PRESERVATION OF WALLPAPERS AS PARTS OF INTERIORS

Preservation of wallpaper as a part of interiors
light source, the filter, film and magnification should all remain
constant. 317 It is recommended that the object be accompanied
by professional colour control strips.
Besides photos, drawings should be made of each wall to
map the extent and types of damage, as well as to show the locations
of various photographed damages. Drawings are commonly
known as graphic documentation and they can be made either
manually or with the aid of graphic design software, such as
Adobe Photoshop or AutoCad.
A sketch can document what cannot be seen in a photo,
for example the measurements of an object, extent of damage,
original method of mounting, and the sequence and location
of each strip or other decorative application. Sketching is
especially important if a wallpaper is going to be dismounted.
A well-made sketch will ease the process of remounting a wallpaper
later on.
4.2.4. Research
If a historic wallpaper or its fragments are preserved in situ,
research needs to be carried out before the start of any conservation
treatment. No wallpaper should be removed until a possible
conservation concept has been discussed with an interior
designer, co-conservators and other parties, or before a target date
for the conservation or redecoration has been established. 318
The research on a conservation object is commonly divided
into two categories: research based on the primary source, the
object itself, and research based on secondary sources, which
commonly include context and various archival materials. The
former is usually carried out by a conservator and the latter by
an art historian.
Frank S. Welsh divides the two categories into five principle
stages, which should be followed in researching a historic wallpaper.
First of all, the physical properties of a wallpaper should
be analysed. This research will help to identify the fibres used
to produce the paper, the pigments in paints and inks, and the
317
Moore, “Conservation Documentation and...”, 6.
318
Nyman, Wallpapers for Historic Buildings, 16.
174