The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-08-17
PAPER HANGINGs.
Tho Process Of Manufacture The Trade
Classification
50. Louis Globe. Democrat .

50. Louis Globe. Democrat.
The making Of paper-hangings Is an inter.
esting process. Paper-hangings are reported
to have been introduced In Spain and Hol-
land previous to 1852. specimens of leather
paper used In Moorish castles in the fifteenth
or sixteenth century have been found, and
the delsgns equal those Of modern times,
while the material surpasses anything at
tempted by manufacturers of to-day. Tho
Japanese, whose requirements have long
since ceased to awaken surprise, are also
adopts at paper-hanging making; but their
distorted conceits and unique combinations
of color are not destined to more than tenn
porary popularity anywhere outside Of jap
an.
The grades rs classified by the trade at
present are numerous. There arc the
"brown blanks, made from the cheapest
kind of material and are the lowest-priced
hangings in the market. "Buff blanks" arc
an Improvement in quality. The "white
blanks, the grounded, so called from the
ground color given before the paper Is
priuted the "satin" paper, with apolished
surface; the "machine bronze," the most
popular quality of gilt goods; the embossed
gilt" and the "hand made" follow. The
process of making all machine goods varies
little. Having placed large roll of paper
in position for being fed out to the machine,
the paper il grounded" or passed under u
series of brushes, which apply color of one
shade evenly over the surface. The paper is
then caught up in loops, carried by an end
less chain over steam pipes, being completely
dried in its journey of 400 feet, and then
reeled up for printing. A second trip takes
il over large cylinder, having series Of
nicely adjusted rollers, each one printing!
separate pattern and color. The rollers are
of wood and the patterns are skillfully cut in
brass on their surfaces. The drying process
is then repeated, and if gold or bronze is
used in the pattern, the paper, in its progress
by the endless chain, passes through an aux
iliary machine, which deposits gold on
bronze dust ON parts that have been printed
with varnish instead of color. In expensive
papess sometimes dozen different color, arc
used When finished the paper Is reeled into
rolls of eight yards or double rolls of sixteen
yards.
The costliest papers, the rich borders,
special orders where the quantity to bo
printed would not warrant the expense OF
preparing rollers, specimen patterns, etc,
are made by hand. Tho designs are cut on
wooden blocks, each color having a separate
block, and rs only small part of the paper
can receive an impression ut time, and
great care is necessary, tho stamping process
is monotonous and slow. While y machine
will print about 1000 rolls of twelve colors
each in day, man can print only 100 rolls
of one color. Velvet papers arc also mado
by hand. the designing department Of
paper-hanging mandatory Is hive Of In
dustry. Artists are busy studying effects and
obtaining hints from foreign patterns, tapes
tries, stuffs of various kinds, pottery, etc.
Their success does not always depend, how
ever, on their artistic sense. but on their
ability to strikethe popular taste and produce
q nattern that will "take.'