Pattern Papers
During the 19th century, mass-produced decorative papers were a common sight in books. The following is our collection of these papers. The reference for this material is an article that Sue Allen produced for Winterthur Portfolio 12, University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, 1977. We have used and occasionally enlarged the categories that Sue Allen followed in her article. All of the pattern papers illustrated here are in our collection and are referenced with Sue Allen’s numbers if they appear in her article and with RB- prefix if they are patterns that Sue Allen did not reference.
Seaweeds (Figure 4)
Seaweeds ( Allen, Figure 2 )
Seaweeds (Fig. 6)
Seaweeds (Fig. 6)
Stylized foliage, not in Allen (RB-1)
Eastlake-style flowers (Fig. 29)
Sprigs and tiny bouquets. (variation RB-7)
Japanese and Oriental motifs and arrangements. ( Allen, Figure 63)
"Sprigs and tiny bouquets" (Fig. 15) cream
Sprigs and tiny flowers. (Fig. 15) brown
Sprigs and tiny bouquets. (Fig.16)
Flowers and leaves connected by stems. (Variation with thistles RB-6)
Small flowers and leaves connected by stems. (Fig. 20)
Tightly fitted flowers and leaves. (Fig. 23)
Sprigs and tiny bouquets variation. (RB-4)
Sprigs and tiny bouquets (Fig. 14)
Small flowers and leaves connected by stems, variation not in Allen. (RB-3)
Flowers and leaves connected by stems variation (RB-5)
Sprigs and tiny bouquets, Allen, Figure 15
Tightly fitted flowers and leaves variation (RB-6)
Small flowers and leaves connected by stems, Allen, Figure 20.
Tightly fitted flowers and leaves variation. (RB-6)
Renaissance Style. (Fig. 47)
Renaissance style reimagined variation on Figure 47
Fprigs and tiny bouquets, Allen, Figure 16
"Eastlake" ( Allen, Figure 31), This variation w/o vertical lines in the background.
Bubbles, not in Allen. (RB-8)
Foliage, not in Allen. (RB-2)
Tightly fitted flowers and leaves ( Not in Allen) RB-20
Publishers' initials and trademarks and similarly organized units.Variation not in Allen. (RB-8)
Sprigs and tiny bouquets, (not in Allen) RB-19
Foliage, (not in Allen) RB-2
small flowers and leaves connected by stems (Not in Allen), RB-17
Not in Allen, (unclear on category) RB-15
Small flowers and leaves connected by stems. (Not in Allen). RB-14
Flowers and leaves connected by stems (Not in Allen ) RB-13
Small flowers and leaves connected by stems. (not in Allen RB-12)
flowers and leaves connected by stems (not in Allen) RB-11
Similar to Publisher's initials, Figures 50-53,(not in Allen) RB-10
Small geometrics, (not in Allen), RB-9
Mechanical and imitative, Allen Figure 43
'Publishers' initials AND: similarly organized units. (Not in Allen) RB-18
Typefounders' combination borders, (Allen Figure 74) green
'Typefounders', combination borders. (Allen, Figure 74 ) brown
Designs on Two axes (Not in Allen), RB-22)
Not in Allen. Designs on two axes. (RB 17)
Not in Allen. "publishers' initials. .... and similarly organized units. (RB 16)
Not in Allen. This belongs either in small geometrics or typefounders borders RB-16
Not in Allen. "publishers' initials. .... and similarly organized units. (RB 14)
Not in Allen. Mechanical and imitative (RB-13)
Mechanical and imitative, Allen, Figure 43
Publisher's initials and similarly organized units. Not in Allen- RB-12 (Brown)
Publisher's initials and similarly organized units. (Not in Allen) RB-12 green
connected wreaths, (not in Allen) RB 11
Repeating Lyre (Not in Allen) RB 12 perhaps best categorized with Publishers initials under: "similarly organized units."
Geometric (not in Allen). RB-10
Geometrics, (not in Allen), RB-23