Nate writes:
Hi, We just bought an old house, and under a carpet in one of the bedrooms was a “something” — I am not sure what its real name is… It is 6 feet by 8 or 9 feet, and is a fantastic picture / mural. Looks like it is on masonite or some other fiber type board. The “rug” is not attached at all — we can pick it up and move it. It is not gummy at all, seems like just fiberboard, maybe 1/8 of an inch thick. The house was built back around 1900 as a schoolhouse, then sold, dismantled, moved and rebuilt maybe around 1935. The family we bought it from had it since the mid 50’s… I would like to … see if anyone knows anything about it. Thanks!
Nate, it’s hard to say what this is made out of — there are a number of possibilities. I recommend that you have it looked at by experts to (1) identify and value it, (2) discuss how to preserve it, and most importantly — (3) to ensure you know what materials it may be made of so that you can make informed issues about environmental and safety issues. In an old house, you want to check every surface for vintage nastiness such as lead and asbestos, for example. Update: Jane Powell in her book “Linoleum” says that while linoleum is known today for its use of renewable resources (cork, linseed oil, namely), heavy metals such as lead may have been used in the manufacturer of old linoleum. So — Precautionary Pam repeats: Get with your own properly licensed professional to determine what’s in this , so that you can make informed decisions about how to handle. Be Safe / Renovate Safe.
That said, here are some possibilities that I am aware of:
1. Impregnated and enameled felt: I have a 1954 catalog for Armstrong flooring, and it is mostly all tile and sheet. But, at the back, in a very small section, they they still feature several rugs like this, with the “Quaker Floor Covering” brand attached. In their description, they say the rugs (two shown here) are made of felt impregnated with a waterproofing and strengthening saturant. It then has sealants on the top and bottom, a leveling coat, then is painted with the design and baked. (“Impregnated… saturant… paint” = code words for get it tested to know what you have.)
2. Linoleum: While my catalog shows a kind of felt-painted-rug, bona-fide linoleum rugs also were produced… and it could be that you have one of those. Here is a link to Secondhand Rose and their discussion of linoleum rugs and the process with which they were made. By the way, I am pretty sure these are wicked expensive and then some. So much so that the price is not even mentioned, and they forewarn you of the difficulty to install. Read: Brittle. The linoleum or linoleum-style rug that I once saw at an estate sale was flexible, but very brittle. In fact, I could not buy it because it was clear that it would bust into pieces if it were not kept absolutely flat.
3. Other: You say your rug feels like it is on a piece of masonite or something stronger and less flexible than linoleum, so it could well be that you have something else. (Most of my focus is on post-war decor, whereas these types of rugs, I believe, were more popular in the early 20th century.)
One thing is pretty clear to me, Nate: I bet your your rug is quite rare and valuable. Novelty and juvenile designs like this are always very collectible. And even with the condition issues, your rug has tremendous charm. Perhaps it belongs in a museum. Good luck, and many thanks for sharing.
Dix says
Linoleum rugs were VERY popular in the, oh, second quarter of the 20th century. Some friends of mine just discovered a cowboy-themed one in an old house purchased by acquaintances of theirs.
gavin hastings says
AND- I think children as “action figures” was a post-war concept….Prior to this, the firemen and cowboys would have been adults. Very interesting.
gavin hastings says
On further inspection…it might have been in production right up until 1960. It is very sophisticated- and I think childeren’s items between the wars were pretty “basic”.
This has a television look.
gavin hastings says
Great find!
With those graphics and colors I feel that this is from the late 1940’s/early 50’s and was used as a “play area” rug for children or mural.
I don’t think it has a school connection prior to 1935.
atomicgrrl says
Oh my goodness gracious! That is one gorgeous art rug and Pam is usually right about these things…it probably is worth some money! If if were me I would contact Jane Powell, the “bad girl of bungalow writing” and get her opinion on it. She’s written several books all of which are wonderful, but one specifically on Linoleum. Let’s see some more pictures Nate!
Maryanna says
Wow! That’s pretty amazing. I wonder if it dates back to the home’s schoolhouse days? I can’t offer any insight, I just wanted to thank you for the post. I’d love to know what the folks at Antiques Roadshow would have to say about it! 🙂
BungalowBILL says
I have seen sheets of this in block patterns with fairy tales, usually cut into squares and sold as tiles. I also have a big piece of real linoleum in the basement in more of a 30’s rug type pattern. Very thick, very stiff, and at this stage very brittle. The one pictured looks similar to the fairy tale tiles I have seen, which seems to be a different material. Google “little miss muffet linoleum tile” to see an example.
pam kueber says
Denise – thanks for that mention of vintage floorcloths. To be sure — linoleum rugs (and whatever postwar-material versions that followed) are a continuation of the floorcloth tradition. A couple of years ago, there were lots of stories in magazines about how to make your own floorcloths, as I recall. When I visited Rejuvenation in Portland in March, in their store they featured an artist who was doing floorcloths, I think in more contemporary designs. I can’t find the photos. Drats. They are somewhere in my hard drive.
Maria Stahl says
That is so wonderful! I have seen linoleum with similar patterns. Lino is pretty thick, the old stuff is anyway. Don’t walk on it! 🙂
If you have to move it at all, wait till the room is very warm to do it. Linoleum is mostly linseed oil, sawdust and pigments, and it softens up a lot when it’s warm. It’s less brittle than when it’s cold. If it’s linoleum, that is.
denise says
This is very interesting…I’ve done some floorcloths and know some history of painted rugs but what I know is that they were usually done on canvas…they were made because real rugs were only afforded by the wealthy, but that’s also going back to the 1800’s, early 1900’s. Maybe with more modern times — more modern materials….I’m wondering if there is a wall this fit exactly on because generally designs are not applied in only one direction, which this one is except for the border. But, with the border, it is definitely ‘rug like.’ I would definitely guess that it is for a child’s room due to the nature of the characters.
Looking forward to learning more details!