I received a good number of responses to this enquiry, and I’m posting this quick précis to the list just in case anyone else out there has (or is about to have) a wallpaper conservation-type query.

 

Firstly, several people pointed me in the direction of the Conservation Register http://www.conservationregister.com/index.asp  (one person very kindly has provided me with the specific link for a search for wall paper conservators, and I had one direct recommendation.  So many thanks to both of you for those particularly helpful leads)

 

Secondly, a couple of people flagged up the Whitworth Art Gallery which has a large wallpaper collection and thus extensive experience in conservation thereof.

 

Finally, one person pointed out that there is in fact a historical wallpaper society - www.wallpaperhistorysociety.org.uk

 

Many thanks to all of you who responded: I’ll now follow some of these suggestions up!

 

 

Does anyone have any idea how to remove fragile and very acidic paper from plaster?  The plaster in question has already been removed from a wall and is in several moderately-sized pieces.  The paper is not actually wall-paper at all, but an Edwardian blue-print that was stuck to the wall behind a mirror for the last 100 years.  The owners would like to display the blue-print in some form.

 

So my question is: is it possible to part paper from plaster?  Or is it better to leave them together, in which case will it be possible to treat the paper in any way? I’m hoping that there is someone out there who has an idea, or knows someone else who might have an idea.  Or better yet some experience in the conservation of things stuck to walls!

 

Any suggestions will be most gratefully received.

 

Many thanks in advance (and hope!)

 

Susan Scott
Archivist