Sidewall Sample (France)

This is one of 60 machine-printed samples proposed for acquisition. These papers were at one time part of a larger sample booked issued by the Isidore Leroy Company in Paris and date to approximately 1930. Leroy was one of the first French wallpaper companies to turn to machine printing. In 1858, they patented a process to improve the transfer of color on surface prints. Throughout the 19th century, the firm’s reputation was equal to that of the Zuber et Cie. During the 1920s, the firm continued to produce high quality wallpapers with designs by René Crevel, Robert Duflos, Emile-Alain Séguy, and Henri Stephany. One of Séguy’s designs is included in this collection. His use of bold color and naturally-inspired forms is evident in his design of a kingfisher seated on a branch. Included in this collection are a wide range of vividly-colored stripes, overscale fruit and floral designs, and distinctly deco designs. They are richly ornamental in pattern and shocking in their color palette,