Type: Wallpaper
Plymouth Stripe & Vine
The original document of the Plymouth Stripe and Vine is in the collection of the Plymouth Antiquarian Society. The paper was found in the Jackson House on Leyden Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts, which was built in 1734 by Reverend Nathaniel Leonard, purchased from the Leonard heirs in 1766 by Barnabus Hedge, and subsequently purchased by … Continued
Plymouth Medallion
Medium-scale medallions used as a central motif were found in patterns from the 1820s to the 1840s. Most likely of American origin, this paper is quite representative of the period; it was found in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Its relatively modest size suggests that it would have been used for a bedroom or parlor, perhaps augmented by … Continued
Plymouth Ashlar
This ashlar pattern was found at the 1809 Hedge House in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Ashlar patterns were a very common and enduring style in this period, often kept in use for long periods of time. Used predominantly in heavily trafficked areas such as passages or stair halls they had the practical benefit of being easily repaired … Continued
Plain Papers
Plain colored, unprinted papers were fashionable from about 1760-1820, often hung with elaborate festoon or other borders. These papers have been discovered in historic houses ranging from simple to grand on both sides of the Atlantic. We know of installations in the fairly humble Pendleton House in North Carolina, as well as the imposing Osterley … Continued
Pineapples
This exuberant paper was discovered covering a wooden bandbox made by Hannah Davis, who worked in Jaffrey, New Hampshire between 1825 and 1855. Well known for her carefully made hat and bandboxes, Davis is also credited with designing a machine to cut thin sheets of wood for the sides of her boxes. The Pinapples pattern … Continued
Philadelphia Harlequin
The bold geometric pattern and refined colorway of this harlequin paper is indicative of the American fascination with turn of the century French styles. The grid like organization and neoclassical ornamentation is found in many popular patterns from this period. Adelphi surmises this paper was most likely printed by Anthony Chardon, a French émigré printer … Continued
Persian Volute
This pattern dates from the period when several major shifts were underway in wallpaper design and manufacture. First, it shows the influence of Owen Jones and Augustus Pugin, English designers who were fascinated by ancient and exotic ornament. They were determined to replace the French fashion for overtly three dimensional wallpapers with those that treated … Continued
Pebbles and Flowerpots
This striking and very distinctive paper, along with the Festoon Frieze, was originally hung in the dining room of one of the most important and ground breaking examples of American domestic architecture, the Pope Villa in Lexington, Kentucky. The house was designed in about 1815 by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, one of America’s first professional architects, … Continued
Parson Smith Pillar and Arch
Perhaps our favorite of this type of pattern, the Parson Smith document has a fluidity absent from many pillar and arch designs. Though the fragments were discovered in a closet of the South Windham residence these were obviously leftovers from the another space, most likely the hallway. NOTE: With this pattern clients should expect some … Continued
Parakeets and Pearls
Typical of French papers of the period, this delicate and highly sophisticated pattern uses naturalistic motifs in an arabesque arrangement. The term “Arabesque” refers to the placement of figures with a bilateral symmetry into a columnar format. In this case the columns are set in a half-drop of the pattern repeat. This Parisian arabesque exemplifies … Continued