Old Favourites: Blue Bird for Bloomsbury

Being a complete novice to the art of blogging, and in order that I might politely introduce myself, I have posted this image especially for Ms. Lisa Borgnes Giramonti of A Bloomsbury Life. I have vetted Mr Lear and have ascertained that he is possessed of all of the characteristics listed in the 'A Bloomsbury Life' post of June 4th.

'The Dark Blue Bird' by Edward Lear (1812-88). Ink & watercolour, one of six. England, 1880.

(another V&A treasure available through www.vandaprints.com)

Long celebrated as the author of "The Owl and the Pussycat" and recently rediscovered as a landscape painter, Edward Lear has emerged as one of the formidable figures of 19th-century England - a larger-than-life and gloriously eccentric Victorian, part naturalist, part artist, part raconteur.

Something for Everybody!

I have to admit to a sort of wallpaper addiction (Gracies, de Gournay etc).

via Domino (Feb. 2007) photographed by Barrie Benson

As a child I was enthralled by the studio and home of two of my mother's close friends who specialised exclusively in wallpaper design. So of course I was thrilled to see a like minded soul at work whilst admiring the posts in 'A Bloomsbury Life'.

Inspired by the large de Gournay panel pictured above, it was the peculiar addictive properties of wallpaper that led me to the Victoria and Albert Museum archives. I thought I should share the invaluable resource available at the V & A http://www.vandaprints.com/ Largely based on wallpaper and fabric design, the designs are available in custom sizes as prints and canvas transfers, and yes they do ship overseas. Pricing is excellent for rolled prints and canvases. Standard sizing is up to 1250mm with larger images available as custom orders. Available collections include stunning mid century photographic images and a multiplicity of antique and vintage of graphic designs. I'll post more over the coming week:

Wallpaper with flowering shrubs and fruit bees, on a pale green background. China, 18th century.

Wallpaper Fragment. The Thorn Damask Pattern. Machine & woodblock print. c.1838.

Wallpaper panel. Tempera. China, 1725-50.

Bird Pattern Wallpaper, by Luise Delefant (active 1950s), from The Oman & Hamilton wallpaper catalogue. Breisach, Germany, c.1955.

Wallpaper from a book of wallpapers. Lyon's Stripe. England, early to mid 19th century.

Wallpaper. Paper impression from a copper plate of a textile design, from the Bromley Hall Pattern Book. England, late 18th century