Millions of Americans wanted a drink when Prohibition was repealed at the end of 1933. Perhaps it might be better to say a legal drink? Alcohol consumption for the thirteen years after the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment had by no means stopped. In basements of brownstones and behind backroom doors, a generation of Americans...

Since I was fortunate enough to have my blog posted on July 4 I thought I would write about something holiday specific. Not always an easy task as wallpaper is a long-term commitment, so there are few papers that display seasonal activities or special holidays. In years past I’ve written about the American War of...

After the dust had settled from WWII, people were ready to get back to (or experience for the first time) the good life that had been interrupted by decades of war and depression. These desires manifested quite literally on wallpapers, and during the 1950s there was a trend for designs depicting everything from household appliances...

Bacco is the Italian name for Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and intoxication. The legendary festivals in his honor were devoted to wild drinking, freedom, and sexual promiscuity, and the word Bacchanalia has become synonymous with orgy. However, scholars debate the specifics of these events and are left with limited resources for interpretation. The...

  When the Carnegie mansion was built, it may have been lavish, but it was designed to be home. That spirit lives on in Cocktails@Cooper-Hewitt, our popular summer series. Every Friday evening, Members and museum visitors come “home” to Cooper-Hewitt to unwind for the weekend.     The Ed Fuqua Group provides smooth sounds of...