What was the idea behind photo-finish cabinets, c. 1930s? Just cheaper?

Back in those days, I would think that wood veneer would have been pretty cheap already. And the labor cost to apply photo finish shouldn't have been much different than veneer?

Doug,
What was the process for application to the structure, shrink wrap. I've seen cheap home paneling that appear to use the same process, but have no idea how it is applied. Flat paneling, of course would be a snap compared to an ogee, double ogee, or some other curved structure.

marv

:What was the idea behind photo-finish cabinets, c. 1930s? Just cheaper?
:
:Back in those days, I would think that wood veneer would have been pretty cheap already. And the labor cost to apply photo finish shouldn't have been much different than veneer?
: