Dating wall paper

[K8]

Hi

just thought someone might know.
When replacing the old ceiling (totally rotten and many joists fell out leaving their ends in the gables) I found this wall paper between the ceiling and the upstairs floor and wondered how old the design might be if anyone had an estimate please?
The cottage is approx 1850 or so and very much a workers cottage be it a fisherman or quarry man.

 

[Raylea]

Hi,

We have paper very similar to yours in a understairs cupboard and the front of our house was built around 1840. Perhaps being in a cupboard and not really the most important place to keep rederocating, I am thinking around when it was built.

Not really any help to you as I am not totally sure.

Still hope we both find out.
Raylea

 

[K8]

that is really interesting as the part of my cottage that was in is the newer room so to speak, so that could suggest the other part of my cottage is older.
One day I will get to spend time doing searches on the old title deeds etc. to date the cottage properly.
Do you have a picture of your wall paper?

 

[alice]

From the style of the flowers and the background I'd put it later than the 19th C... maybe 1910 at the earliest.

Here's a site you might find interesting. Later on tonight I'll look in a couple of books I have and see if I'm right.

http://www.historicwallpapering.com/links.htm

alice

 

[skier-hughes]

No idea on the wallpaper, but the paint looks just like ours put on in the early 1950's.

 

[K8]

the less said about that paint the better Dulux bathroom paint is suspected :shock:

That would be great Alice, thanks

 

[stickybeak]

.

 

[K8]

thank you for that link too

 

[alice]

I didn't find the exact wallpaper in my books, which was not unexpected. The more famous papermakers have their work preserved for the ages, but the modest craftsmen, who have their work in more houses, are forgotten. In working-class homes, people tend to be conservative in their choice of styles, as well. When you don't have much money and have to live with a design for a long time, you tend not to take risks. That's why you'll see older styles used long after they're considered dated by more daring and free-spending groups.

But after looking in my books, I really think that the paper is early 20th century.

The design itself is a mish-mash of art deco (the overall geometric background) and 19th C. elements (the leafy florishes and Japonaiserie bamboo style background). The more I look at it the more I think it's even later than 1910. Those poppy/anemone flowers have a very thirties look to them. While it's hard to tell because it's faded and there is lighting problems with the pic, that color of mauvish pink would be more popular in the 20's/30's.

alice

 

[K8]

thank you Alice
yes there are pink bits in the paper, sadly the peice that you see on the floor I failed to resuce fast enough and I have it still but in much more bits than that, gald I took the photo first as that part of the wall is now hidden again as the new ceiling/floor is in place.