LYJO Wallpaper

Author: Patrick Fuller

In November 2023, the Historic Furnishings Division of the Harpers Ferry Center was contacted by staff at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park (LYJO) in search of guidance regarding the selection of period-appropriate wallpaper for three rooms at the Texas White House, located north of San Antonio, Texas. The home’s period of significance is 1963-1972, beginning with Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency (1963-1969) and ending shortly before his death in January 1973. President Johnson’s wife, Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson,[RI1] continued to occupy the home until her death in 2007. Since Lady Bird redecorated the home extensively during the remainder of her time at the Texas White House (1973-2007), much of the interior decoration that dated to the home’s period of significance was altered.

To begin searching for appropriate wallpaper, we study photographs from the period of significance. If none exist, we must determine whether any original wallpaper from the period remains hidden beneath subsequent layers of wallpaper or paint, or in hard-to-reach places, like behind radiators, in closets, or under trim. In scenarios where we still can’t determine exactly what the wallpaper looked like, we must use what we know about the space and speculate on what wallpaper might have been hung in the room. Considering when the space was decorated, we can begin by poring over contemporary department store catalogs for inspiration, such as JC Penney, Sears, and Montgomery Ward.

Several companies reproduce wallpaper commercially from original patterns and rolls can be easily purchased online. In instances where a good match isn’t readily available online, some companies are capable of custom printing the exact wallpaper necessary for the job. While this tends to be the more costly option, it allows the park to acquire exactly what they need. This option is also particularly attractive in situations where sections of original wallpaper in the house can be salvaged for photographing and reprinting. Reproduction of extant wallpaper would eliminate the need to speculate entirely.

Another option for sourcing period-appropriate wallpaper would be to locate new-old-stock material, meaning wallpaper that was produced during the period of significance but never used. In this instance, it would be beneficial to create a high-quality scan of the new-old-stock wallpaper before installing. If there is not enough paper to finish the room, or if more paper is needed later to make repairs, having a high-quality scan allows the park to have more paper custom printed.

While sourcing reproduction or original wallpaper of a more recent vintage (in this case, mid-20^th century) is potentially more difficult than finding wallpaper from much older patterns, there are avenues available that make it possible to procure whatever wallpaper is necessary to finish a space so that it appears appropriate to its period of significance.