Wall Paper Border on Bandbox Lid c. 1936

This "Wall Paper Border on Bandbox Lid" was made by Nicholas Acampora, using paint on paper. Here we have a design that would have been printed or stenciled, repeated endlessly for wallpaper. The pattern itself—a simple garland of flowers— is far less interesting than its intended application. Think of the labor involved in making this kind of ornament. We tend to associate wallpaper with domesticity, even intimacy, but it is also deeply implicated in histories of industrialization. Before industrial printing, wallpaper was made with blocks, each impression laid down by hand. The production of wallpapers required meticulous labor, often at low wages, yet brought aesthetic refinement to middle class homes. Acampora’s design reminds us of this complex intersection between art, craft, and the economic realities of its time. It challenges us to consider the social context and labor involved in creating everyday objects.