Sanderson

English manufacturer of wallpapers and fashion-oriented home furnishings. Arthur Sanderson, an importer of French luxury wallpapers, set up the business in 1860. From 1879 the first Arthur Sanderson & Sons wallpapers were made, at first with patterns printed by hand, and later by machine. After the founder’s death in 1882, the business passed to his sons John, Arthur, and Harold. Under their leadership, Sanderson became the first company in England to produce materials printed to match the patterns of the wallpapers. In 1940 the company bought the machinery of Morris & Co., who had gone into liquidation. In 1955, the royal household awarded Sanderson the royal warrant, a symbol of quality. In Italy it was Giuseppe Palombella, a Tuscan company specializing in household linen for more than 40 years, that produced and distributed the ranges. The joint venture began with matching bed linen, and went on to develop tableware, and a bathroom range (dressing gowns, bathmats, and sponges). In June 2003, the runway presenting Vivienne Westwood’s latest designs was decorated with Sanderson wallpaper with floral motifs, which started rumors of a possible collaboration between the two.