Wallpaper

Object Name:

Wallpaper

Object ID:

1991.061.01 - .05

Creator:

Thomas Strahan Co.Manufacturer

Place of Origin:

Chelsea, MA

Date:

1920-1930

Description:

Wallpaper, five pieces, in five different patterns. From paint and wallpaper business of George B. Cressy, Manchester, NH, 1920-1930.

1. Floral pattern (pink, yellow, and blue) and trellis motif on beige background. Left side marked "MADE IN U.S.A. Light Resisting TOP JOIN HERE". Right side marked "1224 1 JOIN HERE B.S.P." with two little ding-bats on either side. Lower portion of "L" in "Light Resisting" flourishes under word. "G" flourishes to left under four letters. Pattern vertical repeat ~22.1". Eleven small circles with color samples on left side. Also, repeating single dot with multiple dots on it adjacent to the little test circles. Horizontal repeat axis 9". White diamond pattern in background with small, gold lines at corners. Gold line border around them with additional small design elements at ends of lines in floral patterns.

2. Floral pattern (yellow, orange, and pink) and green landscape medallions on beige background with blue highlights. Beige background printed on paper on front. Does not extend all the way to edge. Left side marked "THOMAS STRAHAN CO. MADE IN U.S.A." Right side marked "1999". Vertical repeat: 22". Three vertical columns of design medallions. Two center ones same. Left and right medallions different from center ones and each other. Frame for center and left medallion rectangular with clipped corners. Frame for right hand medallion, oval. Areas small test colors, of ten small circles on left and right sides. Test lines on both edges adjacent to central design. Lines continuous except when running into test circles. Some of basic background design of small straight line segments run past test lines and out to edge of printed area.

3. Abstract floral design with overall crazed pattern: green, brown, beige, gold, and pink, with gold edges. At right side, seems to be tree extending upward with pink-colored trunk. Branches off to left with section of pink trunk higher up. Trunk itself above that branch splits into two major branches and small one to the left. To its left, in background another tree trunk of tan-green color. In middle of paper, a couple sections of short pink trunk. Near left center, another pink tree trunk with fork in it. No horizontal repeat seen. On both sides, blank area 0.7" wide with repeat of name. Between name repeats, on both sides, sequence of 11 small test circles, many of them colored. White crazed design printed to edges of paper. Left side marked "T.S.Co." Right side marked "6227". Vertical repeat of 24.65". Segments of three lines on right side. Vertical repeat in crazed pattern of 2.1". Vertical repeat of name of 24.7". Only 7" at bottom and 3" at top of the repeat. About 15.5 horizontal lines, fine and silver in color. Also, printed all the way to edge of paper. Horizontal repeat in crazed pattern of 4.3". Overall background light tan color printed on paper due to some trace residues on sides on right edge on back of sheet.

4. Floral pattern on beige background; white and pink flowers; some leaves gray and black, some blue and pink; black and gray stems. Vertical repeat 25.2". On left side, series of 11 test circles in a row and another test circle adjacent to first one. Name, "ding bat" in front of name. Name caps larger on first letter. Left side marked "THOMAS STRAHAN CO. MADE IN U.S.A." Band along left edge, 1" wide without design in it. Right edge, 0.8" area wide without design. Numbers and letters are in black. Five or six stripes on left side along edge of design. Similar stripes right side at edge of design. On right side, stripes with number and series of 11 test circles. On left side, 0.4" long black line, 1.1" from edge of paper, on a 25.2" interval. Right side marked "6573". Overall background light cream color printed on paper due to some trace residues on sides on right edge on back of sheet, as well a some on left side.

5. "Tapestry" pattern, mostly gray and pink, with green, maroon, and gold highlights. Vertical repeat 15.65". Can't find horizontal repeat. One side marked "T. S. Co. MADE IN U.S.A. 6414 6429". Band ~0.7" wide with no design and contains written information. Couple long lines parallel to right side which contain long lines of pink and green. Five test circles by "U. S. A.", in green; four test circles at gaps in pink line. On right side, test circles, name (T. S. Co), sequence of numbers, circles in test dots are repeat of 18.8". Green sequence and test dot repeat 18.8". Red/pink color repeats on the 15.65" sequence. Other side (left) marked "T. S. Co. MADE IN U.S.A. 6589". Noting that on right side, "6414" repeated 15.65" and the "6429" repeated every 18.8". The "T" on left side appears to be more of a "G". Left side, five small test circles in green; series of four pink/red test circles repeated. "8589" on 18.8" repeat. Overall background light tan color printed on paper due to some residues on sides on right edge on back of sheet.

Material:

Paper

Dimensions:

H-36 W-19.5 inches

Provenance:

George B. Cressy was a house and sign painter and paper hanger in Manchester, NH, from c. 1887 to c. 1921. He died in 1933. William Cressy, cousin of George, donated 29 rolls of unused wallpaper, in five different patterns, that he found in an old trunk along with 1954 newspapers. NHHS saved five pieces (36" of each pattern). Five other pieces were given to the Manchester Historic Association. The five best rolls were given to the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. The remaining rolls were given to SPNEA.

Credit Line:

Gift of William Cressy

People:

Cressy, George B. (1866-1933)

Subjects:

Wallpaper, Wallpaper industry