LONGUE VUE, NEW ORLEANS, LA

Investigation of Historic Wallpaper

Nancy McClelland (1877-1959) provided historic and new wallpapers for this high style house built in the mid 20th century. She was one of the most influential American interior designers of the early 20th century and founder of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). The wallpapers, including hundreds-of-years old French and Chinese designs that had been preserved or salvaged from previous sites, remain in place, as are contemporary wallpaper presumably designed by her. The wallpapers have suffered in various ways since then, mostly due to the challenges of New Orleans climate. HCA studied and documented the condition and history of each room’s papers and prepared restoration guidelines for the unique treatments needed for each.