Blue Guest Room

Formerly the East Nursery, this room’s most striking feature is the 18th century hand-painted Chinese wallpaper. Fanciful birds and flowers are silhouetted against the blue background of this 18th century paper.

Such papers, while rare even in English homes, are unusual in America. Through the founding of the various East India companies Europe received many of the products of the East. In the ships of the East India Companies came wallpapers such as these, which originally were presented as gifts by merchants to their valued customers. Up to the middle of the 18th century the favorite motifs were birds and flowers; afterwards these were replaced by landscapes with figures.

Fine Art

• Margaret Helen ("Peggie ") Phipps, 1926, John Larvery (Irish, 1856-1941).