PRESERVATION OF WALLPAPERS AS PARTS OF INTERIORS

Documentation of the work on the Estonian Literary Museum
Comments:
Substratematerials:
Paper:
Mechanically produced cellulose paper with slight
embossed relief
Watermark: –
pH: –
Fiber: –
Lining:
Additional tests/work:
Thin brown cellulose paper in sheet form.
A. Testing water resistance of printing colours
B. Testing various materials for dry cleaning
(Wishab Sponge Soft, Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser,
latex sponge)
C. Testing adhesives Klucel G (solutions 2,5%, 5% and
10% in ethanol) and methyl cellulose
D. Testing colours for restouching (crayons, watercolour
crayons, dry pastel, watercolour, gouasche)
E. searching for historic photos of the building in EAM
and ERM archives in Estonia
DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGE:
Description of object’s
general conditon:
Walls are covered from the height of about 3,75 m with with
satin wallpaper depicting large red and yellow nelgi blossoms.
A narrow and dark border depicting exotic blossoms and
palmleaves runs along the upper edge of the wallpaper.
The lower edge of the wallpaper is covered with wide wooden
floor moulding.
An area to be restored (wallpaper + border) cover 67,7 m 2 of
the wall. About 1 m2 of wallpaper and 1,5 m of border is
missing.
Majority of wallpaper and border is in a very good condition
and resistant to dry cleaning.
On the wall B, dark outlines of two large rectangles and
several horizontal lines had been left by painting bookshelves.
On the wall D, on an area between ceramic heater and door
leading to the main-hall, about 0,5 m2 of wallpaper is covered
with dark yellow archival paper.
Wallpaper is damaged by moisture and has loosened from the
wall in the corners A/B, B/C and C/D. The whole corner B/C is
damaged by moisture. The area of damage is visually darker
that rest of the wallpaper, its outlines are marked with dark
brownish-yellow outlines.
There are three major losses in the paper fabric and a large
amount of small losses (such as deep scratches, nail holes,
holes made by metal or wooden tenons), that are scattered
around on the surface of the wallpaper. The whole surface
of wallpaper is covered with spider-webs and loose dirt.
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