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| J.A. Harvey House parlour (1899) |
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As you can see in the photographs to the left, Fort Steele residents were
current with interior decorating
fashions elsewhere in North America. The rich colours with heavy gold and
silver highlights made their rooms glisten the same as the grand Victorian
mansions. Everyday wallpapers and borders were a complex of colours, often
ten or more, and shapes that played with the ambient natural light.
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| Windsor Hotel Lobby interior finishes (.1900) |
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When the opportunity arose to refurbish the lodge rooms of the North Star
Masonic Lodge No. 30, A.F. & A.M., Fort Steele staff determined that one of
the top priorities would be the reproduction of the original ceiling, freize
and wall papers. We had the original samples but could not locate a current
stock. Unable to locate a Canadian reproduction supplier for the quality of
finish we specified, Fort Steele decided to print its own papers. With the
support of a private donor, Dr. Bernard Lundberg, we researched the industry
and determined that the flatbed silk-screen printing technology would serve
us best. We also decided not to inherit the environmental problems
associated with petroleum-based inks, opting instead for water-based. After
two years of research and development the Friends of Fort Steele Society
undertook to produce the finishes seen below. We are delighted with the results.
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History 
