If These Walls Could Talk: Rare Wallpapers Found in the Historic Sutton-Peirson House

By Lyn Fitzgerald, Curatorial Assistant

In March of 2009, the Peabody Historical Society & Museum acquired the Sutton-Peirson House, a Gothic Revival structure dating to circa 1847. The house was in danger of being demolished when the Society moved it from its original location on Aborn Street to a lot next to the Osborne-Salata House on Washington Street.  Recent restoration of the Sutton-Peirson House has revealed numerous historic wallpapers preserved beneath contemporary papers and decorative moldings.  These papers, which date from the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries, afford the Society a rare opportunity to study changing tastes in interior design over the past one hundred and sixty-two years.  From the Neo-Gothic, Rococo Revival, and Arts & Crafts movements of the 19^th century, to the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles of the 20^th century, these wallpapers truly reflect the eras in which they were made.

Read the entire article.  Part I, Part II

Gothic Revival Wallpaper, detail                                           Art Deco Wallpaper, detail

Late 1840s, Sutton-Peirson House                                      1920s, Sutton Peirson House

New Exhibition - Historic Interpretation: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Historic Collections

Part One: June 6 - August 2, 2009

      Opening weekend: June 6, 12 - 7 pm & June 7, 12 - 3 pm

      Also on view: June 21, July 5 & 19, August 2, 12 - 3 pm

Part Two: August 15 - October 18, 2009

      Opening weekend: August 15, 12 - 7 pm & August 16, 12 - 3 pm

      Also on view: September 6 & 20, October 4 & 18, 12 - 3 pm

Historic Interpretation is a unique exhibition of new works inspired by historic artifacts from the collection of the Peabody Historical Society. In this exhibit, over 100 artists from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, and even as far as Seattle, Washington, will give expressive form to history though very personal interpretations of historical objects on display in the Society's Gideon Foster and Osborne-Salata Houses.  The exhibition is free and open to the public.  The Salata and Foster houses are located at 33 and 35 Washington Street in Peabody.

Press Release

Peabody Historical Society Receives $6000 Preservation Assistance Grant from the NEH

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded the Peabody Historical Society a $6000 Preservation Assistance Grant to support the conservation assessment and re-housing of its important collections of samplers, quilts and wedding gowns.  Camille Breeze, a textile conservator with expertise in storage design, will provide detailed condition reports for these textiles, as well as recommendations and priorities for future conservation treatments.  She will also work with Society staff on a plan to upgrade the storage area, and NEH funds will be used to purchase new shelving and storage materials for these collections.

An essential component of the project is the development of a team of volunteers, board members and an intern who will work with Breeze and Society staff to re-house these collections.  The team will be instructed on the proper procedures for handling and storing textiles and how to enter catalog records for these items in the Society's collections database.  The NEH grant will support the immediate preservation needs of the samplers, quilts and wedding gowns, while providing a model for the future assessment and re-housing of the entire costumes and textiles collection.