Transcriber's Note:
Click on illustrations to get a personalised view of them.
Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have beenadjusted, and obvious typographical errors have been corrected. For acomplete list, please see the end of this book.
WE HAVE PRINTED 75 SIGNED AND NUMBERED COPIES OF THIS BOOK ON FRENCHJAPAN PAPER, AND 975 NUMBERED COPIES ON AMERICAN PLATE PAPER. THE TYPEHAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED. NUMBER.
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
BY
KATE SANBORN
GREENWICH CONNECTICUT
THE LITERARY COLLECTOR PRESS
NEW YORK
1905
Clifford & Lawton
19 Union Square West, New York City
SOLE AGENTS
Copyright, 1905
BY KATE SANBORN
TO
A. S. C.
THE CHATELAINE OF ELM BANK
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
IF a book has ever been written on this subject it has been impossibleto discover; and to get reliable facts for a history of the origin anddevelopment of the art of making wall-papers has been a serious task,although the result seems scanty and superficial. Some friends maywonder at the lack of fascinating bits of gossip, stories of rosyromance and somber tragedy in connection with these papers. But thosewho chatted, danced, flirted, wept or plotted in the old rooms are longsince dust, and although the "very walls have ears" they have not thegift of speech. But my collection of photographs is something entirelyunique and will increase in value every year. The numerousphotographers, to whom I have never appealed in vain, are regarded by meas not only a skillful but a saintly class of men.
I am greatly indebted to Miss Mary M. Brooks of Salem and Miss Mary H.Buckingham of Boston for professional assistance. Many others have mostkindly helped me by offers of photographs and interesting facts[viii]concerning the papers and their histories. But I am especially indebtedto Mrs. Frederick C. Bursch, who has given much of her time to patientresearch, to the verification or correction of doubtful statements,