The history of Wallpaper

The first type of paper was invented in 400BC in Egypt this paper is known as Papyrus. However wallpaper began in ancient china, the first use of this was 200BC when they glued rice paper onto their walls. It wasn't until the 12th century that paper making reached Europe.

Wallpaper first became popular in the renaissance using printmaking methods such as woodblock, it is thought by some historians that wallpapers replaced tapestries to those who could not afford them to keep their home warm.

Early wallpapers tended to be large sheets of paper, pasted to the wall similar to how we use wallpaper today, several sheets were used to make up the scene on a wall. The largest picture print was the Triumphal Arc commissioned by a Roman Emperor in 1515. It was made up of 192 sheets and measured 3.75 by 2.95 meters. I have posted the image below, its amazing to see how these first wallpapers were made and created, to how they are developed today. The time and skill put into this wall decoration is amazing. In the early 1600's the french introduced flocked wallpaper, this is where flock (wool or silk powder) is applied over the background colour, stencilled on with slow drying adhesive.

The reign of Henry VIII saw the tapestry trade in england decrease dramatically due to the split with the Catholic Church the trade across europe fell and wallpaper became a popular second choice. By the mid 18th century britain became the leading wallpaper manufacturer and exported all over Europe. Blue flock wallpaper became very popular in this time, I find it amazing to see that some of the techniques used then (flocking) are still used now hundreds of years later to get the same affect. I have posted a small image of the wallpaper below so you can see, this has moved on from the above work and is starting to have more of a decorative and thought out pattern to it.

Towards the end of the century scenic wallpaper was becoming very popular in England and France leading to enormous wall coverings as shown below the 1804 covering by the designer Jean-Gabriel Charvetfor showing the voyages of captain cook. Hand blocking wallpapers like these are made using centuries old techniques where paper is hand printed from hand carved blocks of wood.

In 1785 the first wallpaper print machine was made and invented by Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf and in 1799 this was developed by Louis-Nicholas Robert into a machine that prints continuous sheets of paper, this was a very early example of the fourdrinier machine as seen below. After the invention of the first wallpaper printer in the early 18th century the English developed a four colour surface print machine in 1839. This used wooden rollers as the medium to put pattern onto the paper. The machine was automated and processed the printing of the paper, but the rollers with the markings were still handcrafted at this time. Towards the end of the 18th century this machine was developed into an eight colour printing machine and finally a 20 colour print machine.

The development of steam powered printing presses in 1813 allowed wallpapers to be produced on a mass scale. This opened up the variety of wallpaper including cheaper and colourful wallpaper choices. Wallpaper had a huge boom in the market in the 19th century and by the 20th century it was seen as one of the most popular house hold items across the western world.