mural
Panoramic Friezes, Wall Decorations
The muted colors and illustrative style of the Arts & Crafts movement period are featured in this color trade catalog from 1912-13. The company focused on making large wallpaper friezes, and was one of the first companies to develop a washable color wallpaper printed with oils that could be cleaned with a damp cloth or sponge. It was called San-kro-mura, the “sanitary” wall covering. The company produced wallpaper with panoramic views of mountains, deserts, forests, lakes, and scenic narratives of folklore and history.
And the Migrants Kept Coming
A rare eight-page reprint of Jacob Lawrence’s The Migration of the Negro (Series) for Fortune Magazine, November 1941. Lawrence, educated at the Harlem Community Art Center and the American Artists School in New York, worked on WPA mural projects in the city. In 1940 he created this series of colorful paintings, illustrating the migration of African-Americans from the south to northern industrial centers such as New York, Philadelphia, and Detroit. The Fortune article was the first time a mainstream magazine published the work of an African-American artist.
