In the Victorian era, the art of stuccowork flourished and a fabulous variety of plaster reliefs adorned houses inside and out. As a result, Thomas Palmer developed the first embossed wallpaper to imitate plaster reliefs.
Victorian stuccoworkers' art in the 19th century
During her reign from 1837 to 1901, Queen Victoria (1819-1901) shaped the Victorian era and the resulting style in terms of fashion, architecture & interior design. One of the main characteristics of this era is the craftsmanship of the stuccoworkers, which was in great demand at the time. Almost every grand house was decorated inside and out with unique plaster reliefs.
Development of embossed wallpaper to imitate plaster reliefs
The multi-dimensional beauty of plaster reliefs combined with contemporary patterns aroused the creative interest of Thomas Palmer. He wanted to imitate the plaster reliefs on wallpaper in order to make them accessible to the masses. In 1887, he developed a process to produce an embossed paper with relief structures. Production started at Storeys Mill, Lancaster.
Rapid rise to wallpaper manufacturer
In 1887, the Manchester Exhibition took place on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and gave Palmer the opportunity to present his innovative wallpaper creation. Demand increased immensely and the pattern designs were continuously adapted to the changing styles of the times. By 1894, the company had 100 employees and was relocated to Potters Mill, Darwen.
Traditional production and pattern designs
Anaglypta wallpaper is white, which gives it an elegant touch thanks to the relief-like structures (mostly original designs from the 19th century). It is explicitly intended to be painted over. Today, as in the past, the wallpapers are produced on traditional paper and paste substrates. The embossing process is done on heavy presses by Crown Berger Co. in Darwen, Lancashire, the centre of the British wall décor industry.