Joachim Martin ..

[Eleena]

Happy mortal, when you read this I shall be no more. My story is short and sincere and frank, because none but you shall see my writing.

[Eleena]

Fascinating ..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-44265475

[Spicerack]

'These are the words of an ordinary working man,'

A dosser.

[Eleena]

Beautiful craftsmanship.

[Spicerack]

It would be interesting to read the whole thing. Presumably it wasn't an anti-Catholic diatribe from beginning to end.
I still wouldn't want him as a carpenter. ;-)

[Jennykenny]

I thought it most interesting. Hopefully the owners of the chateau will publish the full account.

[Ken4155]

Very intriguing. When i was decorating for a living, i always signed and dated the walls before hanging paper, sometimes using a little message. Nothing personal, usually something about Burnley Football Club or some derogatory remark about Blackburn Rovers - i like to imagine that some Rovers fans will one day move in and peel back the paper:-)

[Ken4155]

Jenny, you must have missed the bit where it says a book has been published; Le Plancher de Joachim (Joachim's Floorboard). Unfortunately, the article does not indicate where to find the book or if it has been translated into English.

[Eleena]

Available on Amazon, unfortunately not in English though.

[Eleena]

Ken, I'm sure that's a temptation for some decorators to leave some kind of stamp.

[rowanwitch]

I leave messages under wallpaper too, usually saying by the time you read this you will know you only needed five rolls not six

[Eleena]

LOL, good one rowan.

[rowanwitch]

Sounds like an interesting read, I hope it comes out in English in kindle edition preferred

[Ken4155]

Eleena; some customers can be a right pain in the rissole, especially when the job takes a week or more. Then the messages i leave can be quite rude. And i do know of other decorators who leave similar messages. Once, after stripping a room, i saw the message "Don't drink the tea!" :-) :-)

[Canary42]

/// i saw the message "Don't drink the tea!" ///

I find that highly amusing :-D

[Mamyalynne]

What a wonderful find , so often the words of the more ordinary go unnoticed.

Hopefully a translation will be brought out.

[Lie-in King]

Fascinating, what a wonderful find. I'd like to see a translation one day. Thanks, Eleena :-)

[atalanta]

I, too, always leave messages under wallpaper, always including the date. But as for the number of rolls of paper, I write that - ( obviously after I have finished, ) on top of the door. Many old paperhangers used to do that, so in old houses you can possibly find how many rolls would be needed without having to measure up for yourself.