Od salonu do buduaru. Wystrój i wyposażenie wnętrz łódzkiej burżuazji 1890–1939 – wybrane problemy
From the living room to the boudoir Interior design and furnishing of the Łódź bourgeoisie 1890–1939 – selected problems

Summary/Abstract: At the beginning of the 20th century, the social structure of the Łódź bourgeoisie is dominated by the petty bourgeoisie group, that makes up about 20% of the citizens, while the bourgeoisie that derived from it constitutes about 7%, with the representatives of wealthy intelligentsia estimated at about 2.2–5%. In the intital stages of establishing their lifestyles they aspired to follow the living patterns of the upper class, espacially the aristocracy. According to the words of Norbert Elias – Elegance and sophistication, being the basis of prestige, allow them to separate from other social strata, just as it was in the case of the aristocracy. One of the core elements of social status was having a adequately equipped home, because as Walter Benjamin said ”the interior, for the private man, represents the universe. In the interior, he brings together the far away and the long ago”.The interior is a space strictly defined by boundaries and functionality, in which not only basic human needs are contained, but also the desire for comfort. It is reflected in the representative functions that support the social life, limited not only to the extended family, but involving a much wider community.The article provides a closer look at the issues of designing and decorating the interiors of both residences and apartments of the rich, predominantely neostylish in nature, subordinated to certain content, among which the will of self-presentation was the most prominent. Were they just the products of ever changing trends or a universal value derived from the ideas of representativeness and privacy? The article presents the results of research related to material culture, furnishings, iconographic program of interiors and customs. It references archival and iconographic materials including, but not limited to diary accounts and memoirs. It focuses on various parameters for ordering not only furniture.

• Details
• Contents