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The Months

Wallpaper
1893 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Many middle-class homes in the later 19th century had a nursery. This room provided separate accommodation for the children of the family and the nursemaid, nanny and governess who looked after them. All kinds of furnishings were designed specially for children, including nursery wallpapers. The designs considered suitable for nursery wallpapers were either educational or morally improving subjects. They were usually decorated with pictures, as seen on this paper, which has figures representing the months of the year. The illustrations were adapted from Kate Greenaway's Almanack', which was published once a year from 1883 to 1897. Greenaway was a very popular and successful illustrator of children's books. Her drawings were often copied or adapted to other uses. This wallpaper is a so-called 'sanitary' paper. It is printed in waterproof colours and designed to be washable.

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read Wallpaper: health and cleanliness
read Wallpapers for children Thanks to the separation of workplace and home, British middle-class houses in the early 19th century had, for the first time, sufficient space to dedicate rooms, and even whole floors, to the accommodation of children and their carers – the nursemaid (later nanny) and the governess.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • The Months (manufacturer's title)
  • Wallpaper (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Colour print from engraved rollers, on paper
Brief description
Portion of nursery wallpaper illustrating 'The Months' from Kate Greenaway's Almanack. Scenes of children involved in activities related to the months of the year, separated from each other by stems of pink flowers with ribbons, on a pale ground; Colour print from engraved rollers, on paper; Produced by David Walker; English; 1893.
Physical description
Portion of nursery wallpaper illustrating 'The Months' from Kate Greenaway's Almanack. Scenes of children involved in activities related to the months of the year, separated from each other by stems of pink flowers with ribbons, on a pale ground; Colour print from engraved rollers, on paper.
Dimensions
  • Height: 76.2cm
  • Width: 54.9cm
  • Height: 90cm
  • Width: 56cm
Dimensions from: Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.
Marks and inscriptions
  • REPRODUCED BY SPECIAL PERMISSION FROM DRAWINGS BY "KATE GREENAWAY" (Printed along the selvage.)
  • 2258 TRADE MARK ENGLISH MADE 2258 TRADE MARK (Printed along the selvage.)
  • Days of the month, as part of the design.
  • KG (Artist's initials below each image)
Credit line
Given by the Wall Paper Manufacturers Ltd
Object history
Given by the Wallpaper Manufacturers Ltd.
This paper was issued with a matching frieze based on Greenaway illustrations representing the seasons.
Subjects depicted
Literary reference'Kate Greenaway's Almanack' written and illustrated by Kate Greenaway
Summary
Many middle-class homes in the later 19th century had a nursery. This room provided separate accommodation for the children of the family and the nursemaid, nanny and governess who looked after them. All kinds of furnishings were designed specially for children, including nursery wallpapers. The designs considered suitable for nursery wallpapers were either educational or morally improving subjects. They were usually decorated with pictures, as seen on this paper, which has figures representing the months of the year. The illustrations were adapted from Kate Greenaway's Almanack', which was published once a year from 1883 to 1897. Greenaway was a very popular and successful illustrator of children's books. Her drawings were often copied or adapted to other uses. This wallpaper is a so-called 'sanitary' paper. It is printed in waterproof colours and designed to be washable.
Bibliographic references
  • Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.
  • Saunders, Gill. Wallpaper in Interior Decoration. V&A Publications. London, 2002. pp. 134. pl 121.
  • Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings Accessions 1934 London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1935
Collection
Accession number
E.1823-1934

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Record createdMarch 3, 2003
Record URL
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