If These Walls Could Talk

Monika stands in front of 116 years of wallpaper.

The building we live in is about 125 years old. It's crooked and creaky and dusty and wonderful. This weekend, as I puttered in my studio, I found myself looking at the wall that had at one time experienced severe water damage. The paint was buckled and stained, and starting to peel. So I idly pulled a piece off. There was a flowery bit of wallpaper underneath. I pulled some more, and uncovered older layers of wallpaper. By the time I had finished, the entire wall had been uncovered, and I had revealed bits and pieces of 125 years worth of wallpaper. So, I did what came naturally - I took a picture of Monika.