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Object Timeline

1920

  • Work on this object began.

1930

  • We acquired this object.

  • Work on this object ended.

2013

2015

2024

  • You found it!

Sidewall (possibly France)

This is a sidewall. It is dated 1920–30 and we acquired it in 1930. Its medium is machine printed on paper. It is a part of the Wallcoverings department.

This charming landscape scene is full of the energy and optimism of the 1920s. Landscape scenes used as motifs in wallpaper designs have been around since the late 18th century but have been changed stylistically to evolve with the current trends. The bold pattern and coloring reflects the optimism of the post-war period. This design is an inexpensive wallpaper machine-printed in four colors. The bright orange background color and hills give the design a rather surreal quality, keeping it lighthearted, and distancing itself from more realistic landscape renderings. Being machine-printed means all the colors are printed on the paper in one pass through the printing machine, necessitating that the colors be thin so they dry quickly. This aspect of the production works very well for this design, softening the trees somewhat so they appear less harsh against the very bold ground color.

This object was donated by Charles Grimmer & Son. It is credited Gift of Charles Grimmer & Son.

Its dimensions are

L x W: 55.2 × 47 cm (21 3/4 × 18 1/2 in.)

Cite this object as

Sidewall (possibly France); machine printed on paper; L x W: 55.2 × 47 cm (21 3/4 × 18 1/2 in.); Gift of Charles Grimmer & Son; 1930-14-1-b

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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/68765591/ |title=Sidewall (possibly France) |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=19 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>