Wallpaper in Interior Decoration

This book is a fascinating insight into a subject rarely covered in books on interior design. The term 'wallpaper' encompasses everything from printed lining papers to computer-aided limited editions. It covers lavish flocks, exquisite Chinese hand-painted paper, the perennially popular designs of William Morris, the first washable machine-printed papers and embossed wall-coverings, from gilt leather to Anaglypta. From modest beginnings, wallpaper developed to become a commonplace of the domestic interior from castle to cottage, a means of transcending or enhancing the immediate architectural environment. The book is lavishly illustrated with images of wallpapers, many from the V&A's collections, as well as artists' impressions of interiors, documentary photographs of rooms past and present, posters, trade cards and sample books. It is an invaluable source book for anyone interested in the role of wallpaper in decorative schemes, and gives a lively account of the social history of wallpaper and the part it has played in domestic lives.