Winter has set in, and with it, bleh. There’s just something about the short days, the darkness — I need HAPPY to offset it. How about this: I recently pounced on a few rolls of 1970s (I believe) vintage wallpaper. One of those super whimsical designs showing various illustrated characters taking baths in their Victorian-revival bathrooms, all hinting naked, hence the “risque” in my headline. These make me so happy — and I want to send some happy your way too! Above: George with his cat. [Mystery for all times: Who was George?] I gave each character a name as I was scanning, so’s I could make sure I got them all.
Above: Lady with her cat. Dig the wallpaper… and the towel… and the 1920s style sink (that you can still get today). In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a revival in renovating Victorian houses, and often, they were done in a neo-Victorian-meets-hippy style like this.
Above: Lady with paisley rug.
The thing about this wallpaper is that the characters and interiors are sort of … 1960s Danish Modern meets Marimekko meets Gemma Toccogna. I’ve never seen a neo-Victorian novelty illustration bathroom wallpaper with characters and interiors like this. The mashup is just wonderful.
Above: Freckled lady, but then I looked closer and see it’s really Lady laying in the bathtub with shower running.
Red-headed lady. The paper is heavy vinyl… embossed with cross-hatch nubblies… and I didn’t color correct. Off-white/beige field, with black and burnt orange-colored ink. Burnt orange is my favorite color. And whimsy doodle characters on novelty wallpaper are my all-time favorite. So, this wallpaper is really floating my boat. Or, my Victorian footed bathtub, if you will.
The paper was made by Vicoa, Inc. of Eatontown, N.J. There are 2.5 rolls — enough, I think, to re-wallpaper my bathroom — for its third look — when it needs it again. Meanwhile, the rolls will go into my stockpile aka museum aka … hoard. Sigh.
Novelty one- or two-color wallpapers with risque, line-drawn bathing beauties seem to have been a thing in the 1970s. See this story about a number of other such wallpapers at Hannah’s (one design shown right).
Above: Mr. Reading A Book. There were six characters in all. Every time I look at them I decide on a different favorite, which is your favorite?
Stay warm and sunny, everyone!
My aunt had this wallpaper in her bathroom. I remember it well from when I was a kid. I thought of what the stories of each character could be too! I’m so glad you shared this. It brings back wonderful memories!