PRESERVATION OF WALLPAPERS AS PARTS OF INTERIORS

Methodological conclusions
SUMMARY
This thesis has focused on issues dealing with the preservation
of historic wallpapers as parts of interiors. According to
modern conservation principles, historic objects, including
wallpapers, should be preserved in their original location.
Besides being merely decorative, wallpapers are also informative,
revealing the function and importance of a room, the
social background and financial level of its inhabitants, used
materials, manufacturing methods and much more. Moreover,
wallpaper forms a unity with other decorative details.
If a wallpaper is removed from an interior and preserved in
an archive, it loses a part of its ability to inform its observer
about its former setting.
To allow for the preservation of a larger number of historic
wallpapers in interiors, appropriate methodological guidelines
need to be developed. Thus discussing possible preservation
options and developing guidelines have been included in the
thesis. The choice of the subject was above all triggered by the
disturbing situation in Estonia, where the preservation of historic
wallpapers is an extraordinary measure and is seldom undertaken.
However, the methodology suggested is not limited to
Estonia; it could be put to use elsewhere. It could contribute to
the preservation of a variety of historic wallpapers, help make
them aesthetically appealing and maintain them for future generations
in their original locations.
According to the author’s observations, a historic wallpaper
can be preserved in an interior by implementing different conceptions.
It can be preserved either in situ as an intact object or
as a fragment, restored and remounted in its original location
or exhibited in a new context by imitating or interpreting the
ideas of the original historic decoration.
For a better understanding of the versatility of historic
wallpapers and the principles of wall decoration, this thesis has
offered a concise overview of the use of wallpapers from the
middle of the 18th century until the beginning of the 20th century.
The period was chosen according to the ages and types of
the eight research objects.
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