Off The Wall:
The Lee Mansion Wallpapers

The Lee Mansion’s magnificent scenic wallpapers are famous as the only hand-painted 18th-century English mural papers still in place, and one of only two sets surviving in the world. But few people realize that there were also a number of block-printed wallpapers in the Mansion. Papers such as these would have been seen in any number of fine houses in the late-colonial period in Marblehead or in Britain or her Colonies, but very few survive in place or even in museum archives.

The exhibit provides a unique opportunity to see materials that have never been on public view. It is likely that these wallpapers remained on the walls until after 1909, when the Marblehead Historical Society took over stewardship of the Jeremiah Lee Mansion.

“All of the papers apparently came from the Lee Mansion, and this represents the largest collection from a single source in America, says Lee Mansion Curator, Judy Anderson..

“People may be more familiar with the famous, hand-painted wallpapers that hang in the Mansion. Originally, the block printed papers were less expensive and more common in colonial homes, but they did not usually survive over time. This is what makes the Lee Mansion collection so exceptional.

“The Lee Mansion appears to originally have had seven different patterns in various rooms on all three floors. Today, visitors to the Lee Mansion can see the hand-painted papers, which are the only such wall treatments surviving in place. With the Mansion closed from October through May, this exhibit allows visitors to see the exquisite craftsmanship and beauty of the papers during the off-season.”

“Wallpaper restoration is one area of our ongoing conservation efforts, along with recent work on the Mansion’s windows and exterior.

“With grants for the wallpaper from the Getty Foundation and Save America’s Treasures, we have been able to make significant progress with conservation. Donations are still needed to continue projects that maintain and improve this historic home.”

Outstanding colonial furnishings, mirrors and other luxury goods from both the Lee period and soon after the Revolution will also be featured in the exhibit. “These items were imported by the colonists so that they could recreate the English style in their new world surroundings,” adds Peterson.