The Zuber Manufacture is world-renowned for its panoramic wallpapers, veritable works of wall art. 

The success of these collections stems in particular from the work of quality, renowned 19th-century artists, who were able to adapt to the technical constraints of design and production.

Among the collections still published today, “Vues de Suisse”, designed in 1804 by Pierre Mongin, occupies a special place in history as the first panoramic wallpaper. Deltil, meanwhile, left his mark with large-scale designs such as “Vues du Brésil” in 1829, as well as the famous “Vues d’Amérique du Nord” created in 1834, which was given to Jacqueline Kennedy around 1960 to cover the diplomats’ reception room in the White House.

These decorations are spread continuously over several strips of wallpaper, creating gigantic historical scenes or dreamy landscapes of great visual richness. 

The traditional 18th-century technique of carved woodblock printing on hand-brushed paper backgrounds, still used by the manufactory, enhances the subtlety of the strokes and the softness of the deep matte hues specific to Zuber panoramas. Each wooden plate, on which the design is engraved in relief, enables the printing of a single color and a single part of the design. Between 800 and 2,000 of these are needed to print a single set.

More than 130,000 plates sculpted in the 19th century are preserved in the factory’s cellars. A veritable treasure trove listed as a Monument Historique, these pearwood planks, indispensable for printing panoramic wallpapers, are testimony to a living heritage and a craftsmanship handed down from generation to generation.

Maintaining ancestral know-how is a matter of course for the Maison Pierre Frey, which wishes to be part of a French tradition of excellence. 

By taking over from Manufacture Zuber, the Maison Pierre Frey is committed to preserving and enhancing this priceless heritage. It thus complements its expertise in weaving, furniture manufacture and flat-frame printing with that of woodblock printing.

Each of the companies that make up the Pierre Frey Group retains its own identity, continues to compose its history without ever denying its roots, and contributes to inspiring creation in the broadest sense. It’s in this spirit that Patrick Frey, Artistic Director of Maison Pierre Frey, declares: “I’m not the owner of these houses, I’m just the intermediary.