Posted by sabine7
Books | Jul 24, 2005
While wallpaper may have fallen out of favour once everyone tired of the bordello effect of deep red brocade or became smothered by lusciously chintzy florals, MoCo enthusiasts are trying to track down vintage wallcoverings for a little something different. Off The Wall by Lena Lencek and Gideon Bosker takes a look at wallcoverings of the twentieth century, culled from the fantastic and extensive collection housed at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Prints range from narrative wallpapers featuring accordion-playing sailors making music for Mexican girls on the beach or the social life of the well-heeled, well-dressed poodle to funky op-art and abstract graphics. This book is a must for all wallpaper enthusiasts who simply don't have the time or occasion to study the Cooper-Hewitts microfiche collection. Paperback, 120 pages, 109 colour images, $15.61 at Amazon.
Here are some examples of sought after vintage wallpapers. While not necessarily pictured in the book, these represent a few of the styles covered in Off the Wall. This book nicely packages resources that, while they can be found at the Cooper-Hewitt or vintage stores such as NYC's Secondhand Rose, are not easy to come by if one wants to absorb as many as possible in one go.
