Map of Paris

The Paris Exhibition of decorative arts of 1925 had an enormous impact on American design when it toured the USA the following year. It encouraged American designers to create furniture and interiors in the modern style. One example is this printed silk dress fabric called ‘Map of Paris’ by Ralph Barton. It was part of the ‘Americana’ range of dress fabrics which the Stehli Silks Corporation commissioned from leading artists in 1927. To make a change from ubiquitous floral patterns, these fabrics were designed specifically to depict contemporary American life. This bird’s-eye view of Paris is similar to ‘Plan de Paris’, a dress fabric by Pierre Dumas of Ateliers A. G. B., France. This was fe

Dress fabric · New York (City) · 1927. Printed silk crêpe de Chine. By Barton, Ralph. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.