PRESERVATION OF WALLPAPERS AS PARTS OF INTERIORS

Preservation of wallpaper as a part of interiors
The more expensive method of hanging a wallpaper on canvas
attached to a wooden frame or battens can protect a wallpaper
to some extent. With the help of wooden frames, wallpapers
can be easily dismounted from walls and preserved elsewhere.
However, this type of mounting also has disadvantages. Due to
fluctuations in humidity and temperature, wooden battens may
warp and loosen the canvas. If the canvas loses tension, the first
folds will most commonly appear in the corners of the frame.
Although stretching a canvas is a common practice in painting
conservation, it is not recommended for wallpaper conservation,
since it may damage the paper. In a domestic environment,
such objects may be preserved in a cellar or attic, which is not
an appropriate location for preserving a valuable object. For
instance, after numerous chinoiserie wallpaper panels were
discovered in the attic of the Esterházy Palace, it became apparent
that both the wallpaper and lining canvas were in very poor
condition. Due to the high level of humidity in the attic, the canvas
had lost its strength and loosened from the frames, causing
numerous small cross fractures in the wallpaper. (Fig. 78) In
addition, high humidity had provided a perfect environment
for the spread of mould and insects. (Fig. 79)
Major damage can be caused by normal domestic life and
careless handling. Dusting, scrubbing and washing leave their
marks on the delicate printed surface of wallpaper. Furniture
that has been placed too close to a wall may scratch the surface
of a wallpaper. This kind of damage is revealed by the loss of
paint and tears or holes in the paper’s surface. (Fig. 80) Water
pipes, radiators and pieces of furniture (cupboards, shelves
and frames) fixed to the wall may have been painted without
dismounting them. This leads to streaks of paint on the surface
of a wallpaper. The areas behind paintings and furniture that
have been placed close to the wall may leave “shadows”, which
means that the surrounding surface has been bleached through
the exposure to UV light.
Since the majority of paints used for wallpaper printing are
distemper paints, using water or cleaning solutions may result in
blurring a pattern or leaving uneven and patchy areas. Ever since
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