Old Time Wall Papers: An Account of the Pictorial Papers on Our Forefathers' Walls with a Study of the Historical Development of Wall Paper Making and Decoration

In Short

This archival study traces the artistic evolution and cultural significance of scenic wallpapers, tracking their journey from ancient Asia to early American homes. Sanborn blends historical research with field documentation, recording rare block-printed landscapes, pastoral murals, and classical motifs before they disappear. She details manufacturing techniques, regional adaptations, and the social habits of early households. The work remains an indispensable reference for decorative arts due to its eyewitness accounts, unique photographic directory, and earnest defense of vanishing domestic craftsmanship.

The Story

The narrative begins deep in history, tracing paper making from its origins in China, through Arab trade routes, to medieval Europe. As paper production expanded, early decorators shifted from costly woven tapestries, like Arras, to affordable printed hangings. Small decorative domino papers—hand-printed from pear-wood blocks and colored by hand—gained popularity in French shops and cottages before ascending to wealthier residences. Over time, European artisans perfected flocking techniques using woolen dust and linseed oil adhesives to mimic expensive textiles. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, woodblock printing technology enabled manufacturers to produce continuous rolled papers showing vast panoramic landscapes, historical events, and mythological sagas.

Moving across the Atlantic, the focus shifts to early American interiors. Colonists initially whitewashed their homes, painted stenciled murals, or hand-painted floral borders directly on timber walls. Soon, prosperous families began importing foreign papers in square sheets and later full rolls. Scenic papers depicting Vesuvius, Scythian legends, racing horses, and Walter Scott's The Lady of the Lake transformed standard rooms into vast theatrical backdrops. Sanborn recounts her personal field survey to locate, identify, and record these surviving papers across New England mansions, rural taverns, and academic residences.

Her field research reveals a constant race against time. Many priceless papers face destruction from dampness, modernizing renovations, or careless home buyers who scrape away historic layers. Despite stubborn owners, dark rooms, and primitive photography, Sanborn documents key historic sites, including the Hancock-Clarke house, the Wayside Inn, and the Sparhawk estate. She analyzes scenic motifs, tracks down identical printings in distant towns, and notes how papers conditioned family memories.

Ultimately, the arc returns full circle to modern decorative taste. Sanborn argues that aesthetic trends move in cycles. Just as nineteenth-century households sought solace in nostalgic tapestries and classic landscapes, modern readers are rediscovering antique woodblock prints. The work closes with a plea to preserve these fragile interior treasures, framing them as living witnesses to early domestic life and national heritage.

How It Unfolds

The journey through paper history The narrative establishes the historical roots of paper-hangings, tracing early cotton paper from China through Arab trade to Moorish Spain and medieval Europe. It contrasts early woven tapestries with the eventual development of printed paper, highlighting the shift toward accessible interior decoration.

The craft of the dominotier Sanborn examines early European techniques, describing how eighteenth-century French craftsmen produced small block-printed domino papers and velvet-like flock hangings. These techniques spread from humble rural homes into Paris drawing rooms, laying the foundation for complex panoramic prints.

Surfacing in the New World The focus shifts to colonial America, detailing how whitewashed walls gave way to stenciled patterns, hand-painted florals, and imported papers. Early households welcomed exotic designs, transforming plain wooden interiors with printed views of faraway lands, hunts, and historical legends.

Fieldwork in New England homes Sanborn conducts an energetic search across New England to photograph surviving scenic wall-papers before they are removed or destroyed. She encounters stubborn homeowners, unearths hidden murals beneath layers of old paper, and captures rare scenic prints in historic homes.

The legacy of interior memory The investigation concludes by linking historic papers to personal and cultural memory, emphasizing their artistic value and calling for systematic preservation. Sanborn asserts that design tastes move in cycles, making these vintage room coverings vital artifacts for future generations.

The People

Kate Sanborn The author acts as a committed collector and narrator, driven by a desire to document fast-disappearing historic wall-papers. Born in a room decorated with a panoramic view of Mount Vesuvius, she views these scenic backdrops as essential components of childhood memory and cultural history. She travels throughout New England, enlisting photographers and interviewing residents to preserve a record of early American domestic art.

Mrs. Frederick C. Bursch A dedicated researcher who brings order, method, and scholarly verification to Sanborn's vast collection of photographs and local lore. She undertakes the difficult task of organizing, verifying, and describing the photographic plates, turning informal field notes into an organized historical study.

Professor Ira Young A Dartmouth scholar whose home features a celebrated set of panoramic papers depicting the four seasons—sowing, haying, harvesting, and sleighing. His preserved library serves as an early inspiration for Sanborn's documentation project and demonstrates how historic papers endured in academic households.

Timothy Dexter An eccentric New England figure whose home once featured a striking horse-racing paper with bold colors and spirited drawing. His distinctive interior choices highlight how bold wall-papers were used to project personality and wealth in early American homes.

In Its Own Voice

"Man has been defined as 'an animal who collects.' There is no hobby more delightful, and in this hunt I feel that I am doing a real service to many who have not time to devote to the rather difficult pursuit of what will soon be only a remembrance of primitive days."

Sanborn explains her personal motivation for gathering photographs of fragile interior decorations before they disappear entirely.

"A good collection is always interesting, from choice old copies of first editions to lanterns, cow-bells, scissors, cup-plates, fans or buttons; and I mourn that I did not think of securing photographs of quaint and antique papers years ago, for most of them have now disappeared."

She reflects on the urgency of her field survey, noting how quickly historic artifacts slip away without proper documentation.

"Hawthorne believed that the furniture of a room was magnetized by those who occupied it; a modern psychologist declares that even a rag doll dearly loved by a child becomes something more than a purely inanimate object."

The author connects physical wall-papers with human presence, suggesting that domestic objects absorb the living history of the people who reside alongside them.

What It's Really About

The book explores how human beings express identity, memory, and ambition through their domestic spaces. Beyond a simple catalog of decorative art, it argues that wall-papers served as democratic art galleries for early households, bringing distant landscapes, classical literature, and historical drama into daily life. Sanborn explores the tension between modernization and historic preservation, showing how short-sighted renovations continually erase cultural history. The text contends that domestic objects hold emotional weight, absorbing the quiet daily lives of the generations who live with them. Through its historical survey, the book highlights the cyclical nature of human taste, demonstrating how forgotten artistic traditions inevitably return to inspire new generations.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to social historians, interior designers, preservationists, and readers who delight in regional New England lore. Reading it feels like taking a private tour through antique homes alongside a witty, sharp-eyed guide who appreciates both high history and local idiosyncrasies. Sanborn writes with clear, direct vigor, avoiding dense academic jargon while delivering precise factual detail.

The text carries a few period challenges, including scattered historical tangents, brief citations of nineteenth-century literary works, and occasional archaic spelling choices preserved from original records. However, these minor hurdles add to its distinct antique character. What remains with the reader is a fresh appreciation for everyday craftsmanship and the fragile nature of home heritage. It reminds us that the surfaces surrounding our daily lives carry stories worth preserving before time and trend sweep them away.