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Reproductions

Library and Archives Temporarily Closed
The Historic New England Library and Archives is temporarily closed to in-person, online, and telephone inquiries to accommodate a move from Otis House to interim space in Boston. This relocation ensures the highest level of care for and access to our archival collections during the upcoming major multi-year construction projects surrounding Otis House and planned improvements at our facilities. During this period of closure, staff is engaged in packing, managing the move, and unpacking archives materials, and preparing for reopening our archives operation in nearby, accessible space this fall.

We understand that suspending access to our archival collections and staff research support is challenging for researchers, and we are grateful for your patience and understanding. During this time, we invite you to explore the large selection of our archival and object collections that is digitized and accessible through our Collections Access Portal.

Photo Gallery

Swan Boat, Boston Public Garden

Archival prints of this c. 1883 photograph by Baldwin Coolidge are available.

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  • Swan Boat, Boston Public Garden

    Archival prints of this c. 1883 photograph by Baldwin Coolidge are available.

  • The Red Sox Ball Club, 1912

    The Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 1912. Take home a piece of baseball history with an archival print showing the winning lineup.

  • 20th Century Colors of America

    California Paints developed the 20th Century Colors of America paint chart with inspiration from Historic New England's museum properties.

Request a Reproduction

Use an image from Historic New England’s collection

Historic New England regularly grants permission for the use of materials in its collections on a one-time, non-exclusive basis. Uses include but are not limited to

Library and Archives Temporarily Closed
The Historic New England Library and Archives is temporarily closed to in-person, online, and telephone inquiries to accommodate a move from Otis House to interim space in Boston. This relocation ensures the highest level of care for and access to our archival collections during the upcoming major multi-year construction projects surrounding Otis House and planned improvements at our facilities. During this period of closure, staff is engaged in packing, managing the move, and unpacking archives materials, and preparing for reopening our archives operation in nearby, accessible space this fall.

We understand that suspending access to our archival collections and staff research support is challenging for researchers, and we are grateful for your patience and understanding. During this time, we invite you to explore the large selection of our archival and object collections that is digitized and accessible through our Collections Access Portal.

Collection of Reproductions

Manufacturers whose home decor products are inspired by Historic New England's collection

Wallpaper: Adelphi Paper Hangings

Adelphi Paper Hangings LLC

Since 1999, many of Historic New England’s most accurate paper reproductions have been available through Adelphi Paper Hangings. Ranging from eighteenth century to twentieth century, there is something here for everyone who appreciates the fine workmanship of the block-printing technique. Founded in 1999, Adelphi Paper Hangings LLC is a small, artisanal producer of historically accurate block printed wallpapers for museums and historic institutions, as well as for period designers and those involved in contemporary design projects.

To ensure that the art and craft of traditional handmade wallpapers would survive, Adelphi established the only commercial production facility for block-printing historic papers in the United States. Adelphi Paper Hangings offers wallpapers that are reproduced using the same hand-printing methods and materials employed circa 1720-1860, after which machine printing methods began to dominate the industry. Their work is based on exhaustive and continuing research into methods, materials, techniques, and styles. Each order is individually hand printed by skilled artisans without compromises in quality, historical accuracy, or consistency.

Adelphi Paper Hangings LLC has successfully reproduced wallpapers dating from the 1740s through the 1930s. By understanding the nature of historic paints, the muting effect of time, as well as the historic context and fashions, Adelphi Paper Hangings can successfully interpret documentary evidence and accurately reproduce the style, character, and look of original period documents. Visit their website to learn more.

Wallcoverings: Brewster Home Fashions

Brewster Home Fashions

In 2002 Brewster Home Fashions selected Ezekiel Hersey Derby Farm, a painting from Historic New England’s Cogswell’s Grant museum, to produce as a mural in their Around the World collection.

Whether placing a 6′ x 9′ mural above a chair rail, wainscoting, or mantel, it evokes a sense of place in any room of your home or office. Several additional Historic New England patterns are available in Toile Impressions: Volume II and Paintable Solutions: Volume II. Look for Codman Damask, Flora and Fauna, and Juliette in many colorways.

Since 1954, Brewster Home Fashions has been a leading producer and distributor of wallpapers, wall art, and window décor for residential and commercial installations. A family business that has spanned three generations, the company has grown into one of the largest international independently owned producers of wallpaper and related products. As one of the oldest wallcovering companies in the United States, Brewster Home Fashions has a perspective in the industry that few can claim and a unique position in the marketplace. For more information and to locate a dealer, please visit Brewster Home Fashions.

Fine Art Images: Bridgeman Art Library

Bridgeman Art Library

Since 2006, Bridgeman Art Library has offered images from Historic New England’s Library and Archives to clients worldwide. These images are accessible for every user; each one has been catalogued with full picture data and key-worded to make searching easy, even for those with little art knowledge.

With images from more than 8,000 collections and more than 29,000 artists, Bridgeman represents international museums, galleries, and artists by providing a central source of fine art for image users. Founded in 1972, the Bridgeman Art Library works with museums, art galleries, and artists to make the best art available for reproduction.

Fine art is just one of the sources of images; design, antiques, maps, architecture, furniture, glass, ceramics, anthropological artifacts, and many others are also featured in the collection. The Bridgeman Art Library website allows you to explore the collection in depth with quick and advanced search facilities.

Historic Paint: California Paints

California Paints

Building of the success of the Historic Colors of America paint palette, California Paints developed 20th Century Colors of America. This palette of 130 colors provides architects, designers, and homeowners a vast spectrum of colors from which to select to detail interiors and exteriors of popular architecture styles, including Arts & Crafts/Craftsman, Art Deco/Moderne, Mid-century Modern, Post Modern, and Twentieth-Century Traditional.

With colors drawn directly from twentieth-century museum properties and documented decorative color sources, 20th Century Colors of America sets the standard for authenticity in historic colors for the modern age. For help with choosing authentic colors for your twentieth-century house, become a member of Historic New England at the Sustainer level or above.

California Paints is a division of the California Products Corporation, an innovative manufacturer of quality paints, coatings, and sports surfacing systems. The company was originally founded in 1926. In the early 1950s, recognizing that oil paints of the day were prone to peeling and fading, California Products become a pioneer in the field of latex paints, working with the new acrylic emulsion binders that were being produced at the time. The company’s paint line quickly expanded and the California name became synonymous with technical prowess and unsurpassed service. Today, California Paints continues to blaze a trail in the paint industry. Visit their website.

Floorcloths: Canvasworks Designs

Canvasworks Floorcloths

Canvasworks Floorcloths has reproduced three patterns from Historic New England’s collection. Each design is based on an original document from a historic house in New England. The use of painted canvas floor coverings, also known as “oyl cloths,” dates as far back as the fourteenth century in Europe. Colonial Americans were looking for ways to reproduce some of the furnishings they were accustomed to back home. Canvas was more readily available than other rug and carpet supplies, and the ease of cleaning made floorcloths particularly desirable.

Canvasworks Floorcloths creates a variety of designs, from historical reproductions to modern geometrics to intricate stamped and stenciled patterns. Cloths are available in sizes ranging from 2’ x 3’ to 8’ x 10’ and custom sizes can be ordered.

Canvasworks Floorcloths are made from cotton heavyweight canvas with a sewn hem and mitered corners. Each floorcloth undergoes a series of steps to ensure a finished piece that will lie flat and maintain its shape, colors, and finish for years to come. For more information and to order a cloth, visit the Canvasworks Floorcloths website.

Wallpaper: Christopher Norman Collection

The Christopher Norman Collection: Waterhouse Wallhangings

Believing that original wallpaper documents are an important part of our American heritage, Christopher Norman reached out to Historic New England in 2009 with the intent of reproducing patterns from our substantial collection of Waterhouse documents.Christopher Norman Inc. offers several hand printed patterns copied from Historic New England’s collection of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century papers in a variety of colorways.

Christopher Norman Inc. was founded in 1987 as a collaboration between acclaimed interior designer Kevin McNamara and Christopher Norman. Since then, Christopher Norman has produced high quality wallpapers under the brands of Thomas Strahan and Waterhouse Wallhangings.

For many years, Dorothy Waterhouse visited lovely old New England homesteads, searching beneath layers of wallpaper or paint – or in attics, trunks, and old boxes – for fragments of original wall hangings. Because many were created before the machine age, they were often painted completely by hand, stenciled, or printed using carved wood blocks. So superior are these designs that they will always be in good taste. For information and a showroom directory, please visit The Christopher Norman Collection.

Historic Paint: Color Guild

Color Guild

In 1996 Historic New England partnered with Color Guild to create Historic Colors of America, a palette of 149 authentic paint colors ranging from Colonial to Federal to Greek Revival to Victorian to Twentieth-Century Eclectic.

Based on paint research, this palette supports architects, designers, and homeowners in the selection of authentic color palettes. Color trends of past eras come alive as these centuries old accurate hues are used on both old and new homes to achieve a result full of historical character.

Color Guild comprises more than fifty-five independent paint manufacturers from fourteen different countries and is dedicated to the marketing, promotion, and selling of paint products. The combined expertise and experience of the member companies makes Color Guild uniquely qualified to serve as a definitive resource on color and coatings. Many Color Guild colorists are accredited members of global professional organizations that specialize in color forecasting and design, such as the Color Marketing Group and Color Ways. These experts work diligently to ensure that Color Guild is a global paint and color authority. For more information and to locate a dealer near you selling Historic Colors of America paint, please visit the Color Guild website.

Jewelry: KJK Jewelry, Inc.

KJK Jewelry

Historic New England is one of more than 200 organizations collaborating with the artisans at KJK Jewelry to create beautiful jewelry. For years, pins and earrings copied from original jewelry in our collection have been available in gold- and silver-toned finishes. KJK Jewelry is sold in selected Historic New England shops.

Since 1990 KJK Jewelry, Inc., has designed for prestigious institutions throughout the United States. These include the Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Zoo, the National Gallery, the New England Aquarium, and the New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco Public Libraries, to name a few.

Artisans use authentic materials, such as vintage Bohemian Glass, Chinese cloisonné, African Baoule brass, sterling silver, and semiprecious stones. Products include earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and pins in a wide variety of styles and materials. For more information, please visit KJK Jewelry, Inc.

Postcards: Pomegranate Communications

Pomegranate Communications, Inc.

Images of Historic New England properties have been the subject of wall calendars, and photographs from the Library and Archives are featured in the popular postcard books Old Boston and Historic New England Homes: Architectural Drawings.

Pomegranate’s newest Historic New England postcard book draws upon the exhibition and book, Drawing Toward Home: Designs for Domestic Architecture. These works include selected domestic buildings in New England in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. They parallel the history of architecture and architectural graphics at the national level.

Pomegranate Communications, Inc., is a publishing house located in Northern California. Pomegranate has its roots in San Francisco’s 1960’s art explosion. As a young man, founder Thomas F. Burke distributed posters from the Avalon Ballroom and the Fillmore Auditorium and worked with poster companies such as East Totem West. More than thirty years later, Pomegranate publishes an impressive array of high-quality products. In addition to printing posters, the company also offer calendars, books, and much more. Their scope has expanded to include an incredibly diverse range of subjects in a wide range of products.

Furniture: The Seraph

The Seraph by Alex Pifer

In 2002 The Seraph introduced the Cogswell’s Grant Collection featuring a dozen pieces copied from Historic New England’s Cogswell’s Grant in Essex, Massachusetts. The Cogswell’s Grant Collection includes upholstered furniture, painted case goods, artwork, and decorative accessories.

Since 1980, the Seraph has been an authentic resource for seventeenth- and eighteenth-century reproduction furniture and accessories, offering knowledge and expertise in the field of historic design for those wishing to achieve a certain level of authenticity for their homes. Now, with hundreds of items available in HOME, good design is with reach. Enjoy visiting The Seraph by Alex Pifer.

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