PRESERVATION OF WALLPAPERS AS PARTS OF INTERIORS

Methodological conclusions
thetical setting. For better preservation of the original material,
a new layer should be easily removable and allow access to the
original. A new layer of wallpaper can create a closed, humid
environment, which does not permit further monitoring and
may cause further damage.
Although it is not a common practice, fragments of wallpaper
can be removed from their original location and returned
after conservation treatment. If the fragments have lost their
visual integrity, a decision needs to be made as to whether they
are to be exhibited or not. Returning fragments of preserved
wallpapers to their original location allows for the survival of
the historic unity and function as research material for new
generations.
Two of the wallpapers found in the Freyschlössl in Salzburg
had survived only in fragments. Although they had lost
their physical and aesthetic unity, they were handled as historic
documents. Since they had clearly been created for the building,
it was justifiable to preserve them in their original location
despite their condition. Their preservation in an archive would
have broken the historical unity and it would have raised the
question of ownership. Moreover, the removed fragments and
scraps of wallpaper would not have been as informative as they
were in situ.
Depending on the conception and expectations of an owner,
a modern interpretation of historic wall covers can be developed
in co-operation with an interior designer. Such materials
as glass, metal, plastic and wood veneer can be more easily
removed from a wall to allow access to the original than a new
layer of wallpaper. An imitation or an interpretation of the original
decorative scheme can be printed, cut, etched or carved onto
or into the mentioned materials. However, the new solution
should not alter the dimensional properties and relation of the
wall surface to other decorative details. Since a modern solution
creates a new perception of a historic interior, the reasons for
using modern materials need to be fully explained.
Although modern conservation theory emphasizes the importance
of preserving as much original material as possible, the
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