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 impossible to discover; and to get reliable facts for a history of the origin and development of the art of making wall-papers has been a serious task, although the result seems scanty and superficial. Some friends may wonder at the lack of fascinating bits of gossip, stories of rosy romance and somber tragedy in connection with these papers. But those who chatted, danced, flirted, wept or plotted in the old rooms are long since dust, and although the "very walls have ears" they have not the gift of speech. But my collection of photographs is something entirely unique and will increase in value every year. The numerous photographers, to whom I have never appealed in vain, are regarded by me as 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 most kindly helped me by offers of photographs and interesting facts concerning the papers and their histories. But I am especially indebted to Mrs. Frederick C. Bursch, who has given much of her time to patient research, to the verification or correction of doubtful statements, and has accomplished a difficult task in arranging and describing the photographs. Without her enthusiastic and skillful assistance, my collection and text would have lacked method and finish.

To the many, both acquaintances and strangers, who have volunteered assistance and have encouraged when discouragement was imminent, sending bracing letters and new-old pictures, I can only quote with heartfelt thanks the closing lines of the verse written by Foote, the English actor, to be posted conspicuously to attract an audience to his benefit—

Like a grate full of coals I'll glow
A great full house to see;
And if I am not grateful, too,
A great fool I shall be.

CONTENTS

[I]Page

FROM MUD WALLS AND CANVAS TENTS TO DECORATIVE PAPERS [ 1]

[II]

PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE ART [23]

[III]

EARLIEST WALL PAPERS IN AMERICA [41]

[IV]

WALL PAPERS IN HISTORIC HOMES [61]

[V]

NOTES FROM HERE AND THERE [85]

[VI]

REVIVAL AND RESTORATION OF OLD WALL PAPERS [103]

LIST OF PLATES AND ILLUSTRATIONS

Plates

Old English Figure paper—in Colors.[Plate I]
Rural Scenes—Detail in Colors.[II]
French paper, Watteau Style—Detail in Colors.[III]
Adventures of a Gallant—Reduction.[IV]
Adventures of a Gallant—Detail in Colors.[V]
Racing paper—Timothy Dexter House.[VI]
The Bayeux Tapestry—Burial of Edward.[VII]
The Bayeux Tapestry—Harold hearing News.[VIII]
Oldest English paper—Borden Hall, "A."[IX]
Borden Hall paper, Design "B."[X]
Early English Pictorial paper—Chester, Eng.[XI]
Old Chinese paper, Cultivation of Tea—Dedham, Mass.[XII-XIV]
Early American fresco—Westwood, Mass.[XV-XVIII]
Early Stencilled paper—Nantucket, Mass.[XIX]
A Peep at the Moon—Nantucket, Mass.[XX]
Hand-colored Figures, repeated—Claremont, N. H.[XXI]
Nature Scenes, repeated—Salem, Mass.[XXII]
The Alhambra, repeated—Leicester, Mass.[XXIII]
Cathedral Views, repeated—Ware, Mass.[XXIV]
Cathedral Views, repeated on architectural background—Waltham,Mass.[XXV]
Pictured Ruins, Hall and Stairway—Salem, Mass.[XXVI]
Birds of Paradise and Peacocks—Waltham, Mass.[XXVII]
Sacred to Washington—Mourning paper.[XXVIII]
Dorothy Quincy Wedding paper—Quincy, Mass.[XXIX]
The Pantheon—King's Tavern, Vernon, Conn.[XXX]
Canterbury Bells—Wayside Inn, Sudbury, Mass.[XXXI]
The First Railway Locomotive—Salem, Mass.[XXXII]
Rural Scene from same room.[XXXIII]
Pizarro in Peru—Duxbury, Mass.[XXXIV][-V]
Tropical Scenes—Peabody, Mass.[XXXVI][-VII]
On the Bosporus—Montpelier, Vt.[XXXVIII-IX]
Oriental Scenes—Stockport, N. Y.[XL-XLIII]
Early Nineteenth Century Scenic paper—Deerfield, Mass.[XLIV][-V]
Same Scenic paper, other examples—Warner, N. H., and Windsor, Vt.[XLVI-VII]
Harbor Scene—Waterford, Vt., Gilmanton, N. H., and Rockville, Mass.[XLVIII]
The Spanish Fandango—same paper.[XLIX]
Strolling Players—same paper.[L]
Rural Scenes—Ashland, Mass., and Marblehead.[LI, LII]
French Boulevard Scenes—Salem, Mass., and Nantucket, Mass.[LIII, LIV]
Gateway and Fountain, with Promenaders.[LV]
Scenes from Paris—Salem, Mass., etc.[LVI,] [LVII]
Bay of Naples—Hanover, N. H., etc.[LVIII-LXII]
Cupid and Psyche—panelled paper.[LXIII,] [LXIV]
The Adventures of Telemachus—Taunton, Mass., etc.[LXV-IX]
Scottish Scenes—same paper.[LXX]
The Olympic Games—Boston, Mass.[LXXI]
A tribute to Homer—same paper.[LXXII]
The shrine of Vesta—same paper.[LXXIII]
Worship of Athene—same paper.[LXXIV]
Oblation to Bacchus—same paper.[LXXV]
Oblation to Bacchus and Procession before Pantheon—Keene, N. H.[LXXVI]
The Lady of the Lake—Greenbush, Mass., and Portsmouth, N. H.[LXXVII-LXXX]
The Seasons—Hanover, N. H.[LXXXI-III]