Perfect Match ( 1968 ) - British Pathé

A stroll through Jo-Ann Fabrics will reveal an endless display of different colored and different patterned fabrics, but have you ever given any thought to how these fabrics are produced? Have you ever thought how patterned wallpaper is made, too? This 1968 British Pathé newsreel gives us a glimpse of the Sanderson wallpaper factory where fabric and matching wallpaper was made.

Sanderson is one of the most respected names in the wallpaper industry. They began in England in 1860 and continue today to offer a dazzling array of designs. On their website you can read about the history of this colorful company. 

In this newsreel, "old world" techniques such as block printing are demonstrated. This is a particularly tricky method of printing because the patterns must be matched precisely. Modern machine printing methods are also shown where "2,700 rolls per day" can be produced. Today, similar machines can produce even more rolls than that per day. 

The announcer proclaims that with the advent of "kaleidoscopic colors interior decorating has come a long way since father first papered the parlor." True enough, but when father papered the parlor I doubt he got a headache from the pattern on the wall! Some of the wallpaper shown is really out-of-sight. 

Ready to watch Perfect Match? Simply click the link below:

Perfect Match ( 1968 ) - 3:48 minutes

Similar British Pathé newsreels:

Fabric Painting and Printing ( 1955 ) - 1:59 minutes

Nature Designs in Fabric ( 1957 ) - 3:09 minutes

Wallpaper ( 1963 ) - 2:52 minutes