscribed

Printed on left selvedge: “‘Harlem Toile De Jouy’ A handprint by Sheila Bridges for STUDIO PRINTWORKS”; right: “www.studioprintworks.com”

Cite this object as

Sidewall, Harlem Toile de Jouy; Designed by Sheila Bridges (American, b.1964); USA; screen printed on paper; H x W x D: 457.2 x 76.2 cm (15 ft. x 30 in.) Repeat H: 76.2 cm (30 in.) Roll: 457.2 cm (15 ft.); Gift of Studio Printworks; 2007-42-1

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Esperanza Spalding Selects.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2DUha/
Accession Number 2007-42-1
Object ID 18711505