A renovation scheme to secure the city’s historic Mansion House for years to come has uncovered some unique history.
Over £1.3m is being invested in a range of essential repairs and improvements, including re-roofing the building, repairing its windows and ensuring it is health and safety-compliant.
As part of the renovation, a new glimpse of past colour schemes and décor has been revealed, offering inspiration for its redecoration.
Twelve layers of wallpaper dating back to the 1750s have been found in a hard-to-reach corner of the Mansion House’s first floor drawing room. Past decorators hadn’t stripped off the old wallpaper and over the years, layers had built up to create a unique record of changes in wallpaper design, pigments, and production techniques.
By carefully unpeeling these postage stamp-sized fragments, the hidden decorative history of the room has been revealed. Old black and white photos of the room show wallpaper designs, but the colours had been lost until this discovery.
The earliest paper found in the room is believed to date back to the Georgian period (about 1715 to 1830s). The tiny sample taken was found to have been printed in a crimson distemper and contained a single red wool fibre. This thread indicating that the paper was red flock; a popular textured wallpaper used in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It was often used in the formal rooms of large country houses, such as Temple Newsam in Leeds as well as in the townhouses of the merchant and professional classes.
Analysis is ongoing to determine a way of reproducing this historic wallpaper, and listed building consent will need to be applied for.
Paint analysis undertaken by Hirst Conservation to the Mayor’s Parlour, entrance hall and staircase reveals significant decorative archaeological detail. Schemes recorded during archive research has been identified in the tiny samples. The redecoration of the spaces can therefore be informed by surviving physical evidence following the detailed investigations.
These discoveries complement those made during the last major phase of work in 2017. Then, 47 different layers of paint were found on the façade of the Mansion House. Analysis of the layers showed they dated from 1750 onwards and, when the paint became sooty from the city’s coal fires, it was simply painted over. Pieces of wallpaper from the mid 1800s were also discovered under the Mansion House floorboards. They were in good enough condition to show the pattern, however this paper has not been found on any walls.
Cllr Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council said:
“The Mansion House is one of York’s most important and treasured civic buildings so it’s right we protect its future through this appropriate investment.
“These fascinating insights add extra value to our understanding of the building, York’s history and to the current renovation work. I’m very excited by these discoveries and can’t wait to see how the experts interpret the historic schemes into the redecoration of the Mansion House.
“These works are helping keep the much-loved building in prime condition and will be completed later this year, the 300th anniversary of work first beginning on the Mansion House.”
Damien Woolliscroft, Buttress associate and the project lead, said:
“Our approach to the works at York Mansion House is rooted in a deep respect for its history while ensuring its relevance for future generations. Our restorative works continue the long-term investment in the Mansion House’s future, enhancing its environmental performance, accessibility, and resilience to ensure this historic landmark remains a source of pride for the city.”
Charlotte Owen, Senior Architectural Paint Researcher at Hirst Conservation, said:
“It is always exciting when, at the initial stages of a project, there is archival record discussing decorative schemes to a building or interior.
“Understanding the fragments of wallpaper from the 2017 renovations had formed part of the initial scope of investigations, to find evidence of additional papers and significant decorative archaeology was a joy. It further enhances our understanding not just of the building but those who used it.”
More background on this phase of renovation work is at Mansion House to undergo restoration works – City of York Council