This thesis deals with the importance of preserving wallpaper fragments, and in particular the role of private citizens as their preservers. The thesis discusses the history of paper-based wallpapers in Finnish building interiors and how historic wallpapers eventually end up in museum collections as well as under private ownership.

In the increasingly standardized world of museums, an object without specific historical information is understandably inferior to a similar object whose history has been carefully documented.

In addition to museums, individuals record our cultural heritage. Where museums have clear guidelines for recording the essential information of objects, nobody controls the collection of information and documentation done by private individuals. All information must be documented and recorded carefully to avoid its loss and/or distortion. The next step is then to preserve this information. It is necessary to provide private individuals with tools for this work.

This thesis presents a six-step simple instruction and a documentation form for the use of private individuals for collecting, storing and documenting wallpaper fragments.