Zuber & Cie, founded as Jean Zuber et Cie, is a French company that is a ''Manufacture de Papier Peints et Tissus'' (French for 'painted

wallpaper Wallpaper is a material used in interior decoration to decorate the interior walls of domestic and public buildings. It is usually sold in rolls and is applied onto a wall using wallpaper paste. Wallpapers can come plain as "lining paper" (so ...

and fabrics manufacturer'). It claims to be the last factory in the world to produce woodblock-printed wallpapers and furnishing fabrics.

History

The company's forerunner, Nicholas Dolfus & Cie, was founded in 1790 in Mulhouse, Alsace. Its name changed in 1795, to Hartmann, Risler & Cie. In 1797, it moved to Rixheim, France. In 1802, the company was bought out by Jean Zuber, and its name changed to Zuber & Cie. '' The Frederick Post'' reported that Jean Zuber's wallpapers were so respected that King Louis Philippe honored him with the Legion of Honor in 1834. The award was made for Zuber's exhibit at the French Industrial Exposition of 1834. 1-Zuber-Décor-Chinois-fond-rose

For its production, Zuber & Cie uses woodblocks (more than 100,000) engraved as early as the 18th century. Zuber & Cie's panoramic wallpapers include ''Vues de l'Amérique du Nord'', ''Eldorado,'' ''Hindoustan,'' ''les Guerres d'Independence'', and ''Isola Bella.'' Zuber & Cie also produces dado borders, friezes, and ceiling papers, some depicting faux representations of architectural details,

drapery Drapery is a general word referring to cloths or textiles (Old French , from Late Latin ). It may refer to cloth used for decorative purposes – such as around windows – or to the trade of retailing cloth, originally mostly for clothin ...

fringe Fringe may refer to: Arts * Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival, known as "the Fringe" * Adelaide Fringe, the world's second-largest annual arts festival * Fringe theatre, a name for alternative theatre * The Fringe, the ...

, and

tassel A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric and clothing decoration. It is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe. History and use In the Hebrew Bible, the Lord spoke to Moses instructing him to ...

s. Zuber & Cie has showrooms in Paris and Nice, New York, Los Angeles, London and Dubai. During the presidency of

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on recommendation of historian

Henry Francis du Pont Henry Francis du Pont (May 27, 1880 – April 11, 1969) was an American horticulturist, collector of early American furniture and decorative arts, breeder of Holstein Friesian cattle, and scion of the powerful du Pont family. Converted into ...

had an antique copy of the panoramic wallpaper ''Vues de l'Amérique du Nord,'' (designed in 1843, per the Zuber et Cie website) installed in the

Diplomatic Reception Room The Diplomatic Reception Room is one of three oval rooms in the Executive Residence of the White House, the official home of the president of the United States. It is located on the ground floor and is used as an entrance from the South Lawn, ...

of the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

. The wallpaper had been on the walls of a parlor in the Federal period Stoner House in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

until 1961 when the house was demolished for a grocery store. Just before the demolition, the wallpaper was salvaged and sold to the White House. As with many 18th century wallpapers, this panorama is designed to be hung above a dado. The formal dining room at the

Old Louisiana Governor's Mansion The Old Louisiana Governor's Mansion is located at 502 North Blvd. between Royal and St. Charles Streets in Baton Rouge and was used as Louisiana's official gubernatorial residence between 1930 and 1963; a new residence was completed in 1963. ...

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties ...

is also decorated with the ''Vue de l'Amérique du Nord''.

Controversy

Zuber's panoramic scene ''Vues de l'Amérique du Nord,'' has been the subject of at least two protests. In 2020 students and alumnae of the

Spence School , motto_translation = Not for school, but for life we learn , founder = Clara B. Spence , tuition = $60,880 (2022-2023) , chair = , head_label = , head ...

for girls in New York City protested its use of racist caricatures in its depiction of Black Americans and indigenous Americans. In 2019, students in a Brown University graduate program wrote to the university, demanding the removal of the wallpaper for the same reasons. The wallpaper had been present in the campus' Nightingale-Brown House since the 1930s.

Gallery

Zuber & Cie - Floral Brocade - Google Art Project.jpg, Floral Brocade (1875–1900) File:Zuber & Cie - Sidewall - Google Art Project (6818792).jpg, Sidewall (1875–1900) File:Zuber & Cie - Sidewall - Google Art Project (6818798).jpg, Sidewall (1875-1900) File:Zuber & Cie - Sidewall - Google Art Project (6848401).jpg, Sidewall (1875-1900) File:Zuber & Cie - Sidewall - Google Art Project (6852168).jpg, Sidewall (1875–1900) File:Zuber & Cie - Sidewall - Google Art Project.jpg, Sidewall (1901–06) File:Zuber & Cie - The Fleur de Lys - Google Art Project.jpg, The Fleur de Lys (1875–1900)

References

* Abbott James A., and Elaine M. Rice. ''Designing Camelot: The Kennedy White House Restoration.'' Van Nostrand Reinhold: 1998. . * Seale, William, ''The White House: The History of an American Idea.'' White House Historical Association: 1992, 2001. . * ''The White House: An Historic Guide.'' White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 2001. .

External links

Official websiteZuber & Cie objects in the collection of
the

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is a design museum housed within the Andrew Carnegie Mansion in Manhattan, New York City, along the Upper East Side's Museum Mile. It is one of 19 museums that fall under the wing of the Smithsonian Ins ...

Zuber Wallpaper
at the Shakespeare Chateau in St. Joseph, MO {{DEFAULTSORT:Zuber and Cie Manufacturing companies of France Wallpaper manufacturers Companies based in Grand Est Manufacturing companies established in 1797 French companies established in 1797