Wallpapers and wallcoverings: The Russian Bishop's House

Yocum, Barbara

This report is a study of the “Wallpaper and Wallcovering” collection of the Russian Bishop’s House in Sitka National Historical Site, National Park Service, Sitka, Alaska. The materials in the collection were salvaged from the walls and ceilings of the Russian Bishop’s House during its restoration by the National Park Service. The collection consists of 470 cataloged items that encompass wallpapers, various fabrics (burlap, canvas, ticking), Russian newspapers, papers with handwritten Russian script, and cardboard. Much of the collection was processed and encapsulated in clear mylar by Harpers Ferry Center, National Park Service, in the 1970s-80s. Wallpaper samples number approximately 1,400, according to park estimates, and include body wallpapers, border papers, and ceiling papers. Most of these wallpapers have been separated, while others have been retained as layers of wallpaper "sandwiches." Not included in this study were seven plywood crates filled with excess wallcoverings that had been accessioned by the park for assessment at some future date. This study evaluated 438 of the 470 cataloged items from the "Wallpaper and Wallcovering" collection. The materials of this collection are from 26 rooms in the Russian Bishop's House: 16 in the first story, and 10 in the second story. Most of the collection was found to consist of body wallpapers (76 patterns), followed by border papers (53 patterns), and ceiling papers (20 patterns). The earliest wallpapers, and the most complete layering sequences, were preserved in the second story rooms. Several of these early wallpapers were replicated and hung in the 1980s. The wallpapers span a time period of approximately 100 years, from circa 1843-44 to circa 1940. The wallpapers for 22 rooms of the Russian Bishop's House were documented by this study using both photographs and written descriptions. Recommendations for future work include physically reorganizing the collection by room; stabilizing failing paper identification labels; correcting the provenience for selected cataloged items; and assessing the crated and unprocessed materials currently in storage at the park.

Wallpapers and wallcoverings: The Russian Bishop's House

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