Wallpaper Case Study 1:

Kenmore (1775) in Fredericksburg, VA

This 10x14-mm wallpaper fragment exhibits a striped pattern painted in four different colors. The yellow stripe (arrow) was sampled for PLM analysis to identify its pigments, and the paper itself was analyzed for identification of the fibers.

Analysis of the wallpaper fibers identified both cotton and flax. Only the flax fibers are illustrated in this view (crossed polars), which displays their characteristic transverse "X"- and "V"-shaped nodes (arrows).

Litharge, a monoxide of lead, was identified as the yellow tinting pigment in the yellow distemper painted stripe in the wallpaper fragment. The pigment also was analyzed with SEM, and the results of the analysis confirmed lead as the sole element.