Flock wallpaper
Description
A luxurious type of wallpaper invented in the 17th century to imitate expensive cut-velvet and damask wall hangings. Flock wallpaper gets its name from the process of flocking in which a powdered waste product of the wool cloth industry, called flock, is applied to an adhesive coated cloth to produce a raised velvety, textured pattern or design. The beautiful result was more durable and less expensive than the fabric wall hangings and was extensively used in homes in the 19th and 19th centuries to indicate grandeur and wealth. Today, the powdered fibers on the papers surface have been replaced by man-made fibers such as Polyester, Nylon or Rayon. Flock wallpapers are still and come in a range of colors and prints, including flocked animal print, flocked damask, flocked geometric styles, and flocked plants/trees.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Flocked wallpaper; Flock velvet wallpaper; Embossed wallpaper
Resources and Citations
- W & A Museum: Flock wallpaper
- C.Lynn. "Colors and other Materials of Historic Wallpaper" p.58-65 in Wallpaper Conservation: A Special Issue. JAIC, 20(2): 50-151, 1981.
- Philippa Mapes, "Historic Wallpaper Conservation" Building Conservation Directory 1997: Link
- The Dictionary of Paper, American Paper Institute, New York, Fourth Edition, 1980
- E.J.LaBarre, Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Paper and Paper-making, Swets & Zeitlinger, Amsterdam, 1969
- Wallpaperking: Flock Wallpaper
- Natty and Polly: Flocked velvet wallpaper