Interior Decoration: Wallcoverings

Sample books have a long tradition of use in the industries producing textiles, wallcoverings and other materials for use in interior decoration. The wallpaper industry has relied heavily on sample books for marketing purposes since the mid-nineteenth century, from hand-painted high end papers to mass-produced papers for the middle class. An examination of wallpaper sample books reveals the evolution of design trends and the technological progression from hand-blocked papers to more efficient means of expanded production, such as mechanized rotary and screen printing.