Video - The Process of Making Woodblock Printed French Wall Paper

 

This morning I stumbled  across an advert for Zuber toile de jouy wallpaper in a 1970's  Interior design magazine.

The wallpaper design was stunning and I was happy to find out that the company still exists today and is said to  be the only factory in the world that produces woodblock printed wallpapers and furnishing fabrics.

For its production, Zuber & Cie uses woodblocks (more than 100,000) engraved during the 17th 18, and 19th centuries. Zuber & Cie's panoramic wallpapers include Vues de l'Amérique du Nord, Eldorado, Hindoustan, les Guerres d'Independence, and Isola Bella. Zuber & Cie also produces dado borders, friezes, and ceiling papers, some depicting faux representations of architectural details, drapery, fringe, and tassels. 

Zuber & Cie has showrooms in Paris and Nice, New York, Los Angeles, London and Dubai.

During the presidency of John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on recommendation of historian Henry Francis du Pont had an antique copy of the panoramic wallpaper Vues de l'Amérique du Nord, (designed in 1843, per the Zuber et Cie website) installed in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House. 

The wallpaper had been on the walls of a parlor in the Federal period Jones House in Maryland until 1961 when the house was demolished for a grocery store. Just before the demolition, the wallpaper was salvaged and sold to the White House. 

As with many 18th century wallpapers, this panorama is designed to be hung above a dado. The formal dining room at the Old Louisiana Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is also decorated with the Vue de l'Amérique du Nord.

I found a video on their website that shows the process used to make their stunning wallpapers.  The process is very detailed and it is fascinating and it is very labour intensive from the start to the finish, even  the paint colours used are mixed by hand.

I would love to visit the room where the 100,000 woodblocks are stored. 

You can see this room and the process used by clicking on this link.

Belle semaine a tous♥♥ Leeann x