Restoration Record Book III: Wallpapers
by or after Sheila Pettit
Category
Ephemera
Date
Unknown
Materials
Paper
Measurements
370 mm (Width); 313 mm (Length)
Place of origin
Cragside
Order this imageCollection
Cragside, Northumberland
NT 1232773.3
Summary
One of sixteen Restoration Record Books created by Sheila Pettit, former Historic Buildings Representative for the National Trust. One of three books detailing the wallpaper schemes at Cragside. Book III, IV and V are all titled Wallpapers and correlate to one another. Book III begins with an Introduction by Sheila Pettit, contains fragments of historic wallpaper with blue stickers, these correspond to annotated plans of the House on the final pages of Book IV. Book IV also contains a list of rooms with corresponding numbers from the Cowtan pattern books. Book V contains watercolours by Zillah Pettit [Conservation Assistant at Cragside] of the pattern used in the decorative scheme during restoration. A scrapbook with red fabric covers and grey pages, with layers of protection between pages. Titled ‘part 1’, the scrapbook begins with an introduction by Sheila Pettit: ‘“hunt the slipper” is a children’s game as everybody knows. “Hunt the wallpaper”, as played at Cragside during the past four years, is perhaps not so well known!’ dated October 1978. The book details the tracing and reproduction of wallpapers at Cragside, organised by room. Each room has a black and white photograph and samples of original and replacement wallpapers; with information on costs of rolls, sources, and who carried out the work. Information was sourced from the Victoria and Albert Museum, which has original order books from Cowtan’s, “Each order was recorded by date under the customer's name and address, and small samples of the papers purchased (and in some cases also fabrics and trimmings) were pasted in” Source: V&A online archive, Cowtan wallpaper order book [accession number E.1864-1946] As well as Sanderson’s, who owned and kept all the blocks from their purchase of the William Morris company (1940). In places where there have been several redecoration schemes, the book has samples of every layer of redecoration and attempts to date the changes; The Owl Suite, for example, have had several overhauls in their lifetime, and thus there are 10 pages referring to Owl Suite papers. Each sample has an Index number which refers to a building plan in 1232773.4 Book IV: Wallpapers ‘part 2’.
Makers and roles
by or after Sheila Pettit, creator