The discovery was made during a kitchen renovation as the historic wallpaper was found beneath layers of other wallpaper
Historic wallpaper believed to be from 1903 was discovered underneath layers of other wallpaper(Image credit: Getty Images)
A homeowner has discovered a piece of history by finding a wallpaper that she believes to be from when the home was first built in 1903.
Kat McDonald was renovating her kitchen when she saw something that she described as "special" whilst she was removing wallpaper.
She took images of the wallpaper that appeared to be hand painted in a floral pattern. We take a look at the wallpaper and what she has done with it.
How was the historic wallpaper found?
What a find 😲https://t.co/3UmZAyu9rPhttps://t.co/3UmZAyu9rPMay 10, 2024
Ms McDonald told Glasgow Live: "I started picking off the wallpaper and saw what was coming through and it looked kind of special.
"We kept going and that patch was the only one that had a pattern, everything else had turned to dust. We got through a lot of layers of wallpaper and that was the last one.
"There were some very 70s designs, so I thought I'd try find the oldest one and it looked hand painted.
"It felt like I was looking at all of the generations that have lived here."
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Historic wallpaper could not be saved
Despite Ms McDonald's appreciation of the wallpaper's design she claims she was not able to keep the wallpaper that was wallpapered over many times.
She said: "I'd love to keep it but I've spoken to a few people who say nothing can be done because it is too fragile.
"Unfortunately it will have to go but I'd love if there was a way to save it."
However, she will be commemorating the wallpaper as she explained: "I'm going to take a high res photo of it then print it out and get it framed. Then pop it on the spot where I found it."
Provides a glimpse into the history of wallpaper
Wallpaper was mostly not hand painted as they were mostly mass produced(Image credit: Getty Images)
This wallpaper shows us a brief glimpse into the history of this widely used household decoration that has been used throughout the ages.
Originally in 200BC rice paper was used to cover walls in China with hand-painted designs long before Europeans began to use tapestries in the Middle Ages to adorn their walls.
By the 16th century, England and France began producing hand-painted or stencilled wallpaper as a more affordable option to tapestries.
By the 18th century, the invention of the continuous wallpaper printing machine in 1785 meant wallpaper was being mass-produced.
This wallpaper being hand painted though shows it was not mass produced unlike most for the time period making this a unique and intriguing discovery.
News Editor Joseph has previously written for Today’s Media and Chambers & Partners, focusing on news for conveyancers and industry professionals. Joseph has just started his own self build project, building his own home on his family’s farm with planning permission for a timber frame, three-bedroom house in a one-acre field. The foundation work has already begun and he hopes to have the home built in the next year. Prior to this he renovated his family's home as well as doing several DIY projects, including installing a shower, building sheds, and livestock fences and shelters for the farm’s animals. Outside of homebuilding, Joseph loves rugby and has written for Rugby World, the world’s largest rugby magazine.
