Die Tapete

A curvy stripe pattern adorns the cover and several tipped in black and white and color images are included in this concise, and informative history of wallpaper and its uses by German art historian Gustav E. Pazaurek, the title of which translates to "The Wallpaper: Contribution to Your History and Aesthetic Rating." Pazaurek, known for his earlier books on aesthetics and taste, was an influential member of the Deutscher Werkbund (German Work Federation) - an association of artists, designers, architects and industrialists whose goal was to inspire good design and craftsmanship in manufacturing and architecture.  Following a brief essay defining properties of wallpaper, Pazaurek discusses early use of tapestries as wallcovering, advances in paper production and printing, panoramic scenic murals by such manufacturers as Zuber, and the popularity of landscape, floral, and neo-gothic/baroque/rococo motifs in the 19th century-designs that were promoted at international fairs. “Modern directions” in quality wallpaper manufacturing, he concludes, can be seen in the work of Salubra, a Swiss firm that employs the latest sanitary and non-fading papers designed by the most skilled craftsmen and artists of the day.