November, i g 2 j 
75 
The Bay of Naples, part of 
an old set of Italian views, 
has been mounted on the 
walls of the music room in 
Villa Pazzi near Florence 
CARING FOR OLD WALL PAPERS 
The Methods Whereby Antique Wall Papers Can Be Removed, 
Mounted and Preserved Are Described in This Article 
HAROLD DONALDSON EBERLEIN 
Two strips of the “Bay of Naples” paper printed by Dufour in grisaille. 
This paper is susceptible of being treated either as a continuous subject or 
in the way shown here 
T he late 18 th Century and the early 
part of the 19 th may safely be regarded 
as the Golden Age of wall papers. Although 
wall papers of admirable quality, fascinating 
design, and intriguing combinations of 
color were produced before the period 
mentioned, and all sorts of 
wall papers with aU sorts of 
designs, colors and patterns 
have been prolifically manu¬ 
factured since then, there has never been a 
time, either before or since, when the art 
of wall paper design, and the mechanical 
processes that entered into the making of 
wall paper, have been so highly developed 
or practiced with such discriminating judg¬ 
ment or such sympathetic understanding 
of this important branch of interior decora¬ 
tion. 
Thanks to aU the intense activity of de¬ 
signing and manufacture that went on in 
that Golden Age, we now possess a rare 
waU paper heritage which it is 
well worth our while to cherish 
and preserve. A great many of 
{Continued on page 150) 
After being used as silk pat¬ 
terns, these 18th Century 
French papers were used as 
wall papers 
Another 18th Century French 
“silk pattern” paper, with 
birds of different species arid 
plumage 
