Scenic Paper, The Colonnade

Colonnade is a good example of a mid-20th-century scenic wallpaper. Designed in the historic style, it contains a classic landscape scene with architectural monuments placed throughout. This paper was produced by the George J. Hunken Company, which operated from 1912 to 1956 in Brooklyn, New York. Hunken produced a wide range of scenic papers as well as repeating patterns, and began printing scenics as early as 1931. One characteristic feature of Hunken papers is the combination of screenprinting with airbrushing. This unusual and rare combination of techniques was used on many—if not all—of the Hunken scenics. Manufacturers began screenprinting wallpaper around 1930. It has since become a major production technique. Because of the popularity of scenics in the mid-20th century and the prominence of screenprinting, it is important to represent papers with this combination of techniques in the museum’s collection. Colonnade would be the first example of a screenprinted scenic acquired by the museum.