IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER HANGINGS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Trumble, of Huddersfield, in the County of
York, Painter and Gilder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER
HANGINGS"
Sealed the 1st August 1854, and dated the 6th February 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Trumble at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
February 1854.
I, PETER TRUMBLE, of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Painter and
Gilder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PAPER HANGINGS" to be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention relates to an improved mode of preparing
paper employed in and for the manufacture of paper hangings, for the purpose
of rendering such paper capable of receiving oil colours instead of water colors,
as heretofore generally practised of manufacturing paper hangings. And this
Invention is particularly applicable to the manufacture of those descriptions of
paper hangings known and distinguished as marble papers, and made to
resemble different kinds of marble. The mode hitherto practised by paper
makers of manufacturing this class of goods, as also other papers having other
patterns, devices, or designs, printed or stamped thereon in water colors,
requiring considerable expedition, owing to the paper being required to be wet,

page_text: does not therefore allow sufficient time for the proper working and classification
of the several colors employed, and papers thus made when dry look rich and
sightly, but when hung and varnished the colors sink and lose their brilliancy,
and look harsh and unnatural. And further, such papers requiring to be sized
to prevent the varnish from sinking or becoming absorbed by the paper, and to
perform this operation considerable time, labor, and care is necessary, otherwise
they appear speckled, leaving black or dark spots at those parts which do not
happen to be covered with size, and since it most frequently happens that these
kinds of papers are used in halls, staircases, and other situations, when there
is seldom much heat the colors become dull, and present a dirty and muddled
appearance; and further, the walls to be covered require to be very smooth,
otherwise the least pimple shews through very distinctly, in consequence of the
paper being very thin, and the paper is also rendered very porous by the
colors being worked in water, so that walls covered with such paper, if damp,
the colours are soon destroyed. Another objection attending water colour
papers consists in being obliged to have the whole length of the paper marbled
in one continuous slab, which, when lined to convey the appearance of different
blocks of marble, look very formal, as there will of necessity be two or three
blocks of the same colour and cluster adjoining each other, and only divided
by lines at equal distances asunder, and it is only by cutting the paper into
separate single slabs (as is commonly practised with the best papers), and
afterwards pasting them on the walls separately, that this formal appearance
can be destroyed. And as this necessarily occupies considerable time, papers
thus hung comes very expensive.
The object and intention of this Invention is therefore to obviate these
objections, which may be effected in the following manner :-I take the same
kind of paper as is commonly used by paper stainers, and I coat or cover the
surface thereof with a composition made of a solution of india-rubber, tallow,
japan, oil, soap, and size, which renders the paper impermeable, and gives it
the requisite strength, elasticity and durability, and prevents, to a very
considerable extent, the action of ammonia thereon, and of which most walls,
especially new ones, contain more or less.
Having thus prepared the paper, I proceed to marble or otherwise ornament
the surface thereof, with oil colors composed of the following ingredients,
namely, oxichloride of lead or zinc, japan, turpentine, and raw linseed oil, and
with this mixture the workman coats or covers the prepared surface of the
paper, the veins (if representing marble) and colors being worked in whilst
the color is wet, and disposed and varied according to the skill and judgment
of the artist, and by the addition of a small quantity of sugar of lead to the

page_text: above mixture, it may be made to dry either quickly or slowly as required, and
when dry has a gloss almost equal to coat varnish. Thus it will be seen that
by using oil paint or colours in the manufacture of paper hangings, instead of
water colours, as heretofore practised, the colours retain their brilliancy and
richness, and although the beauty thereof will be enhanced by afterwards
varnishing the surface, this process is not expensive, as the paper thus made
does not require to be covered with any preparation to receive the varnish,
thereby effecting considerable saving in time, labour, and materials.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Trumble in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
TRUMBLE, of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Painter and Gilder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Peter Trumble, Her special licence that I, the said Peter
Trumble, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Peter Trumble, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PAPER HANGINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Peter Trumble, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Trumble, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof (that is to say):

page_text: The first part of my Invention relates to an improved mode preparing the
paper to be employed in and for the manufacture of paper hangings, for the
purpose of rendering such paper capable of receiving devices or designs in oil
colours instead of water colours, as heretofore generally practised in the manu-
facture of paper hangings. And my improvements are more particularly
applicable to the manufacture of those descriptions of paper hangings known
and distinguished as "marble papers," being made to resemble different kinds
of marble. And I would here remark that a great objection to the mode
hitherto practised by paper makers of manufacturing marble paper hangings,
as also paper hangings with other devices or patterns thereon, consists in the
expedition which the workman is obliged to use in performing the operation of
printing the pattern or device upon the paper, which being required to be wet
during such operation does not therefore allow suflicient time for the proper
working and classification of the several colours employed; and although paper
hangings thus made when dry look rich and sightly, when such paper is hung
and varnished the colors soon sink and lose their brilliancy, and present a harsh
and unnatural appearance. And further, such said paper hangings require to
be sized to prevent the varnish from sinking or becoming absorbed by the
paper, and this operation is attended with considerable labour and care, other-
wise those parts of the paper which do not happen to be covered with size will
appear speckled with black or dark spots. And since marble paper hangings
are most frequently used in halls, staircases, and other situations where there is
seldom much heat, it follows, therefore, that in using paper hangings in the
above situations, as heretofore manufactured, that the colors soon become dull,
and present a dirty muddled appearance. And further, in using such paper
the walls to be covered therewith require to be very smooth, otherwise the
least pimple shews very distinctly through the paper in consequence of its being
very thin, and paper thus stained is rendered very porous by reason of the
colors being obliged to be worked in water, so that in covering walls with paper
thus manufactured, in the event of the walls absorbing moisture, the colors on
the paper are soon destroyed. Another objection attending the use of paper
hangings made with water colors consists in being obliged to have the whole
length of the paper marbled in one continuous slab, which, when marked with
lines of color to convey the appearance of different blocks of marble, presents a
very formal appearance, as there will of necessity be two or three blocks of the
same color and cluster adjoining each other, and only divided by the aforesaid
lines of color, which are at equal distances asunder, and it is only by cutting the
paper into separate single slabs (as is commonly practised with paper hangings
of the best make, and afterwards pasting them on the walls separately) that the

page_text: before-mentioned formal appearance can be destroyed; and as this mode of
proceeding necessarily occupies considerable time, papers thus hung come very
expensive. The object and intention of my said Invention is therefore to
obviate the above objection, which I effect in the following manner and by the
following means:-I take the same description of paper as is commonly used by
paper stainers, and I coat or cover the surface thereof with a composition made
with the following ingredients, matters, or substances, namely, a solution of
india-rubber, tallow, japan, or boiled oil, soap, and size. These ingredients are
well mixed and incorporated together in the following proportions in any con-
venient manner, namely, two ounces of the solution of india-rubber, two ounces
of tallow, one pint of japan or boiled oil, (but I prefer boiled oil,) three-quarters
of a pound of soap, and two gallons of clear size, and with the above mixture
or composition I coat or cover the surface of the paper twice, taking care that
the first coating is dry before the second is put on; and in this manner and
by these means I render the paper impermeable, and give to it the requisite
amount of strength, elasticity, and durability, and prevent, to a very considerable
extent, the action of ammonia thereon, and of which ingredient most walls,
especially new ones, contain more or less.
Having thus prepared the paper, I proceed (in the manner usually prac-
tised by grainers on wood) to marble or otherwise ornament the surface of the
paper with oil colors composed of the following ingredients, namely, oxichloride
of lead or zinc, japan, turpentine, and raw linseed oil, mixed in the ordinary
manner to produce the desired colors; and with these colors I operate upon
the surface of the prepared paper, the veins (if representing marble) and colors
are worked in whilst the color is wet, and the several colors are disposed and
varied according to the skill and judgment of the artist. If necessary, a small
quantity of sugar of lead may be added to the above colors, by which it may be
made to dry either quickly or slowly, according to the quantity used, and when
dry has a gloss almost equal to one coat of varnish. Thus it will be seen that
by using oil paint or color in and for the manufacture of paper hangings, instead
of water colors, as heretofore practised, the colors retain their brilliancy and
richness; and although the beauty thereof will be enhanced by afterwards
varnishing the surface of the paper, at the same time such varnishing process
will be attended with but a trifling additional expense, as the paper when
prepared as above stated does not require to be coated or covered with any
preparation to receive the varnish, by which a considerable saving of time,
labour, and materials is effected.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention of "Improvements
in Paper Hangings," and in what manner the same is to be and may be per-

page_text: formed, I would remark in conclusion, that what I claim is, the manufacturing
of paper hangings with oil colors instead of water colors, in the manner and by
the means hereinbefore particularly described and set forth, or any modification
thereof, by which the same result may be obtained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Trumble, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four..
Witness,
ALEX³. PRINCE,
Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
PETER TRUMBLE. (L.S.)