Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay ColonyDow, George Francis
History
Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Dow, George Francis
Massachusetts -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
"Sir: Inclosed you have the Dimensions of a Room for a shaded
Hanging to be Done after the same Pattern I have sent per Capt.
Tanner. The pattern is all that was left of a Room lately come
over here, and it takes much in ye Town and will be the only
paper-hanging for sale here which am of opinion may Answer well....
If they can make it more beautiful by adding more Birds flying here
and there, with some Landskips at the Bottom, Should like it well.
Let the Ground be the same colour of the Pattern. At the top and
bottom was a narrow Border of about 2 inches wide which would have
to mine....
"A hanging done much handsomer sent over three or four years
previous was made by Dunbar in Aldermanbury....
"In other of these Hangings are great variety of different Sorts
of Birds, Peacocks, Macoys, Squirrill, Monkys, Fruit and Flowers,
etc.... I think they are handsomer and better than Painted hangings
done in Oyle so I beg your particular Care in procuring this for
me and that the patterns may be taken care off and Return'd with
my Goods."--_Letter of Thomas Hancock to John Rowe, Stationer, in
London_, Jan. 23, 1737/8.
In the eighteenth-century Boston newspapers may be found numerous
items showing the use of wall paper and the fact that it frequently
was imported from England. But while it is true that it could be
purchased in the shops in Boston it does not follow that rooms in
every house were papered. Nor is it likely that the rooms of houses
in the country had papered walls save when the owner was a wealthy
man. London fashions would first be found transplanted into the
seaport towns and later would be adopted by the country. Undoubtedly
the home of the Governor, or of some well-to-do sea captain, was
the first house to be so decorated. On September 22, 1762, died
Daniel Starr of Boston, "who has been for many years employed in
Papering Rooms." This item appears in the news items of the _Boston
News-Letter_. Eight years later the same newspaper prints the
following advertisement:
"George Killcup, jun. Informs the Gentlemen and Ladies in Town and
Country That he Paints Carpets & other Articles, and Paper Rooms in
the neatest manner. He will take English or West India Goods as Pay.
"Said Killcup is ready to pay those he is indebted to, in Painting
or Papering Rooms."--_Boston News-Letter_, March 17, 1768.
"Roll Paper for Rooms," with "most sorts of Stationary Ware" were
advertised for sale by John Parker, over against the shop of Mr.
Dolbeare, Brazier, at the Head of the Town Dock, Boston.--_Boston
News-Letter_, June 3-10, 1736.
J. Boydell, the printer of the _Boston Gazette_, advertised in
November, 1736, a house in Boston, to be sold, in which two chambers
in the first story were "hung with Scotch Tapestry, the other Green
Cheny."
John Phillips, bookseller, advertised "Stampt Paper in Rolls for to
Paper Rooms," in the October 26, 1730, issue of the _New England
Journal_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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