Improvements in Ornamenting Mounts for Photographs and Drawings, Screens, and similar articles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ornamenting Mounts for Photographs and
Drawings, Screens, and similar articles.
I, ELLEN JANE SMALL of 37 Brecknock Road, Camden Road, in the
County of London, N. Artist in Fancy Work, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the ornamentation of mounts for pictures, drawings,
photographs, and similar artistic designs; also to the ornamentation of screens,
window panes, panels, and similar surfaces. Seaweed, prepared as hereinafter
set forth, and fixed to the mount or other article in the manner described, is the
substance used for ornamentation.
The usual way of mounting seaweed for the purpose of collecting and preserving.
specimens, is to wash it in water, press it, and stick it with ordinary gum arabic
to the paper of the specimen book. This method is well known and has no relation
to the present invention; it will not give the pattern or design desired nor will it
enable the design to be carried out on mounts, or screens, or similar articles; for
the placing of the seaweed is impossible under the above conditions and the required
adhesion to the article to be ornamented is not practicable.
According to the present invention, the seaweed is selected as to character and
colour to suit the pattern to be worked out. The pieces of seaweed are carefully
cut, with a pair of scissors, to the shape and size desired to ultimately form the
design when the whole of the pieces, consisting perhaps of many varieties of
seaweed, are suitably placed together. The arrangement of the seaweed is some-
what similar in style to that of pieces of mosaic work. Having been cut to the
shape and size required by the design, the pieces are carefully washed in distilled
or rain water to free them as much as possible from the sea salt contained in them ;
they are then powerfully pressed in a suitable press and dried, dipped in a solution
of size, powerfully pressed again, and stuck on to the article, according to design
drawn or lightly indicated on it with a solution of clear diamond cement, or other
cement which resists the action of water perfectly. If necessary, or desirable,
when the whole design is formed, and before the cement has completely set, it may
be finally powerfully pressed for some hours.
In the use of seaweed according to this invention, purely for ornamentation; the
original branched or other characteristic forin is not regarded, the essential point
being to form designs with seaweed as a basis in point of character, colour, size,
and form. Everything is sacrificed to the design, and the branched or other shape
of the seaweed may not ultimately or necessarily appear in the design. On the
other hand some designs may be assisted in their working out by the branched
shape and character of the seaweed used.
June 13th 1892.
ELLEN JANE SMALL.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ornamenting Mounts for Photographs and
Drawings, Screens, and similar articles.
J, ELLEN JANE SMALL of 37 Brecknock Road, Camden Road, in the
County of London, N., Artist in Fancy Work, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the ornamentation of mounts for pictures, drawings,

page_text: photographs and similar artistic designs; also to the ornamentation of screens,
window panes, panels and similar surfaces. Seaweed, prepared as hereinafter set
forth, and fixed to the mount or other article in the manner described, is the
substance used for ornamentation.
The usual way of mounting seaweed for the purpose of collecting and preserving
specimens, is to wash it in water, press it, and stick it with ordinary gum arabic to
the paper of the specimen book.
This method is well known and has no relation to the present invention; it will
not give the pattern or design desired, nor will it enable the design to be carried
out on mounts, or screens, or similar articles; for the placing of the seaweed is
impossible under the above conditions and the required adhesion to the article to
be ornamented is not practicable.
According to the present invention, the seaweed is selected as to character and
colour to suit the pattern to be worked out.
The pieces of seaweed are carefully cut, with a pair of scissors, to the shape and
size desired to ultimately form the design, when the whole of the pieces, consisting
perhaps of many varieties of seaweed, are suitably placed together. The arrange-
ment of the seaweed is somewhat similar in style to that of pieces of mosaic work.
Having been cut to the shape and size required by the design, the pieces are
carefully washed in distilled or rain water to free them as much as possible from
the sea salt contained in them; they are then powerfully pressed in a suitable press
and dried, dipped in a solution of size, powerfully pressed again, and stuck on to
the article, according to design drawn or lightly indicated on it, with a solution of
clear diamond cement, or other cement which resists the action of water perfectly.
If necessary, or desirable, when the whole design is formed, and before the cement
has completely set, it may be finally powerfully pressed for some hours.
In the use of seaweed, according to this invention, purely for ornamentation, the
original branched or other characteristic form is not regarded, the essential point
being to form designs with seaweed as a basis in point of character, colour, size,
and form. Everything is sacrificed to the design and the branched or other shape
of the seaweed may not ultimately or necessarily appear in the design. On the
other hand, some designs may be assisted in their working out by the branched
shape and character of the seaweed used.
The designs to which this invention relates may have seaweed as a basis and
they may have other substances combined with the seaweed, such as mother-o'-
pearl, imitation mother-o'-pearl, ivory, ebonite, or other similar substance in
accordance with the style and kind of design to be worked out.
The other substances may be tinted, embossed, cut out, or shaped, in any way
that is best suited to the design; they are fixed to the mount or other surface by
the same process and at the same time as the seaweed.
Having described the nature of my invention and the manner of performing the
same, I would have it understood that I am aware of the employment of seaweed
and of its being stuck into books and upon sheets of paper as specimens of this
peculiar kind of vegetation for scientific and educational purposes, and this use of
seaweed and the usual method of placing it and sticking it into books or other
receptacles I disclaim, and declare that it is entirely separate and distinct from any
part of my invention. But what I claim is :-
1. The combination of operations which form the process indicated herein,
namely, the selection of the seaweed, the cutting out of the pieces with a pair of
scissors, the arrangement of the seaweed in somewhat similar style to that of
pieces of mosaic work, the washing of the pieces in distilled or rain water, the
pressing, drying, dipping in a solution of size, pressing again, sticking or fixing
with a solution of clear diamond cement or other cement which resists the action
of water and, finally, the powerful and continuous pressure when the whole design
is formed. In certain cases some of these operations may be dispensed with
providing the general principles of the process are adhered to, these general

page_text: principles being, the suitable shaping of the seaweed, the freeing it from sea salt,
and the use of size, water resisting cement and of powerful pressure at suitable
parts of the process, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
2. The combination of the seaweed as a basis, in the herein described designè,
with other substances such as mother-o'-pearl, imitation mother-o'-pearl, ivory,
ebonite or other similar substance, these other substances being fixed to the mount
or other surface by the same process and at the same time as the seaweed, substan-
tially as described and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ellen Jane Small, have hereto set my hand and
seal, this Eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and ninety-three.
ELLEN JANE SMALL.