This lovely nursery wallpaper design features in an exhibition tracing the links between children’s wall paper and literature at the Design Museum in New York. It seems that ever since the introduction of modern printing techniques parents have drawn inspiration for decorating the nursery from images in their favourite children’s books.

The exhibition web site says:

What do Cinderella, Peter Rabbit, Popeye, Mickey Mouse and Goofy, Winnie-the-Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Pinocchio have in common? They are among the dozens of beloved children’s story characters that can be found in Wall Stories: Children’s Wallpaper and Books, an exhibition which plumbs the holdings of Cooper-Hewitt’s Wallcoverings department—the largest such collection in the United States, with more than ten thousand objects dating from the seventeenth through the twenty-first centuries—and the Museum’s 70,000-volume National Design Library.

They then go on to explain:

In the nineteenth century, profound social and economic changes led to the increased popularity of books and wallpaper produced specifically for children. Increased literacy; the establishment of public schools, child-welfare agencies, and child-labor laws; the practice of pediatrics as a medical specialty; and the growth of literature targeted specifically for children helped create an unprecedented awareness in society of the value of childhood. As the Industrial Revolution helped create a wealthy middle class, families lived in larger homes and, consequently, gave children their own rooms.

And so began our obsession with creating the perfect nursery to nurture our children in and to give them their own space within our homes.

Vintage Nursery Wallpaper – still available.

Of course you could go the ‘e-bay’ route and try to buy actual vintage nursery wallpaper but it can be very hard to deal with. Over time the paper becomes brittle and rolls can be badly marked, faded or discoloured. If you are going for a nostalgic,shabby chic look this won’t matter and you might even welcome it. However many people want the nostalgic effect without the hassle.

Luckily manufacturers are aware of this and nursery wallpaper based on many classic children’s book illustrations are still available today. These range from Peter Rabbit to modern classics like the Mr Men and Paddington Bear.

What children’s book would you like to see turned into nursery wallpaper?

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