How wallpaper archives contribute to our understanding of historic building interiors

ABSTRACT Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk is used to provide a case study of what wallpaper analysis can tell us about the history and development of interiors and the current status of methods, sources, collections and limitations of wallpaper analysis in the UK. Wallpaper might be described as a kind of ‘vertical archaeology’ offering insight into layers of historical decoration of rooms and buildings. The history of wallpaper has tended to be marginalised in the study of historic interiors and decorative wall surfaces, partly because it is often lost from its original location. This paper considers the major British collections that can be used for investigating wallpapers, highlighting in particular the use of the Cowtan Order Books at the Victoria and Albert Museum.