CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PAINTING OR DECORATING WITH OIL AND OTHER COLORS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
PAGE, of Cambridge, in the County of Cambridge, Painter, send geeeting.
WHEREAS 1ler present Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirtieth day of January (One thousand eight hundred and
forty five), in the eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me the said Henry Page, my exors, adñiors,
and assigns, Iler especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Henry Page, my exors, admiors, and assigns, and such others as I,
the said Henry Page, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
continuance of the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend within that part of Her said Majesty's United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PAINTING OR DECORATING WITH OIL AND OTHER
COLORS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the
said Henry Page, to particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to be enrolled in
Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery, within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and

page_text: appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Page, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and Specification thereof, that is
to say:
My Invention consists in and has reference to improvements in the processes
and modes of painting in oils and in other vehicles.
The general nature and intention of the improvement consists in producing
a cuticle or cuticular substance, composed of the matters and materials in
known and common use, or which may be used for the general purposes
of painting, or the covering of surfaces with paint (taking the terms
paint and painting in the ordinary sense in which they are used), and in
applying such said cuticlo or cuticular substance, when produced, to surfaces
which it is required to paint, decorate, or ornament in any of the usual modes
of performing such said operations. And the particular mode in and by which
:1 carry my said Invention into practical effect is as follows, that is to say :-[
take paper of the composition and substance of the papers in common use, as
for example, the paper usually denominated elephant paper; I then take the
matter or composition commonly termed size, or dilute glue of the finer
description, or I take any of the preparations of the chemical substance known
under the denomination of gelatine, as produced by glue, isinglass, linseed,
gum arabic, or any other matter or substance of which a size can be made
which shall readily dissolve in water; but as in practice I find the usual pre-
parations of size not sufficiently soluble in water without the superaddition to
the preparation of some other substance or matter of easier or more rapid
solubility in water. I superadd ordinary treacle (by which I mean the treacle
of commerce of the ordinary kind), and I determine and regulate the relative
quantity of such superaddition according to the liquidity of the treacle, which
varies much, as well from its original consistency as from the temperature and
relative dryness of the atmosphere. In practice I find the best proportions
for the relative quantities of treacle and size to be such as that when they are
duly intermixed, and the resulting composition is spread evenly and uniformly
on the surface of the paper, and has become dry, its condition will be in a
moderate degree sticky, or what in the technical language of painting and
varnishing is usually termed tacky, when breathed upon. Although any of the
compositions of size herein-before mentioned, when intermixed with treacle,
will effect the purpose for which this first part of the process is intended, yet

page_text: in general practice I prefer a composition of size made from gum arabic inter-
mixed with treacle, and the two substances taken in about equal quantities by
weight, when the gum arabic is in its concrete state, before its solution is made,
and then reduced to a state of liquidity which will allow the mixture or com-
pound so produced to be worked freely with painting brushes of the ordinary
forms and constructions. I prepare the paper before mentioned for the subse-
quent steps of my process by laying upon it the mixture or compound of size
and treacle in the way of painting in one coat of a thickness sufficient to bear
out oil colours when afterwards spread upon it, or to prevent the oil of such
colours from penetrating it and reaching the paper. When such coat of the
mixture so laid on is thoroughly dry, I then lay upon it, in the usual way of
oil painting, a coat of oil colour, observing to preserve the edges of the paper
uncovered. by the oil colour. For such oil painting of the paper I use any of
the usual preparations of colours as made with oils, varnishes, or vehicles of
similar description, although in practice I prefer a paint composed in the usual
manner of white lead with boiled linseed oil.
When the coat of oil colour, thus laid on as aforesaid, is thoroughly dry.
I then lay upon it in the same manner a second coat of the same oil color,
and when such second coat has become perfectly dry, it is then of sufficient
firmness as regards its substance, and of a suitable surface to receive any.
required graphic designs or devices for pictorial exhibition thereon; such.
design or device being completed, 1 lay the face or painted side of the same
upon a plane and smooth hard surface; I then moisten the back of the paper
(which is then uppermost in position) thoroughly with water; I continue to
moisten the paper until the coat of composition of size and treacle spread
upon its inner surface, as herein-before described, is so far dissolved or
softened that its fast adhesion to the coat of oil paint, with which it is in
contact, is destroyed, and the paper can be easily peeled or stripped off, or
otherwise carefully removed; in general practice the paper may be peeled off
without fracture by a steady and careful stripping action from one side or edge.
of the sheet towards the other. The sheet of paper thus removed is exposed in
any convenient manner in order to be dried, and become fit for a repetition
of the process it formerly underwent, observing that after the first process it
will not require so much sizing to fit it for the subsequent operation of
painting it with oil colours, as herein-before described. The paper being thus
removed it is obvious that there remains but a cuticular substance or sheet:
composed wholly of the matters forming oil or varnish paints. Before such
skin or cuticular substance thus obtained is removed from the plane surfaco
upon which it was spread before the paper was removed, it is necessary to

page_text: carefully wash and thoroughly cleanse off and remove any of the composition
of size that may yet remain attached to the back of the skin. In practice I
eflect such washing, thorough cleansing, and removal, by the operation of
sponges and water, and finish the surface so operated upon with the fine and
soft leather commonly known by the term washed leather. The final process of
my Invention is to place and attach the cuticular substance obtained, as
herein-before described, upon the surfaces of the constructions to which it is
required to be applied; this I perform in the following manner :-Having
thoroughly cleansed such surfaces by the means in known and common use
amongst painters by the term "rubbing down," I pass over it a coat of
oil paint, or of gold size, or of any elastic varnish, or of boiled linseed oil; but
in practice I prefer for this purpose boiled linseed oil, with the addition of a
small quantity of japanner's gold size. Of any of these before-mentioned
substances, that the practioner may prefer to use for this purpose, but a small
quantity must be laid upon the surfaces under operation, and be spread or
driven very thinly thereon, or what is usually known and understood amongst
painters by the term "driven out;" I then place and adjust the skin accurately
to and upon the surfaces to which it is intended to attach it, such surfaces
being prepared in the manner herein-before described, and afterwards fit the
same upon the said surfaces in close and perfect attachment thereto by firmly
pressing it thereon by the operation of rubbing either with the hands, or
through the agency of suitable tools, according to the form and nature of such
said surfaces. It is necessary to commence such operation of pressing or
rubbing at the centre of the length of the skin, and thence procceding
outwards towards the extremities thereof, driving forward such portions of
air as may remain between the skin and the surface of the work, and so
perfectly expelling them and producing an accurate and close-fitting adherence
between them. I now declare that I use for the herein-before described purpose
any papers, or fabrics, or preparations of the nature of paper, and treat and
apply the same as I have herein-before described my treatment and application
of papers, and also all fabrics or tissues which can or may be attached to
surfaces of oil or varnish paints, and after the completion of such surfaces of
such oil or varnish paints be seperable and removable therefrom, either by the
operation of moistening the same by water, or by any other menstruum, or by
destroying the same either wholly or partially, for the accomplishment of the
object and intention herein-before described, as being the object and intention
of my said Invention. I also use and apply, in like manner and for the like
purposes, all such dimensions and forms of papers, or fabrics, or preparations of
the nature of paper, or any other fabrics or tissues coming within and under

page_text: the conditions as aforesaid, as well as the paper or papers herein-before
described, in all such cases and circumstances as in which such variations of
and changes in such the said matters or materials may be deemed needful.
Ilaving now described the nature and intention of my said Invention; and
also in what manner the same is to be ascertained and performed, I now
declare that I claim, as of my Invention, the particular modes of arrangement.
and action, and the particular combinations of parts and materials, together
with the principles of management, upon and according to which. such
particular modes of arrangement and action, and such particular combinations.
of parts and materials are made, and by which the same are carried into
practical effect, such the modes of arrangement, combinations of parts and
materials and principles of management, being in the manner as I have herein--
before specified, described, and set them forth.
In witness whereof, I, tho said Henry Page, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One-
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.