Pattern: Sprig

Ribbon Sprig was discovered in Concord, Massachusetts and may have originated in Boston, but it is of sufficiently high quality to also suggest that it could be of French origin. Free floating, small figured sprig patterns were popular throughout the late 18th century both in French and English wallpapers. The fact that this sprig is … Continued

Unlike contemporary wallpaper patterns, those of the 19th century tended to remain in a manufacture’s line for many years. Adelphi’s Middlefield Sprig pattern is an example. Stylistically, the pattern could date from as early as about 1825. A large fragment from about this time was found in a doctor’s house in Middlefield, New York, printed … Continued

Small sprig motifs gained popularity in the 1760s and remained in fashion until about 1815, after which they gave way to papers with larger scale repeats. A reproduction of this pattern (discovered in Ipswich, Massachusetts) was commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution for use in the 1760s parlor of the Choate House at the National Museum … Continued

In 1834 Eneral Griffin, an escaped African American slave, purchased a small, 1827 house near Hamilton, Ontario. Whether this paper was already installed at the time of sale or if it was hung soon after is unknown. A precise date is difficult as this was the period when mechanized printing methods began to appear. Certain … Continued

Simple sprig patterns were a mainstay of English, French and American paperhanging manufacturers for many years. The fragments for this particular sprig pattern were the earliest in a “sandwich” of at least 12 sidewall patterns found at the Berrien House in Savannah, Georgia. Whether it is English, French or American is difficult to determine. The … Continued