The wallpaper shows colorful peacocks sitting upon branches with flowers, with butterflies and insects on a white background.
This wallpaper was known as the "Birds of Paradise" wallpaper. It is located in the Parlor of the mansion, and its design and remnants pre-date the 1820s. It would have been block printed, which consisted of engraving a design onto a rectangular wooden block, painting the design in ink, and then stamping it onto paper for printing. Different colors were printed separately into the design, and all sheets had to be hung to dry before more layers could be added to them. Block printing was a tedious and painstaking task that required skilled labor.
A fragment was removed from behind the fireplace mantel in the dining parlor at Gore Place in 1942. As part of the ongoing preservation we do, this Gore-era wallpaper was replicated throughout the dining parlor.
Does this wallpaper look familiar? For a brief time, it was commercially available to purchase! If you have a replica in your home, send us a photo!
