For months we’ve been noticing tiny corners of wallpaper peeking through areas of flaking paint.  Now that the walls are coming down, we decided it’s time to catalog this special history of our building.

For more than 100 years each owner has added their own special touch to their new home.  We’ve noted the multicolor layers of paint on the woodwork, which are easy to see in areas that are chipping.  Old layers of wallpaper are more difficult to see because the mixture of glue, paper and paint tend to solidify into a mass.  It’s a lucky occurrence when chemistry, moisture and movement align just perfectly to allow a good-sized area of wallpaper to show through.

It’s easy to see the passage of time through this wallpaper.  The earliest layers seem to be more crudely produced and it’s evident where the ink squished off the side of the wood block used to print it.  As time goes by and technology improves, registration is better and the wallpaper has a cleaner look overall.  I like the really old prints.

One of my favorites is this labyrinth pattern we found in the dining room, right next to the window with the oak panel under it.  Can you imagine what this room looked like?

Each pattern has its own personality and through it we can imagine the personality of the owner.  I daydream about the time when this room was filled with women in bustle skirts and men in coarse wool suits with bow ties, dining under the light of a candelabrum.  Or maybe a group of hip youngsters in flapper fashions getting ready for a night on the town.  A family dinner during the Great Depression when people prayed for times to get better.  Holidays and lazy summer days, weddings and funerals, all taking place right here under these patterned walls.