[Saleman's Sample Album] Méry Hungarian Industry-Arts Budapest

Hardcover. String ties. . Very Good. Probably a salesman's sample album showing original designs for napkins or handkerchiefs, all with decorative, generally colorful and representational artwork. N.d., circa 1930s. Oblong album, 29 by 34 cm. 17 samples, including the one on the front cover, and one sample which is essentially repeated, with minor variations. Stylistically there is considerable variety, from folk art-ish and cartoon-ish to more fluid and fluent Art Deco stylized imagery. We don't know whether Méry was the artist or the name of the company, or both, but clearly these are samples of commercial artwork. That is not pejorative, for the images are delightful, evocative and even humorous and fun at times. Here there is the further intensification of the original watercolors. The papers the large square watercolors are laid on are brittle, as the norm of such albums. Chipping to thw wax paper pastedown on the cover.