Historic Kenmore - Restoration - Making Flocked Paper

Adelphi Paper Hangings provided us with these photos and description of the process they used to make the flocked paper for the Drawing Room at Kenmore.

The flocked paper for Historic Kenmore was produced in much the same way as flocked wallpaper was made in the mid–18th century. First, using animal hide glue, sheets of a cotton paper were glued together to form rolls. Then a green distemper was brushed on and the rolls were hung to dry. Distemper, the traditional paint for wallpaper, is composed of chalk, china clay, pigments, water and a binder. The last step before flocking was to print the “lace” element of the pattern with an off-white distemper.

In flocking, varnish is used to adhere chopped wool to the surface of the paper. Rather than print with distemper, the printing block is placed on a film of pigmented varnish and then set on the wallpaper. Pressure is applied and the block lifted; the result is the image in wet varnish. Any areas that the block missed are touched up with a small brush.

The paper is then advanced to a series of chambers where the chopped wool comes in contact with the wet varnish; flock that lands on areas not printed with varnish falls off.
Upon exiting from the last box the paper is once again festooned to dry.

The thumbnail images below provide links to larger images and descriptive text.

Spreading Varnish	Setting Block	Laying Block	Penciling Varnish
Hanging Paper	Finished Paper	Flocking Chambers	Long View
Entire Ensemble