New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-18
EXPORT OF PAPER HANGINGS.
A NEW AMERICAN ENTERPRISE.

A NEW AMERICAN ENTERPRISE.
COMPETITION IN BEAUTY oP DESIGN AND GOOD
FINISH wfTH FOREIGS-MADE HANGISGS-sUPE-
RIoR MECHANICAL SKILL MATCHED AGAINST AR
TIsTIC RESOURCES
An interesting experiment Is being tried by
the of wallpaper OF this country, namely,
the sale of their goods in Europe The movement IS dis
ttnct that of the makers of wrapping, writing and
printing paper though the Of the manufacturers
Of the In exporting their products has led to the
present venture by the makers Of the other The two
classes OF goods really very distinct IN Character
and the extent of their abroad depends upon quite
different things. The wrapping, writing and printing
paper building up large foreign trade on the
strength OF their ability to make paper cheaper than con
he done in other nations, by Of improved pro-
cesses OF manufacture and advantages of climate while
the rhangngs can only hope for complete sue
cess the ground of their ability 10 compete Win
Europeans their special field OF artistic and beautiiu
designs she past, European goods have enjoy ed an
unrivaled superiority those OF this country IN
beauty OF texture and design and to large extent do
sti Americans have generally been obliged 10 DC con-
tent with giving their goods the special quality OF cheaP
ness Having however fully succeeded In tine eho 10
secure cheapness of production they are now giving
more attention TO design and In the Inc OF Wallpaper
at least have gone far 10 feel Ike exhibiting Their
products European markets. and bidding foT saie OF
the attempt Of the pnperhangings manufacturers which
gives It special interest.
American hnugings have for some time been used
largely in the provinces OF Canada In competition VITA
tie English, where they have commanded ready sale
and said better price, owing 10 their eNcei
lence OF design and finish They have been seldom seen
in Europe until the present year. few have gone 10
England where travellers have observed them ON tho
shelves and where it would not he surprising to find
that they still remain, they were probably purchased
chiefly for the purposes OF comparison and OF ltatloh
Bgelow Co. of Boston made display OF hanglngs AT
Paris at the Exhibition Of 1857 which attracted com
men at the time and American hangings were also seen
at vienna Samples have also gone into Germany to
limited extent their designs copied by the nanufac
turers of that country There might have been very
fair sale Of them in South America had 1t not been at
rapid communication with the principal countries OF that
continent was cut of by the withdrawal OF the stea
shin lines The abandonment of the steam lines from
the United States Brazil has sadly intcffered with the
development of a trade in paper banginss with that
promising market especially. and it is believed there
now none ALL There has IN fact never been anything
worthy the name Of an expectation OF American hhng
nCs to any country whatever except the Dominion OF
Canada The present effort OF +. Beck Co. Of this city
and others has substantially all the novelty aud merit Oh
new enterprise
While there has been no export worth mentioning
there has always been large import II began away
back IN 1863 when the papeIhangng was close in'a
ton Of the tapestry for which that and the previous age
are famous and when few conld afford to purchase 80
luxurious and curious decoration of the family man
sion II has continued the present moment in spite OF
competition and since the great increase OF the pur
cha sing power Of tins country by the development OF
industries under tariff Of 1861 IL has been enormons
amou uniting in year ps72) 10 S6s2GSs worth sih'V
that time h las fallen OIL owing 10 the hard times ana la
the incr easing superiority of American haIGgs his
last year thc import1tion only SlS5,549 ana wa
l.rip ia
from II 10 IS roll and upward which are used only IN
iarge cItes and are consumed quantities small that
IL does not nav American maui lacurers 10 make them
English and French paper hhnemks nave h h,
taken precedence all Others account OF the beany
of their designs and nriiy aud richness on thtr cos
large share Of the English aud french designs nav
been borrowed from the quaint decoiatlohs OF 'aFh'
and carved stone aud wood work 81 INC ladIe hses W
which there in those two countries snch inliesr
treasures. IL was pointed out many y.us ago oS o~
and other writer's that those decorative deslSns Wetc
worth great deal more than Tor ne SIMPLE uaes 20
which they aPpicd aud siDce ih TN. ueslAhes
OF hauciugs and furniture have seized upnn them WIN
aldy ana the world OF fashion and sse has bestowed
its approval upon them Americans cannot produce these
DESIGNS hccoise they are without the originals. While
faSonoe ' 1be I TS fbeTeofs it is not probable
that Americans can Mcguire distinction in the manuiHc-
@ a. is fo initiate The antiqne designs Of their English
and Frcneh br0fheT and strive by their superior me-
csac an tReT iya They cannot lead The fashion
They only follow in the way pointed out 90 them ana
the trade in costly hangngs by nifiug
10 their goods the great American quality OF chcapi
II may he said, however that they are dong tls ana
That LanCngs I'm beautiful tapestry and brOcade designs,
and I'm the conventional Eastlake designs which are
made i'm Europe by hand, produced an ms city Oy
machinery al greatly reduced cXpensc,and finished 80
D,rfccly as battle experienced eye 10 tel the Two
sorts az Goods apart These hangings can be, and are
new offered for sale Europe nj lower rates than they
can be made there. Hangings IN fashionable pat
terms however only small part OF those tat are
sold IN this country any other; and in the production
of the large majority Of papers in ordinary there X
large field the play OF the invention OF American
designers, which they stand more nearly on terms oil
Equality with their foreign rivals Many OF the less pre-
tenoris American papers si made In foreign pat
terms but the larger part OF them not There
doubfedIy true large number of the richest and
most popular patterns In favor among discriminating
people In this country are OF native invention
American chintz papers are particularly rch,
frcsh and dainty, and rank with any that
are made, together with wide variety oi
other haasings ia common These papers have by
their beauty and cheapness virtually excluded the Tor
egn article az variety and grade from this
market and they certain 10 he popular abroad
which in the language Of commerce defy competition
and can be transported TO Europe and sold there at
reg1ring rates with profit IL there should turn OUT 10
he auy obs ace their r7dy distribution there III Will
nrohaby found that the difficulty consists alone III
The width OF the paper which ~ little dlnefent from
that OF the European article.
The results OF the attempt export hangngs VIII be
watched with interest Agents arc now abroad canvass
ing and "a few weeks will probably decide the question
whether ANYTHING be done. Should they succeed
paper han will In the future deserve better place
In lie annual staten Of exports OF the United States
than the category Of" All articles not elsewhere enIer
aed which they have always occupied ul' 10 the pres
ent time.