The History of Wall Paper Canada
The earliest dependable statistics of wall paper canada consumption grew rapidly from the 1760s on, but domestic production was slow to catch up. Until the late 1880s, domestic manufacturers largely relied on imported designs. As a result, their products lacked distinctive physical qualities and elicited little description in advertising or trade publications.
This lack of character has shaped wallpaper historiography, but it should not be read as an indictment of the industry itself. Rather, as the article shows, domestic producers made products that were not meant to compete with imported goods.
As a consequence, their main functions were to civilize the home by spreading style and providing a low-cost alternative to expensive textiles or the boredom of whitewash on plank walls. In addition to homes, the industry papered a wide range of commercial structures, including jewellery stores, drugstores, and saloons (Fig. 1).
Maple-Inspired Elegance: Exploring Wallpapers that Capture the Essence of Canada
Domestic papers had some advantages over their European counterparts, but they could not compete with cheap imports. For example, the cylinders used to print wallpaper could be reused only a few times before they required replacement. This meant that the companies had to produce new styles on a frequent basis.
Consequently, it is important to examine how new designs were developed and sold. To do so, this article looks at three major entities in the wallpaper industry: manufacturers through their statistical evidence and product lines; distributors and retailers through their advertisements, promotional booklets, and trade magazines; and consumers through anecdotes and diaries.
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