The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-08-18
How Paper-Hangings Are Made.

The making of paper-hangings is an in
teresting process, and the valuable hints in
regard to this and some other matters
treated in this article are taken from pa
per read by w f. Adams, of Whitney
4 Adams, before the Springfield Art AS
ISOLATION some time ago, Paper-hangings
are reported to have been produced in
Spain and Holland previous to 1862.
Specimens of leather paper used in a Moor
ish Castle in the fifteenth or sixteenth cen
fury have been found, and the designs
equal those of modern times, while the
material surpasses anything attempted by
manufacturers of to-day. The japanese,
whose requirements have long since ceased
to awaken surprise, are also adopts In pa
per-hanging making; but their distort con-
ceits and unique combinations of color are
not destined to more than a temporary pop
ularity anywhere outside of Japan. In
deed when Yankee originates any device
so odd that he does not care to father 1t
himself, he dubs it Japanese" Phleg-
matte Germany has given little play to
fancy in paper-hangings, but France and
England had the field almost to themselves
till American enterprise wrested superiority
from them The Yankee, as has been said,
is quick to catch and copy effects, combin-
ing also in his origination the brighter tints
and fancies Of the French, with the more
massive and elegant English designs.
New York and Philadelphia produce
most Of the paper-hangings used in this
country, much the larger share coming
from Gotham. The grades, as classified
by the trade, are numerous. There are
the "brown blanks" made from the cheap
est kind of material and the lowest-price
hangings in the market. bluff blank"
are an improvement in quality. The
E'white blanks" the grounded" so called
from the ground color given before the
paper is printed. The "satin" paper,
with a polished 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 is
grounded, or passed under a series Of
brushes, which apply color of one shade
evenly over the surface. Thepaper is then
caught up in loops, carried by an endless
chain over steam pipes, being completely
dried in its journey Of about 400 feet,
and then reclcd up for the printing. A
second trip takes it over a large cylinder,
having series of nicely adjusted rollers,
each one printing Il 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, i'll its progress by
the endless chain, passes through an auxil
larry machine which deposits gold OF bronze
dust on parts that have been printed with
varnish instead of color. In expensive
papers sometimes a dozen different colors
are 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 be
printed would not warrant the expense of
preparing rollers, specimen patterns, etc,
are handmade The designs are cut on
wooden blocks, each color having a sep
arate block, and as only small part of the
paper can receive an impression at a time,
and great care is necessary, the stamping
process is monotonous and slow. While
machine will print about 20O0 rolls of
twelve colors each in day. man can print
only 100 rolls of one color. Velvet papers
are also made by hand, the design being
built up in layers. The designing depart
ment Of a paper-hanging mandatory is a
hive of industry. Artists are busy study
ING effects and obtaining hints from foreign
patterns, tapestries, stutfs of various kinds,
pottery, etc.