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Courtesy of the Victoria & Albert Museum, here’s a short intro into the history of wallpaper.
“Originating in the 16th century, the earliest wallpapers were used to decorate the insides of cupboards and smaller rooms in merchants' houses rather than the grand houses of the aristocracy...
But by the beginning of the 20th century, it was being used everywhere, in hallways, kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms as well as reception rooms, and was popular in both the wealthiest and poorest homes.”
“Many early wallpapers featured stylised floral motifs and simple pictorial scenes copied from contemporary embroideries and other textiles. They were printed in monochrome, in black ink on small sheets of paper that measured approximately 40 cm high by 50 cm wide”
It was not until the second half of the 17th Century that single sheets were produced in long rolls, known as block prints.
This video explains the process, using an 1874 William Morris block print as an example.
Once wallpaper became bolder and more colorful, its production made for a thriving industry, which in turn caught the eye of the excise agency. New taxes meant increased prices, so manufacturers chose to focus output on expensive wallpapers. Even given that, demand remained high.
“The period was also particularly rich and inventive in terms of design. Floral patterns containing finely-coloured roses and carnations were most popular but architectural and landscape scenes were also admired. A paper from Doddington Hall contains framed figures and landscapes interspersed with flowers and insects, and the bright blues and pinks remind us that 18th-century interiors were often decorated in vivid colours...
the idea of a wallpaper incorporating pictures within frames was inspired by the fashion for rooms decorated with prints cut out and pasted directly on to the wall, known as Print Rooms.
These were pioneered by collector Horace Walpole, owner of Strawberry Hill House in South London.
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a treat,
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