Pattern: Watts’ Architect Wallpapers 1870 to today

Decorative exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum looking at the history of the wallpaper produced by Watts & Co and the history of the company.

I knew Watts & Co as suppliers of ecclesiastical clothing so was fascinated to know more about their interior design work both for churches and secular buildings. The show was beautifully arranged with wallpaper samples round the walls with good descriptions of who they had been made for and information boards in the middle telling the history of the firm.

The company was set up by three gentlemen in 1870 one of whom was the son of George Gilbert Scott. I was fascinated later in the week to realised I’d recorded a programme in the BBC Gothic series on the three generations of Scott architects. The exhibition points out that there are descendants still involved in the company.

Many of the wall paper designs had been reprinted and recommissioned in the 1990s and the company still supplies the House of Parliament. It was interesting to look closely at the paper and realised it was hand printed. I think my favourite was Bodley in Beaton Pink, as shown in my attached photo, which was designed for Cecil Beaton’s bathroom!

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