A number of GP & J Baker designs have been in production for 50 to 100 years, each re-issue adding another layer of history to their considerable charm. More recently some have been translated into woven fabrics, embroideries and wallpapers. Always progressive, but maintaining strong links with its past, GP & J Baker will long continue to decorate the future.
The GP & J Baker archive consists of a spectacular range of documents that has provided inspiration for the design studio since the company was founded. The collection was started by George Percival and James Baker in the early 1900s and today represents the largest privately owned textile archive in the world. The archive is amazingly diverse ranging from Chinese wallpapers, clothing, church vestments and Peruvian tunics to quilts and curtains. Italian and Turkish velvets, beautiful Indian prints, French toiles, Indonesian batiks, early English glazed chintz prints and Art Nouveau original paintings make up this amazing collection which probably contains something from each of the last 100 centuries as well as from half the globe. All of their designers, especially the GP & J Baker studio, make constant use of the archive. From this treasure trove has come such stunning large scale prints as ‘Nympheus’ and ‘Magnolia’ as well as the more delicate ‘Oriental Bird’ and ‘Peony and Blossom’.
GP & J Baker’s collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces, including The Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace, has provided a wealth of inspiration for one of their new collections. Other wallpaper collections feature unique and distinctive wallpapers representing the ultimate in Bohemian charm.
Website: www.gpjbaker.com
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