Queen Anne's Gate Report

xx QUEEN ANNE’S GATE
London SW1
A Report on the Early Painted Schemes

Following an Examination
of the Paint on
Various Surfaces
Patrick Baty
12th August 2010

London SW1

of the Paint on
Various Surfaces
A BRIEF SYNOPSIS
Exterior
The external joinery appears to have been painted on seventy-one occasions since the house was
built in 1705. This suggests that the exterior was repainted on average every 4.2 years. Off-
white and pale stone colours have been used on each occasion.
Information provided by the paint suggests that the sashes were replaced soon after the Second
World War.
The overdoor of the doorcase was stripped at the end of the first half of the twentieth century or
possibly just before the War.
It seems that the narrow windows on the first and second floors of the front façade were bricked
up towards the end of the third quarter of the eighteenth century (i.e. ca.1750-75). It is possible
that the one on the ground floor was bricked up ca.1860-70.
Interior
The interior seems to have been painted on average once every ten years.
The colours and finishes that were used reflected those have been found when examining other
buildings of the same period. For the most part, stone and grey colours in their various forms
were employed in oil paint on all wooden surfaces. Dark browns and black were also found on
skirtings although the use of dark colours ceased by the early nineteenth century.
Many of the earlier schemes were given a superficial coat of oil glaze in order to provide a
shinier finish.
(Probably) in the first quarter of the nineteenth century a series of alterations were made:
a) The arch and door at the base of the stairs were inserted;
b) The front door was replaced;
c) The doors in the front room on the first floor were replaced / inserted;
1
d) The chimneypieces in the front and rear rooms on the second floor were inserted.
As far as the existence of a closet in the front room on the ground floor, it is possible either;
a) That a closet existed from the start and that the interior was painted on every occasion
that the room was painted until the early nineteenth century when it was not repainted for
about sixty years; or
b) That a closet did not exist until the early nineteenth century and that it was removed
about sixty years later.
The grained scheme in the front room on the first floor had been applied in the first quarter of the
twentieth century. The panelling that had been exposed recently in the NE corner of that room
displays late eighteenth century decoration.
The paint stratigraphy appears to be sound on the surfaces that were sampled. However, it must
be understood that many areas were wood grained at some stage and will have had several coats
of gloss varnish applied. As paint does not sit happily on varnish it is possible that overlying
layers might shear off if the surface is knocked. Short of sanding down through the varnish little
can be done about this.
2
London SW1

of the Paint on
Various Surfaces
Introduction
I was asked by Mr xxx xxx, of xxx Architects, to carry out an examination of the paint in various
areas of xx Queen Anne’s Gate, Westminster.
The purpose of the analysis was to establish what could be learnt of the earlier decorative
schemes and to make an assessment of the integrity of the paint layers.
Brief Background to the House1
The house was originally known as No. x Queen Square.2 Now No. xx Queen Anne’s Gate, it is
one of the earliest houses to be occupied and built in the square, the first occupant being recorded
in 1705.
The names of the occupiers of the house before 1840, according to the ratebooks, are as follows:
1705-18 Wm. Smith

1719-21 Nic. Lowndes
1722-23 Capt. Davenport
1724-30 Mary Price
1732-35 Lady Pickle
1736-41 Ric. Wallace
1744-59 Mrs. D’eath
1760-61 Mrs. Treasure
1763-72 James Random
1773-76 Mary Clinker
1777-79 William Fathom
1780 Phoebe Greaves
1782-88 Catherine Smollet
1789-95 Rev. Dr. H. Grantly
1
(Survey of London 1926, 116). Information also taken from the Historic Buildings Report prepared by xxx
Architects in May 2010.
2
It was still marked as such in John Rocque’s map of 1738 and listed as such in (Westminster Poll Book 1774,
1818 & 1841).
3
1797-1803 Wm. Bold
1806-22 Admiral Slope3
1825- Maria Harding4
In 1926 the house was occupied by the architect xx xxx. The freeholder at that time was
Mountvernon Estates Ltd.
After the Second World War planning permission was granted for Nos. xx and xx to be used as
offices and an opening was formed in the party wall. It is not known when this happened exactly,
but it is possible that the window sashes were replaced at the same time.
Areas Examined
Elements of the following areas were examined:
1) Ground Floor
a) Entrance Hall
b) Front Room
c) Rear Room
2) First Floor
a) Stairs and Landing
b) Front Room
c) Rear Room
3) Second Floor
a) Front Room
b) Rear Room
4) Exterior
Investigation of Samples
A total of 72 samples were taken by Patrick Baty during a number of visits made between May
and August 2010.
This report contains the following:
a) Appendix One - Photographs of the location of sampling;

b) Appendix Two - Photomicrographs of relevant cross-sections;
3
He appears as Henry Slope, Gentleman, in the Westminster Poll Book of 1818.
4 This was Ann Maria Harding of x Queen Square West, who was obviously still there in 1834 as she had a
counterpane stolen on 15th September of that year. Old Bailey Proceedings, 24th November 1834. Reference
Number: t18341124-115. http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?path=sessionsPapers%2F18341124.xml
4
c) Appendix Three - A list of the samples taken;
d) Appendix Four - Some pigments mentioned in the text;
e) Appendix Five – Graining;
f) Appendix Six - A Contemporary Account of House Painting Colours and Prices;
g) Appendix Seven - Some References To Dark Brown Doors and Skirtings;
h) Appendix Eight - Some information on the analysis techniques; and
i) Bibliography.
Limitations
Occasionally in this report an effort has been made to suggest possible dates for a number of the
schemes found during analysis. It is believed that to provide some sort of context for the
sequence of paint layers will be of more use than to offer no suggestion at all. Where dates have
been proposed they may have been based on a number of factors:
a) The position of a particular layer in relation to known events;

b) The occurrence of pigments with a known date of introduction;
c) The position of a scheme in the sequence of coatings applied to a surface (i.e. those applied
first will be earlier than those at the top). Often, by dividing the age of a surface by the number
of schemes applied to it, an approximate repainting cycle can be obtained;
Any dates given are indicative only, and there will be instances where these may be amiss by 10-
15 years or even longer.
Some Notes on Terminology
The following terms appear throughout the report.
Scheme A series of coats of paints usually applied within days of each other when
(re)decoration is carried out. A scheme in oil paint may consist of a primer
(initially), one or two undercoats and a top / finish coat
White A paint made up of a white pigment such as chalk, or lead white, with no visible
colouring matter (pigment) added. The overall effect would often have been of
an off-white due to the inherent yellowness of the pigment and / or the medium.
Off-White A paint consisting of a white pigment such as chalk, or lead white, with small
amounts of visible colouring matter (pigment) added. Sometimes, however, a
very small quantity of blue or black was added to a white paint to make it appear
“whiter” (i.e. to appear white). It is sometimes difficult to judge when pigment
was added to correct the inherent yellowness of some paints or to impart a slight
tint. At the other end of the scale the difference between an off-white and a pale
stone colour is minimal and, as a result, inconsistencies in description are likely
to occur.
5
Stone Colour A variety of colours ranging from off-whites to quite dark shades. Designed
(broadly) to resemble the colour of stone in its many forms (e.g. Bath stone or
Portland stone). The difference between a pale stone colour and an off-white is
minimal and, as a result, inconsistencies in description are likely to occur.
It is very difficult to interpret the depth of a colour when viewed as a cross-section under the
microscope. The large amount of light used to illuminate the sample combined with the
magnified detail causes distortion. The only way of getting a closer idea of the depth of colour is
to remove a small lump of the substrate, to carefully expose the relevant layer and to leave it
exposed to UV light for a period of time. This is not always practical, especially when sampling
a room in an inhabited building. For that reason a general description of the colour is given. By
definition this may sometimes be misleading. The rule of thumb is that colours are invariably
darker than they appear in a photomicrograph.5 If anything, the descriptions of the colours in this
report are likely to err on the paler side.
Summary of Findings
General
The evidence, in the form of the repainting cycle6 provided by a sample of paint from the external
cornice has enabled a reasonably precise date to be suggested for other elements and schemes on
the outside of the house. This information, where it can be linked with the interior, has led to
further suggestions for possible dates for the introduction and alteration of a number of interior
elements.
However, whilst the repainting cycle is very helpful for dating exterior schemes, where the
protective function of paint is necessary, it is less so for the interior. Although one can obtain a
very rough idea of the treatment of the interior at various stages any suggestion of a date must be
treated cautiously.
Detailed Analysis of Samples
5
(Baty 1995:1, 27-37) (http://bit.ly/v5zhF). (Baty 1996:2, 9-15) (http://bit.ly/10s8kc). As an indication of this
one might compare the photomicrograph of QAG/15 in Appendix Two with the photograph of the Ground Floor
front room – North wall, NE corner in Appendix One. What appears to be a dark green in the photograph seems
much paler (as the top layer) in the photomicrograph. See also QAG/68 in Appendix Two.
6
Although only intended as a rough guide to the dating of layers, this simple device of dividing the age of the
building by the number of schemes usually provides worthwhile information. This technique has been written about
in American technical publications (e.g. Doonan 1982, 27-29) but has also been dismissed as being unscientific by
other writers (Welsh 1986, 4-5).
6
Exterior
General
Samples were taken from these external surfaces:
1) Timber cornice;
2) Sash windows, and
3) The doorcase.
Timber Cornice
A ‘scab’ of paint that had fallen from the timber cornice was provided by one of the workmen on
site. In view of the apparent completeness it was prepared as a cross section and examined under
the microscope (see photograph and photomicrographs of QAG/65 in Appendix Two).
The sample was intact and although none of the timber substrate was attached the original red
oxide7 primer was present at the bottom of the first scheme. A total of seventy-one schemes can
be seen. If one assumes that the exterior of the building was last painted in about 2005 and if one
divides its age by the number of schemes it can be seen that the repainting cycle was
approximately 4.22 years.8
The first fifty-six schemes were carried out in a variety of stone colours (pale and darker) and off-
whites in paints based on lead white.9 The upper face of each is clearly marked by a thin layer of
dirt, which helps with the interpretation enormously. Two schemes of zinc-based10 paint can be
seen and these were followed by a sequence of paints based on a combination of zinc and
titanium dioxide11 initially and then on the latter pigment alone.
7
See Appendix Four for more information on this and other pigments.
8
(300 years divided by 71 schemes equals 4.22 years). This kind of redecoration cycle is exceptional and is
seldom encountered. The rear tripartite windows of Home House, in Portman Square, were found to have had a
repainting cycle of about 4 to 4.2 years between 1773 and 1985, while the front façade had one of about 4.8
years (Baty 1998:1, 5).
The railings of No 6 Fitzroy Square, London WC1, (built 1790-94) were found to have had a repainting cycle of
4.7 years (Baty 1996:1, passim).
A 6-7 year cycle is not unusual on buildings dating from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and this has been found
throughout the United Kingdom. See for example:
a) King Charles Block, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich (Baty 1995:2, 8);
b) 26-31 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh (Baty 2000:2, 15).
c) The Travellers’ Club (Baty 2008, 4). Although the terms of the lease would probably have stipulated a four
year cycle of decoration initially, as in that of the Athenaeum Club, next door, there is no evidence to
suggest that this was adhered to for very long.
9
Until the second half of the 20th century the main constituent of most architectural paints was lead carbonate, a
white compound derived from metallic lead. Throughout this report it is referred to as "lead white". See Appendix
Four.
10
Although introduced towards the end of the nineteenth century paints based on zinc oxide tended to be seen in
the first half of the twentieth century and up to the 1960s. See Appendix Four for some information on this
pigment. Marked as ZnO on photomicrographs.
11
See Appendix Four for some information on this pigment. Marked as TiO2 on photomicrographs.
7
It is particularly interesting to see that the last fifteen schemes reflect what has been found when
examining many London exteriors,12 notably:
a) The first occurrence of a paint based on pure titanium dioxide at the end of the 1960s /
beginning of the 1970s (scheme 62);
b) The use of zinc-based exterior paints in the years following the Second World War
(schemes 57-58);
c) The poor condition of the paint layer that was exposed during the Wartime years when
maintenance was not carried out (scheme 56); and
d) The lack of dirt on the upper face of those schemes applied after the introduction of the
Clean Air Act in 1956 (scheme 58+).
The paint layers applied to the external cornice are therefore a very accurate method of showing
us how the exterior joinery of the building had been painted at four-yearly+ intervals.
Fortunately this has also helped with the dating of some of the interior schemes as will be shown
below.
Sash Windows
A photograph of the exterior of Nos. 17 and 19 taken in 1886 shows the windows of 19 without
glazing bars but with sheets of plate glass.13 However, a watercolour of 1852 suggests that
glazing bars existed at that time.14 It is therefore thought that the plate glass must have been
introduced between 1852-1886.
The external face of the top sash of the centre window on the first floor was sampled (see
photomicrograph of QAG/38 in Appendix Two).
The wood was first painted with a zinc-based paint in an off-white colour. The second scheme
was identical. Three schemes of a cream colour in a paint based on a combination of zinc oxide
and titanium dioxide were next employed and the last ten schemes were based on titanium
dioxide alone. It will be remembered that exactly the same sequence was found as the upper
layers on the cornice and so this suggests that the sash was a replacement of the early 1950s.15
As will be seen below, the inside face of two sashes that were sampled also started with zinc-
based paint, which suggests that at least two were replaced in the 1950s.16
It appears from evidence provided by the old shutters for the narrow window on the second floor
that those window openings on the first and probably the second floors of the front façade were
bricked up when the seventh scheme in that room was applied. It is possible that this took place
towards the end of the third quarter of the eighteenth century (i.e. ca.1750-75) (see
12
This is all very similar to what was found on the front façade of the Travellers’ Club (Baty 2008, passim).
13
(email Baxter - Smyth 7th May 2010). Photo: Queen Anne’s Gate, ca.1886. 06/477 by Henry Dixon (1820-93)
Published by Society for Photographing Relics of Old London. http://bit.ly/d3Wlw0
14
See watercolour by T.H. Shepherd in Appendix One.
15
One imagines that the fitting of new windows became possible after the removal of building controls in
October 1954.
16
It is highly likely that all sashes were replaced at the same time, but further samples would be necessary to
establish this.
8
In view of the evidence provided by the possible closet in the front room on the ground floor it is
likely that the narrow window in that room was bricked up ca.1860-70.
The Doorcase
Two samples were taken from the overdoor of the doorcase. Both were found to display an
almost identical sequence to that on the sashes (see photomicrograph of QAG/53 in Appendix
Two). However, there is an extra zinc-based scheme at the bottom of the sequence and this has a
clearly defined layer of dirt on it. Careful examination of the substrate shows that the wood had
been stripped of paint in the ca.1940s, possibly even just before the War as traces of red oxide
(from the original primer) can be found (see photomicrograph of lower level of QAG/73 in
Appendix Two).
Interior
General
Approximately thirty separate schemes have been identified on the panelling of the entrance hall,
which suggests an average repainting cycle of about ten years.17 As far as other domestic London
houses of the same period are concerned it may be of interest to learn that the average repainting
cycle in the entrance hall of three other early eighteenth century interiors was as follows:
1) No 56 Artillery Lane, in Spitalfields, had a 7 year repainting cycle.18

2) Nos. 23 and 25 Brook Street (the houses occupied at one time by Jimi Hendrix and
George Frideric Handel) the average repainting cycle was 8 years.19
3) 36 Craven Street (the London house occupied by Benjamin Franklin from 1757-1762 &
1764-1772) was found to have been 8-9 years.20
Of course, this in itself means little, and the house is likely to have seen very different use. This
information is included to support the findings of the analysis and to show that the full sequence
survives on many of the painted surfaces.
The painted surfaces in the house were found to have been painted on between twenty-six and
thirty-three occasions. The Front Room on the ground floor seems to have been painted the most
often.
When one considers the number of decorative schemes that were encountered in the house a clear
17
Although one is tempted to append dates to individual interior schemes using the repainting cycle this can lead
to distortion as decoration was frequently based on fashion rather than necessity. Nonetheless, it can provide a
rough framework. When combined with matters of style a more accurate indication of date is possible.
18
(Baty 2006, 16). In the nineteenth century Spitalfields had seen a steady decline in wealth of the area. Even by
1807 some of the streets had been taken over by common lodging houses and much of the population was
classed as poor (Weinreb & Hibbert 1983, 808).
19
(Baty 2000:1, 9).
20
(Baty 1998:2, 12). It is appreciated that these buildings are in different parts of London, which may also have
some bearing on the frequency of decoration.
9
hierarchy becomes apparent. In common with the other houses of the same period, that are listed
above, the further up the building the fewer the number of decorative schemes:
Floor Area Approximate Number of Schemes

Ground Entrance Hall 31
Front Room 33
Rear Room 27
First Stairs 31
Front Room 20 (early 20th C scheme had been retained)
Second Front Room 26
Rear Room 26
The average repainting cycle was between nine and eleven years.
As expected, the colours and finishes that were used reflected those that have been found when
examining other buildings of the same period. For the most part, stone and grey colours in their
various forms were employed in oil paint on all wooden surfaces. Dark browns and black were
also found on skirtings although this ceased by the early nineteenth century when such a
treatment would have been considered old-fashioned.21
It was interesting to see how the first few schemes of paint on the panelling were given a thin
coat of oil glaze in order to provide a semi-gloss finish. In spite of modern notions of eighteenth
century practice, such a finish was considered highly desirable, as can be seen in the following
quote of 1723:
"Take notice also, That all simple Colours used in House

Painting, appear much more beautiful and lustrous, when they
appear as if glazed over with a Varnish to which both the drying
Oyl before-mentioned contributes very much, and also the Oyl of
Turpentine, that the Painters use to help to make their Colours dry soon..."22
It appears that the house had been extensively refurbished on at least two occasions - once in the
ca.1820s,23 and once in the immediate post-War period. Clearly other works have taken place.
Entrance Hall
The entrance hall has been painted on about thirty-one occasions.
Panelling
It seems that the wood in the entrance hall was primed initially with a thin size-bound wash of
red oxide (see photomicrographs of QAG/55 in Appendix Two). This form of primer has been
21
See Dr Bristow's comments on the move away from brown on skirtings (Bristow 1996, 1:131). See also Appendix
Seven.
22
(Smith 1723, 41). It is also appreciated that a shinier finish would have reflected light more.
23
This could have been when the house was occupied by Ann Maria Harding, who is known to have been there
between 1825 and at least 1834 and probably later.
10
seen before, notably on the original panelling of Nos. 23 and 25 Brook Street.24
An undercoat and then a top coat consisting of lead white with small amounts of yellow ochre
and charcoal black25 were applied. The overall effect was of a stone colour.26 A mid-sheen
finish would have been given by a lead white and linseed oil paint of the sort used here.
However, it does appear that the first few schemes had a thin layer of oil glaze applied to the
surface which would have given a semi-gloss finish.27
The second scheme was very similar, although the colour of the top coat seems to have been
slightly darker.
On the third time that the entrance hall was painted the colour was changed from a stone colour
to a grey of a type that would have been known as “Lead Colour”. 28 The paint was based on lead
white and tinted with charcoal black. A thin layer of oily glaze is visible on the upper face, once
again.
The lead colour was repeated twice more – the first being slightly darker than the second. No oil
glaze is apparent on either occasion although it has been found on equivalent schemes on the
staircase balustrade (see photomicrograph of QAG/72), where it was probably applied in order to
make those surfaces more wipeable.
The sixth and seventh schemes were slightly lighter and in paler stone colours.
Off-white /pale stone colour was used on five subsequent occasions, with a darker layer amongst
them. This darker layer is found throughout the house and is the scheme that is visible on the
recently exposed panelling in the NE corner of the front room on the first floor (see below and
photograph in Appendix One).
The thirteenth scheme is significant because it marks a period of change within the entrance hall.
At this point the arched door between the hall and the base of the stairs was inserted (see
photomicrograph of QAG/58 in Appendix Two and photograph in Appendix One). This has
been described as being of ca.1800 appearance, but may be twenty or so years later.29
The two subsequent schemes were much deeper and warmer – probably a salmon pink30 – and
24
These houses were examined as part of the restoration of the Handel House Museum, in 2000 (Baty 2000:1,
passim). A few years after this it was more normal to find timber being primed with a paint based on lead white
and containing sufficient red lead to speed up the drying time.
25
See Appendix Four.
26
Stone colour was one of the so-called ‘Common Colours’ in frequent use by the eighteenth century house-
painter. See Appendix Six for a contemporary account of house-painting practices.
27
See the photomicrographs in Appendix Two that have been labelled with “Glaze layer” for a clear illustration of
this. This finish was also found on the early layers in the Benjamin Franklin house, in Craven Street, where it has
been replicated (Baty 1998:2, 13). See quote above.
28
Lead colour was encountered when carrying out the analysis of the Handel House Museum and it is that colour
that has been reintroduced (Baty 2000:1, 1).
29
(xxx 2010, 9).
30
See note on Salmon pink below, which might support the suggestion that the previous scheme dates from the
ca.1820s.
11
these were followed by a yellowish pink in which can be seen particles of vermilion.31
The seventeenth scheme was noteworthy in that it was a grained one, which was protected by a
coat of varnish that is quite clear in cross section.32 The wood being imitated was not that dark
as the ground coat was a pale stone colour. This was obviously ‘carried over’ a couple of times
as it was given two further coats of varnish (see QAG/55).33 Its appearance at this time would
have been closer to a mid oak colour.
Three more schemes of pale stone-coloured paint on a lead white base can then be seen.
The twenty-second scheme is also significant because it was the first to have been applied in
paint based on zinc oxide. From information obtained from the painting of the window sashes it
is thought that this paint may have been applied in the 1950s. Two more zinc-based schemes
were employed before the first of the final sequence of five or six schemes of paint which were
based on titanium dioxide.
The lower wall appears to have been painted in the same manner as the upper wall except that it
seems that rather than having been grained a second time a further coat of varnish was applied on
top of the previous (re-varnished) graining (see photomicrograph of QAG/62 in Appendix
Two).34
Chair Rail
The chair rail has also been painted as the lower and upper wall (see photomicrograph of
QAG/56 in Appendix Two).
Front Door
It seems, from the paint layers, that the front door dates from the time when the entrance hall
underwent modifications and the arch was inserted. This work probably took place in the first
quarter of the nineteenth century.
Skirting
The skirting fascia, at least on the left hand side of the hall, is not original and appears to date
from the early twentieth century (see photomicrograph of QAG/57 in Appendix Two). It seems
to have been applied when the graining was replaced by paint. However, information provided
by the skirting on the first landing suggests that it might have been black originally and in very
dark colours until the end of the eighteenth century (see below) (compare photomicrographs of
QAG/57 and /48 in Appendix Two).35 It was interesting to note that the plinth block of the (later)
arch, that appears to have been inserted about thirty years later, was painted off-white originally.
31
See Appendix Four for some information on this pigment.
32
See Appendix Five for some information on graining.
33
By "carried over" is meant that while other elements were repainted, the woodwork was merely washed, and the
graining possibly repaired where necessary. In 1904, John Rea was quoting a price of 4d per square yard for
cleaning and touching up a grained scheme, compared to 1s 3d for a new oak scheme (Rea 1904, 348). It is worth
noting that rather than being carried over a second occasion, the door architrave to the rear room on the first floor
was re-grained (see photomicrograph of QAG/49 in Appendix Two).
34
Or at least this was the case with the area sampled.
35
See Appendix Seven for an account of dark skirting fasciae.
12
This was in the context of a black skirting fascia.
Staircase
The surfaces on the stairs seem to have been painted on about thirty-one occasions.
Samples taken from the panelling on the lower stairs and on the first floor landing show that the
treatment of the entrance hall has been extended up the stairs as one might have expected. Once
again, the wood was primed in the same manner as in the entrance hall, with a thin wash of red
oxide having been applied to the timber (see photomicrograph of QAG/44 in Appendix Two).
Panelling
The first scheme of a glazed stone colour was employed on the panelling; the window shutters
the doors and on the architraves (see photomicrographs of QAG/64 and /49 in Appendix Two).
As far as the panelling was concerned, subsequent schemes appear to have been very similar to
those found in the entrance hall, with a sequence of stone colours (pale and darker); salmon
pinks; off-whites and wood graining. Throughout the building’s existence the panel beds and
their surrounds have been painted in the same way.
The shutters on the first half landing have been painted as the wall panelling (see
Skirting
The skirting fascia on the first floor landing (and probably on the ground floor, as well) was
painted black originally (see photomicrograph of QAG/48 in Appendix Two).36 A deep
yellowish brown replaced this, which in turn was succeeded by a sequence of red-brown and
blacks. It appears that it was first treated as the panelling (in a pale stone colour, in this case) at
the end of the eighteenth / beginning of the nineteenth centuries.
The skirting has been painted as the panelling on most subsequent occasions. Black has been
used recently and was also employed as part of the scheme that related to the insertion of the
arched door at the base of the stairs.
Door Architrave
The architrave to the door of the rear room on the first floor was painted in the stone colour of the
panelling on the first two occasions that this area was painted (see photomicrographs of QAG/49
in Appendix Two).
A dull dark green that was composed of yellow ochre and charcoal black was employed on the
third occasion – within the context of lead-coloured panelling. A deep reddish brown was
applied on the fourth occasion, once again this sat alongside lead colour on the panelling.37
The remaining schemes were almost identical to those on the panelling, although it is worth
36
See Appendix Seven for some information on the use of dark colours on skirtings and doors.
37
This has also been found in No. 25 Brook Street, the Handel House Museum (Baty 2000:1, passim).
13
noting that when the graining was carried over for the second time in the entrance hall the
architrave was re-grained.
Door
The door on the first floor landing that leads into the front room was thought to be an early
survival. The side facing the stairs was sampled but it appears that it was introduced as part of
the early nineteenth century refurbishment (see photomicrograph of QAG/69 in Appendix Two
and photograph in Appendix One). Comparison of the cross section with that taken from the
arch in the entrance hall shows a near identical stratigraphy (see /58).
The first scheme applied to the door was an off-white. No indication of red oxide having been
used to prime the wood was found.
In recent years the stair-side of the door has been boarded over and comparison with a cross
section taken from the panelling on the first floor landing shows the level at which that happened
(compare photomicrographs of QAG/69 with /44). The last scheme on the door was in a paint
based on titanium dioxide, which suggests that the boarding-over took place at some point from
the 1960s onwards.
It is understood that other doors to the stairs have been replaced.
Staircase Balustrade
A newel post, baluster and the handrail were examined in order to establish their treatment.
The newel post and baluster were found to display an identical sequence of coatings (see
QAG/72). Furthermore, comparison of the samples taken from the newel post with those from
the panelling on the stairs shows that until relatively recent years the two surfaces were painted in
the same manner (see QAG/72 and /44 in Appendix Two). It was interesting to see that a thin
layer of oil glaze was applied to the early paints on the newel post and balustrade, presumably in
order to make them more wipeable.
The handrail was sampled beside the newel post on the first half landing. Only two coats of
tinted varnish could be seen. These are thought to be of twentieth century type.
Ground Floor – Front Room

The front room on the ground floor has been painted on about thirty-three occasions.
Panelling
The wood was primed in the same manner as the entrance hall and stairs – a thin coat of size-
bound red oxide was brushed onto the wood (see photomicrograph of QAG/2 in Appendix Two).
After a lead-based undercoat a finish coat in a stone colour was applied and this was followed by
a thin layer of oil glaze, as described above.
The second scheme was slightly darker and displays a greater amount of yellow ochre and carbon
black pigment. This was also given a superficial layer of oil glaze as was the third scheme,
14
which was almost identical.
Two schemes of lead colour can next be seen and these appear to be very similar to the two
employed on the staircase at the same time.38 It is thought that these two schemes may have been
visible during the second half of the eighteenth century.39 There were a number of times that
schemes employed in the front room on this floor related to those on the staircase.
A dull dark green composed of yellow ochre and charcoal black – an olive green – was employed
next. This colour had been revealed by the rudimentary exposure on the panel bed of the
chimneybreast.40 A very similar colour has already been found as the third scheme on a door
architrave on the first floor (see above), but it is unlikely that these are contemporary. The use of
this colour is slightly curious at this time as it is generally understood that there was a tendency to
adopt paler colours from the 1730s/40s.41
This use of such a dark colour in the room was not repeated, other than the brown that was
applied towards the end of the century and which can be seen on the newly-exposed panelling in
the front room on the first floor (see photograph in Appendix One). It can be seen that it was
replaced quite quickly by a stone colour. It is known that the dark green was a short-lived
scheme because of the number of ‘extra’ schemes that can be found in this room when compared
to those on the staircase (four compared to two).42
Pale colours, mainly stones and greys, were employed until probably the second quarter of the
nineteenth century when the salmon pinks43 that have also been found on the staircase were
introduced. It is only in recent years that the panelling has been picked out in two colours.
There have been a number of alterations in this room, notably with the chair rail (see QAG/5 in
Appendix Two). It is also clear that something has been fitted to the lower wall to the right of the
R/H window as an area of a dark green can be seen – see photograph in Appendix One and
photomicrograph of QAG/15 in Appendix Two. This probably took place in the 1960s as the
dark green is a paint based on a mix of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
A comparison of two samples – one from the panel bed on the window wall (QAG/2) and the
other from the NE alcove (QAG/14) suggests that the alcove had not been painted for many
years. It seems that a closet might have been formed in the alcove. The photomicrograph of
38
Although a glaze layer cannot be seen on the paint in the ground floor room at this time it does appear on the
corresponding paint on the staircase balustrade, where the more wipeable finish that it presented would have
been of practical use (see QAG/72).
39
The house at No 25 Brook Street that was occupied by George Frideric Handel was also painted in a lead
colour at this time (Baty 2000:1, passim).
40
See photograph in Appendix One.
41
The change from dark colours to paler ones has been observed on a number of early eighteenth century
houses, notably Wxxx, in Wiltshire (Baty 2000:3, passim) and Newhailes, in East Lothian (Baty 1998:3,
passim). However, this fashion may have been slow to be adopted.
42
It is the subsequent use of salmon colours and graining that enable these comparisons to be made.
43
In the 1840s David Ramsay Hay, House Painter and Decorator to the Queen, wrote: “During one season
salmon colour, as it is called, reigns supreme; then sage green succeeds salmon; drab follows sage or slate; and
then all varieties of crimson put out the drabs.” (Hay 1847, 63-4). Small particles of vermilion can be seen in the
stratigraphy (see Appendix Four for more details).
15
QAG/2 shows at what stage the alcove was not painted. There are two ways of interpreting this
information:
c) That a closet existed from the start and that the interior was painted on every occasion
that the room was painted until the early nineteenth century when it was not repainted for
about sixty years;44 or
d) That a closet did not exist until the early nineteenth century and that it was removed
about sixty years later.
A watercolour of part of the façade and dated 1852 exists (see Appendix One). In this the narrow
window in the room is clearly shown. This may suggest that the closet was lit by the window,
which might have been blocked up when the closet was removed ca.1860-70.
A sample was taken from the panel bed on the chimneybreast wall to see if there was any
evidence of applied decoration / a painting. There is no indication of either (see photomicrograph
of QAG/20 in Appendix Two).
The panelling on the partition between this room and the entrance hall dates from the twentieth
century.
Skirting
In common with that on the staircase very dark colours were employed on the skirting fascia on
the first ten or so occasions – probably until the end of the eighteenth century. The colours
ranged from black through red-brown to yellow-browns (see photomicrographs of QAG/18 in
Appendix Two).45 The pigments employed were largely black, yellow ochre, red ochre and red
lead.46
Shutters and Windows

A sample taken from the L/H shutter of the R/H window suggests that it is not original (see
photomicrograph of QAG/26 in Appendix Two). Comparison with other elements shows when it
was introduced (see QAG/ 2; /3; /14 & /20) and it is thought that this might have been at the end
of the eighteenth century. The first scheme on the shutters was the dark layer found throughout
the building and on the newly-exposed panelling in the corner of the first floor front room (see
photograph in Appendix One).
The sashes are certainly known to have been introduced after 1886.47 However, using the
evidence provided by the paint on the external cornice it is now possible to conclude that at least
two of them were replaced in the 1950s. The first scheme was in a zinc-based paint that was
applied over a lead-based ‘pink’ primer48 (see photomicrograph of QAG/25 in Appendix Two).
44
A document dated 1726 refers to the house “having three storeys with two rooms and a closet on each floor”.
The rear rooms certainly do show evidence of having had a closet – perhaps that is what was meant (Survey of
London 1926, 116).
45
An example of the sort of colour employed can be seen in the photograph of the recently revealed panelling in
the front room of the first floor in Appendix One.
46
See Appendix Four for more details.
47
(email Baxter - Smyth 7th May 2010).
48
This sort of primer is characteristic of the early 1960s (Holloway 1961, 1:87).
16
It appears from evidence provided by the old shutters for the narrow window on the second floor
that those window openings on the first and second floors of the front façade were bricked up
when the seventh scheme in that room was applied. It is possible that this took place towards the
end of the third quarter of the eighteenth century (i.e. ca.1750-75) (see photomicrograph of
QAG/52 in Appendix Two). This bricking-up may relate to the introduction of the L/H shutter of
the R/H window as the two events seem to have taken place at a similar time. As has been
mentioned, the narrow window on the ground floor was still open in 1852 (see watercolour in
Appendix One) and may have existed until the closet in the front room was removed – ca.1860-
70.
Ground Floor – Rear Room

As it had been suggested that the chimneypiece in this room might be a later addition samples of
the paint were taken from both it and the panelling.
The sample from the panelling shows that this room was not painted as frequently as the front
room on the ground floor although there are a number of schemes shared with other rooms (see
photomicrograph of QAG/51 in Appendix Two). Approximately twenty-seven schemes have
been identified.
The first scheme was a dark lead colour that was applied over a very thin wash of red oxide in a
size medium. Comparison with the sample taken from the chimneypiece (QAG/50) shows quite
clearly that it displays the same sequence of coatings and that the initial scheme was also a dark
lead colour. There is no doubt that the chimneypiece is an original feature and has always been
in this room.
The dark scheme that has been revealed in the front room of the first floor is also evident in this
room, but here it is the seventh. On the stairs the dark scheme is the ninth and in the front room
of the ground floor it is the eleventh. The suggestion is that this rear room was not decorated as
frequently as the others. It was also noticed that ovolo mouldings were used in the front rooms
while rear rooms had simple plain panelling – another expression of hierarchy.
Another similarity with other rooms is the use of two schemes of salmon pink in the first half of
the nineteenth century.
First Floor – Front Room

This room had been “…transformed in the late 19th or early 20th century into a gentleman’s
library and picture gallery.”49
Analysis has established that many of the decorative schemes relate to those found on the stairs
and in the ground floor front room. A total of twenty schemes were revealed, but the last of these
seems to have been a grained one that survived from the first quarter of the twentieth century.
49
(xxx 2010, 10).
17
Having already taken the paint samples from this room it was discovered that earlier panelling
had been uncovered in the NE corner (see photograph in Appendix One). A return visit was
made and samples taken of the panelling and skirting fascia in that area.
Panelling
By the time that the initial samples were taken the panelling had been well rubbed-down prior to
redecoration (see photographs in Appendix One). However, sufficient evidence remained to be
able to identify all the decorative schemes that had been applied (see photomicrograph of
QAG/28 in Appendix Two).
The panelling had originally been primed with red oxide, as was found to be the case in the other
rooms. The first scheme was a stone-coloured one.
Stone colour was also employed on all elements of the panelling (except for the skirting fascia)
on the second occasion that the room was decorated.
Lead colour was applied on the third occasion. It will be remembered that this pattern was also
found in the entrance hall and stairs – two stone colours followed by a lead colour.
The fourth scheme, however, was a dark green – an olive colour. This same colour has also been
found on the panelling in the front room of the ground floor and on the door architrave on the
first floor landing, but at a slightly different stage.50
Four subsequent schemes of stone colours can next be seen and these were followed by a pale
stone first coat on top of which was a thin dark brown layer.51 It is this ninth scheme that has
been revealed in the NE corner (see photograph in Appendix One and photomicrograph of
QAG/68 in Appendix Two). This scheme was much darker than most of the other ones and has
been found in a number of the other rooms, for example - in the ground floor front room
(QAG/2); the ground floor rear room (QAG/50); the stairs (QAG/44) and the entrance hall
(QAG/62). From its position in the stratigraphy it is thought that this dark scheme would have
been applied at the end of the eighteenth century.
Lighter stone colours were employed on the next four occasions and then the familiar salmon
pink schemes can be seen in cross section.
In the second half of the nineteenth century the panelling was grained in imitation of wood (see
photomicrograph of QAG/30 in Appendix Two). This has also been found at the same level
elsewhere in the house. The window seat below the centre window was also grained at this time
(see photomicrograph of QAG/36 in Appendix Two).
The graining on the panel surrounds was carried over a couple of times by being given a coat of
varnish. However, the window seat was re-grained and subsequently painted brown (compare
QAG/30 and QAG/36). Presumably this was necessary because it would have received more
50
This early sequence is well illustrated in the photomicrograph of QAG/36 in Appendix Two).
51
This dark layer is curiously thin and the exposed panelling seems to display an almost translucent surface.
Whilst not a glaze, perhaps the intention was to suggest wood? Realistic imitations of wood grain became
fashionable from the late 1820s and continued throughout the nineteenth century. This was certainly earlier.
18
wear and tear.
The existing graining was the twentieth scheme to have been applied in the room and probably
dates from the first quarter of the twentieth century. It seems likely that it relates to the
occupation of the house by xxxxxxx.
Both the panel beds and the panel surrounds had been painted in the same way whenever the
room was decorated.
Skirting
The skirting fascia in the SE corner was sampled and only found to display the last four
decorative schemes that were applied in the room (see photomicrograph of QAG/33). It is
thought that this element dates from the last quarter of the nineteenth century. However, the area
of exposed panelling in the NE corner shows how the skirting was painted initially (see
photomicrograph of QAG/67).
A dark brown paint consisting of red ochre and black with a little lead white was applied when
the skirting was first painted. Similar coloured paints were employed on the subsequent eight
occasions and the exposed scheme indicates the sort of depth of colour used.
Doors
The stair side of the door leading to the landing was found to date from the early nineteenth
century refurbishment and it seems likely that the double doors also date from that time.
Window
The sashes were replaced at the same time as those on the ground floor, probably soon after the
Second World War (see photomicrograph of QAG/37 in Appendix Two). The narrow window
had been bricked up by 1852 (see watercolour in Appendix One).
Second Floor – Front Room

Following a request to carry out an analysis of two of the chimneypieces on the second floor a
further visit was made to the house.52
In order to put the paint layers on the chimneypiece in context a sample was also taken from the
panelling on the east wall (see photomicrograph of QAG/40 in Appendix Two).
The first scheme on the panelling was a stone colour as was the second. Lead colour was then
employed on the next two occasions. It will be remembered that the same sequence was
encountered on the panelling of the entrance hall and stairs (see above).
Subsequent schemes have some similarities with those in other areas of the house – stone
colours; greens and salmon pink all having been employed at various times.
Most of the paints applied to the chimneypiece appear to have been off-white or pale stone-
52
(email Smyth – Baty 27th May 2010).
19
coloured (see photomicrograph of QAG/39 in Appendix Two). There appear to be about thirteen
or fourteen separate schemes, the first of which relates to the scheme before the salmon pink
scheme. This suggests that the chimneypiece might date from the end of the first quarter of the
nineteenth century – possibly when other alterations were taking place in the house.
Narrow Window
While in the room it was noticed that the panelling that had been used to cover the blocked-up
narrow window was constructed from the original shutters for that window (see photograph in
Appendix One). This was thought to be important as it might shed light on the bricking-in of the
windows.
A sample was taken from the reverse of the original shutter and found to display six decorative
schemes (see photomicrograph of QAG/52). These schemes were identical to those found on the
panelling – two stone colours, two lead colours and then a further two stone colours. This
suggests that the window in this room (and probably the one on the first floor) was bricked up in
the third quarter of the eighteenth century.
Second Floor – Rear Room

A sample was taken from the chimneypiece and also the panelling on the east wall in order to
learn something of the date of its insertion.
The panelling was painted in exactly the same manner as the front room initially. The first two
schemes were in stone colour and then two more in lead colour followed by two more in stone
colour (see photomicrograph of QAG/42 in Appendix Two).
The remaining schemes on the panelling were pale stones and off whites, although the salmon
and green schemes that were found in the front room were also employed.
The chimneypiece was initially painted in a pale stone colour (see photomicrograph of QAG/41
in Appendix Two). The same colour was employed on the second occasion and then green was
used – the same green that was applied to the panelling after the salmon colour.
As the following (fourth) scheme on the chimneypiece was a grained one and as this follows the
salmon scheme both in this room and elsewhere in the building (for example on the panelling of
the stairs – see QAG/44) it seems that this chimneypiece might have been installed at the end of
the first quarter of the nineteenth century – probably at the same time as the one in the front
room. When compared with the sample from the arched doorway in the entrance hall (QAG/58)
one is tempted to say that the chimneypieces were installed at the same time.
Recommendations
It is not known at this stage what the intention is as far as the re-decoration of the house. As the
building has undergone certain changes it may not be realistic to try to recreate one of the
eighteenth century schemes. The elements introduced in the first quarter of the nineteenth
20
century might not sit well with some of the colours of a hundred years before.
Consistently, single colours have been used on most surfaces in each room - the notable
exception being the skirting fasciae. On many occasions the whole house has been painted
uniformly – or all but. This was very much the pattern for panelled houses of the early eighteenth
century.
In view of the preponderance of stone-coloured schemes my recommendation would be that such

a colour be adopted throughout the house. A black skirting fascia might be considered in the
entrance hall and stairs.
The paint stratigraphy appears to be sound on the surfaces that were sampled. However, it must
be understood that many areas were wood grained at some stage and will have had several coats
of gloss varnish applied. As paint does not sit happily on varnish it is possible that overlying
layers might shear off if the surface is knocked. Short of sanding down through the varnish little
can be done about this.
Patrick Baty BA (Hons) FSA Scot FRSA

12th August 2010
Papers and Paints Ltd.
4 Park Walk
London SW10 0AD
21
APPENDIX ONE
LOCATION OF SAMPLING
55
63
54
56
58
62 60
57
Entrance Hall: Arched Door to Base of Stairs
22
43
44
45 49
46
47
48
Panelling Architrave
64
Staircase
Shutter
23
2
1
Ground Floor: Front Room

3 NW Corner
11
10
Ground Floor: Front Room 21
North Wall - Centre
9 25
26
5
7
6
8
24
10
11
7 Ground Floor: Front Room

North Wall - Centre
6
16

North Wall - NE Corner 15
17
Exposed 1960s+ scheme 18
25
NE Corner
24
14
12
13
20

Chimneybreast
19
Exposure
26
51
Ground Floor: Rear Room. Chimneybreast
27
34
31
32 29
28
27
30
&
35
33
First Floor: Front Room. SE Corner
28
37
38
36
First Floor: Front Room. North Wall
39
52
40
Second Floor: Front Room. East Wall
29
41
42
Second Floor: Rear Room. Chimneypiece
65 & 66
38
53
53
73
73
Exterior: Doorcase Exterior: Cornice
30
40
Second Floor: Front Room – Dark Green
31
1st & 2nd floors:
Narrow windows
have been
blocked up
Ground floor:
Narrow
window prior
to blocking up
Note also
Glazing bars
Queen Anne’s Gate

T.H. Shepherd 1852
32
APPENDIX TWO
PHOTOMICROGRAPHS
Existing
TiO2
Zinc oxide
2x re-varnish
Graining
Salmon pink
Hall door here Dark layer
3rd lead colour Stone colours
1st lead colour
2nd stone
1st stone
Photomicrograph of QAG/55 (upper layers) (x200 digitally reduced)

Ground Floor: Entrance Hall - Panelling on LHS. Upper wall. 2nd stile from SE corner
33
1st lead colour Yellow ochre
Glaze layer
Red lead
st
1 stone
Glaze layer
Red oxide
Wood
Photomicrograph of QAG/55 (lower layers) (x500 digitally enlarged)

Ground Floor: Entrance Hall - Panelling on LHS. Upper wall. 2nd stile from SE corner
Graining
Vermilion
Yellowish pink
Salmon Pinks
1st off-white
NB No obvious red oxide

Wood
Photomicrograph of QAG/58 (lower layers) (x500 digitally enlarged)

Ground Floor: Entrance Hall - Arched doorway. Plinth block on LHS
34
Existing
TiO2
Zinc
Re-varnishing
Graining
Salmon pinks
Dark layer
1st lead colour
Glaze layer
2nd stone Red lead
Glaze layer
1st stone
Red oxide Wood
Photomicrographs of QAG/62 (x200 & x500 digitally altered)

Ground Floor: Entrance Hall - Panelling LHS. Lower panel bed next to arch to back of stairs
35
1st lead colour
Glaze layer
on 2nd stone
Glaze layer
on 1st stone
Wood
Photomicrograph of QAG/56 (lower layers only) (x500 digitally reduced)

Ground Floor: Entrance Hall - Panelling on LHS. Chair rail
Existing
TiO2
Zinc
Pale brown
Wood
NB No obvious red oxide
Photomicrograph of QAG/57 (x200 digitally enlarged)

Ground Floor: Entrance Hall - Skirting fascia on LHS
36
Existing
NB
last layer on first
floor door (/69)
TiO2
Zinc
Graining
Re-varnish
Dark layer
3rd lead colour 1st lead colour
Split
1st stone
Red lead Charcoal black
2nd stone
Yellow ochre
Red oxide Wood

Staircase: First Floor Landing. Upper wall panelling
37
Black
Black
TiO2
Zinc
Black
Graining
Salmon pinks
Brown
layers
Brown
1st black Wood
Photomicrograph of QAG/48 (x200)

Staircase: First Floor Landing. Skirting fascia
38
Existing
TiO2
Zinc oxide
Re-grain
Graining
Salmon pink
Dark layer
Dark green
Red brown
Split
2nd stone
1st stone
Red oxide
Wood

Staircase: First Floor Landing. Door architrave to rear room
39
Existing
TiO2
Zinc
Graining
Dark layer
1st lead colour
Split
1st stone Red oxide
Wood

Staircase: 1st half landing. R/H shutter. Outer face
40
Existing
Green 2
Zinc
Graining
Existing sashes introduced here

post War
Pink
Green 1
Closet removed here?
Salmon pink
Closet formed here?
Dark layer
Existing shutters introduced here
Split
Dark green
2 x lead colours
1st stone
Photomicrograph of QAG/2 (upper layers) (x200 digitally altered)

Ground Floor: Front Room. Window wall. Panel bed to LHS of L/H window
41
2nd lead colour
st
1 lead colour
3rd stone
Glaze layer
Yellow ochre
2nd stone
Carbon black
Glaze layer 1st stone
Red oxide
Wood
Photomicrograph of QAG/2 (lower layers) (x500 digitally altered)

Ground Floor: Front Room. Window wall. Panel bed to LHS of L/H window
Lead colour
Dark green
2 x lead colours
3rd stone
1st stone
Wood
Red oxide
Photomicrograph of QAG/3 (lower layers) (x500 digitally altered)

Ground Floor: Front Room. Window wall. Panel Moulding - bed to LHS of L/H window
42
Existing
Green 2
Zinc

post War Green 1
Black
Vermilion
Salmon pink
Dark layer Existing shutters introduced here
Dark green
1st lead colour
Photomicrograph of QAG/3 (upper layers) (x200 digitally altered)

Ground Floor: Front Room. Window wall. Panel Moulding - bed to LHS of L/H window
43
Existing
Green 2
TiO2
& ZnO
Wood Zinc
Photomicrograph of QAG/5 (x500 digitally altered)

Ground Floor: Front Room. Panel between windows. Chair rail 33cm from R/H side
Green 2
TiO2
& ZnO Zinc
Green 1 Graining
Salmon pink
Dark layer
Photomicrograph of QAG/15 (upper layers) (x200 digitally reduced)

Ground Floor: Front Room. Lower wall to RHS of R/H window. Panel bed. Exposed green
44
Existing
Green 2
TiO2
& ZnO
Zinc

post War
Black
Green 1
Salmon pink
Red brown
Yellow brown
Photomicrograph of QAG/18 (upper layers) (x200 digitally enlarged)

Ground Floor: Front Room. Window wall. Skirting fascia to RHS of R/H window
45
Yellow brown
Red brown
1st brown
Red oxide
on wood
Photomicrograph of QAG/18 (lower layers) (x500)
Ground Floor: Front Room. Window wall. Skirting fascia to RHS of R/H window
3rd stone
2nd stone
1st stone
Red oxide
Wood
Photomicrograph of QAG/14 (lower layers) (x500)

Ground Floor: Front Room. Upper wall. Panel bed 38cm from RHS
46
Existing
Green 2
TiO2
& ZnO Zinc

post War
Green 1
Dark
Existing shutters introduced here layer
Dark green
2nd lead colour
1st lead colour
Split
Photomicrograph of QAG/14 (upper layers) (x200)

Ground Floor: Front Room. Upper wall. Panel bed 38cm from RHS
47
Dark layer
Existing shutters introduced here
Dark green
2 x lead colours
2 stone colours
Photomicrograph of QAG/20 (mid layers) (x200)

Ground Floor: Front Room. Chimneybreast. Panel bed lower LHS
48
Existing
Green 2
TiO2
& ZnO
Zinc

post War
Graining
Salmon pinks
Dark layer
Split

Ground Floor: Front Room. R/H window. L/H shutter – outer face
49
Existing
Green 2
TiO2 &
ZnO
Zinc
Zinc
Pink primer
Wood (lead-based)
Photomicrographs of QAG/25 (x200 & x500)

Ground Floor: Front Room. R/H window. Lower sash – bottom rail
50
Existing
Salmon pinks
Dark layer
Lead colour
Split
Lead colour
Red oxide
Wood

Ground Floor: Rear Room. Chimneypiece. L/H upright
51
Existing
Salmon pinks
Dark layer
Split
Lead colour
Wood Red oxide

Ground Floor: Rear Room. Chimneybreast. RHS. 20cm above level of mantel
52
Graining
(later layers
abraded)
Salmon pink
Dark layer Exposed scheme (see QAG/68)
Dark green
Lead colour
2nd stone
1st stone
Split
Red lead
1st stone
Wood
Photomicrographs of QAG/28 (x200 & x500 digitally enlarged)

First Floor: Front Room. S wall. SE corner. Panel bed above chair rail
53
Existing
graining
Re-varnish Graining
Salmon pinks
Dark layer
Dark green
Lead colour
2nd stone
1st stone

First Floor: Front Room. S wall. SE corner. Lower wall, stile between 1st and 2nd panels
Existing graining
Graining
Graining
Wood

First Floor: Front Room. S wall. SE corner. Skirting fascia
54
Existing
Graining
Graining
Salmon pinks
Exposed scheme (see QAG/68)

Dark layer
Dark green
Lead colour
2nd stone
Dark green
Lead colour
2nd stone
1st stone
Red oxide
Wood
Photomicrographs of QAG/36 (x200 & x500 digitally enlarged)

First Floor: Front Room. N wall. Window seat below centre window
55
Existing
TiO2
TiO2
&
ZnO
Zinc

First Floor: Front Room. N wall. Centre window. Top sash. Inside face
1st lead colour

2nd lead colour
2nd stone
1st stone
Red oxide Wood

Second Floor: Front Room. East wall. SE corner. Upper wall. Rail above chair rail
56
Existing
Zinc
Green
Salmon pink
Chimneypiece
installed here
1st lead colour
Split
1st stone
Photomicrograph of QAG/40 (x200 digitally enlarged)

Second Floor: Front Room. East wall. SE corner. Upper wall. Rail above chair rail
57
13th Existing
10th
9th TiO2
8th zinc
7th
5th 6th -Zinc
4th 3rd
2nd
Wood 1st
Second Floor: Front Room. Neo-classical chimneypiece. Mantel LHS
Existing
2nd lead colour
1st lead colour
Glaze layer
2nd stone
1st stone
Red oxide
Wood

Second Floor: Front Room. NE corner. Old narrow shutters nailed together
58
Existing
TiO2
Zinc
Green
Salmon
Stone colours
2nd stone
1st lead colour
Red oxide
1st stone Wood
Photomicrographs of QAG/42 (x200 & x500 digitally adjusted)

Second Floor: Rear Room. Wall to RHS of chimneypiece
59
Existing
TiO2
Zinc
Graining
Graining
Green
1st stone
Wood Red oxide
Photomicrographs of QAG/41 (x200 & x500 digitally adjusted)

Second Floor: Rear Room. Chimneypiece. Mantel RHS
60
Existing
TiO2
TiO2 &
ZnO
Zinc
Dirt
Wood

Exterior: Doorcase. LHS upper fascia
61
Existing
TiO2
TiO2
&
ZnO
Zinc
Split

Exterior: First Floor. Front Room. N wall. Centre window. Top sash. Outside face
62
Existing TiO2 Compare with /44
(later boarded to see missing
over) layers
Zinc
Grained
1st off-white
Grained Split
TiO2
Grained
Salmon pinks
1st off-white
Wood NB no obvious red oxide

First Floor: Landing. Outer face of door to front room. Hinge style
63
Existing
TiO2 Grained
Grained
Salmon pinks
3rd lead colour
1st lead colour
2nd stone colour

1st stone colour
3rd lead colour
Glaze layer 2nd lead colour
1st lead colour
2nd stone colour
Glaze layer
1st stone colour
Wood

Staircase. Newel post on 1st half landing
64
Existing
(exposed)
scheme
stone stone
stone
stone
Yellow ochre
Olive green
Split
Lead colour
2nd stone
1st stone
Wood Red oxide
Photomicrographs of QAG/68 (x500)

First Floor: Front Room - E wall. NE corner. Lower wall panel
65
1st scheme
Wood
Red oxide

First Floor: Front Room - E wall. NE corner. Skirting fascia
Dirt layer
1st pale stone

Exterior: Timber Cornice (lower layers)
66
TiO2
TiO2 + ZnO
WWII
Zinc Dirt
Poor
maintenance
and dirt +
WW2
Upper layers
Photomicrographs of QAG/65 Exterior: Timber Cornice
Dark layer
‘Scab’ of paint from timber cornice
1st scheme
67
Original
undercoat
Red oxide
Wood
Later paint
Red oxide
Original
undercoat

Exterior: Doorcase – lower layer
68
APPENDIX THREE
CROSS SECTIONS MADE
Cross sections in bold have been photographed and appear in Appendix Two.
Ground Floor – Front Room

QAG/1 Window wall. R/H stile of panel to LHS of L/H window 30cm above chair rail
QAG/2 Window wall. Panel bed to LHS of L/H window 30cm above chair rail
QAG/3 Window wall. R/H panel moulding to LHS of L/H window 30cm above chair rail
QAG/4 Window wall. Chair rail to LHS of L/H window
QAG/5 Window wall. Panel between windows. Chair rail 33cm from R/H side
QAG/6 Window wall. Panel between windows. Chair rail 14cm from L/H side
QAG/7 Window wall. Rail below chair rail. 53cm from LHS
QAG/8 Window wall. Lower panel below chair rail. 53cm from LHS
QAG/9 Window wall. Upper wall. Rail above chair rail. 53cm from LHS
QAG/10 Window wall. Upper wall. Panel bed. 53cm from LHS
QAG/11 Window wall. Upper wall. Panel bed. 17cm from LHS
QAG/12 E wall. NE corner. Upper wall. Rail above chair rail 38cm from RHS
QAG/13 E wall. NE corner. Chair rail 38cm from RHS
QAG/14 E wall. NE corner. Upper wall. Panel bed 38cm from RHS
QAG/15 Window wall. Lower wall to RHS of R/H window. Panel bed. Exposed green
previously covered over
QAG/16 Window wall. Lower wall to RHS of R/H window. Rail below chair rail.
Exposed green previously covered over
QAG/17 Window wall. Lower wall to RHS of R/H window. Panel bed to RHS of exposed
green
QAG/18 Window wall. Skirting fascia to RHS of RH window
QAG/19 Chimneybreast. Panel moulding lower LHS
QAG/20 Chimneybreast. Panel bed lower LHS
QAG/21 R/H window. L/H shutter. Inner face (aged paint)
QAG/22 Blockboard panelling from wall adjacent to Entrance Hall
QAG/23 Door. Architrave. RHS
QAG/24 Bead on LHS of chimneybreast. 68cm above chair rail
QAG/25 RH window. Lower sash – bottom rail
QAG/26 RH window. LH shutter – outer face
Ground Floor – Rear Room

QAG/50 Chimneypiece. L/H upright
QAG/51 Chimneybreast. RHS. 20cm above level of mantel on return of SE corner
69
APPENDIX THREE (continued)
Ground Floor – Entrance Hall

QAG/54 Arched door between hall and base of stairs. LH architrave
QAG/55 Panelling on LHS. Upper wall. 2nd stile from SE corner
QAG/56 Panelling on LHS. Chair rail
QAG/57 Skirting fascia on LHS
QAG/58 Arched doorway. Plinth block on LHS
QAG/59 Inside face of front door. Lock stile 70cm up
QAG/60 Door between hall and base of stairs. Hall face. Hinge stile 70cm up
QAG/61 Front door. Architrave. Lock stile / RHS 160cm up
QAG/62 Panelling LHS. Lower panel bed next to arch to back of stairs
QAG/63 Panelling LHS. Upper panel bed next to arch to back of stairs
Staircase
QAG/43 1st Floor Landing. Upper wall panelling. 2nd stile from NW corner
QAG/44 1st Floor Landing. Upper wall panelling. 2nd panel bed from NW corner
QAG/45 1st Floor Landing. Chair rail
QAG/46 1st Floor Landing. Rail on lower wall below chair rail
QAG/47 1st Floor Landing. Lower wall. Panel bed
QAG/48 1st Floor Landing. Skirting fascia
QAG/49 1st Floor Landing. Door architrave to rear room RHS
QAG/64 1st half landing. R/H shutter. Outer face. Bottom R/H stile
QAG/69 1st Floor Landing. Outer face of door to front room. Hinge style
QAG/70 Staircase balustrade. 4th baluster from 1st half landing
QAG/71 Staircase handrail. By newel post on 1st half landing
QAG/72 Staircase. Newel post on 1st half landing
First Floor – Front Room

QAG/27 S wall. SE corner. Rail above chair rail
QAG/28 S wall. SE corner. Panel bed above chair rail
QAG/29 S wall. SE corner. Panel bed above chair rail – had been covered by a shelf
QAG/30 S wall. SE corner. Lower wall, stile between 1st and 2nd panels from corner
QAG/31 E wall. SE corner. Stile in the corner
QAG/32 E wall. SE corner. Upper wall. Panel moulding. Central stile between panels
QAG/33 E wall. SE corner. Skirting fascia
QAG/34 E wall. SE corner. Upper wall. Central stile between panels
QAG/35 S wall. SE corner. Lower wall, stile between 1st and 2nd panels from corner
QAG/36 N wall. Window seat below centre window
QAG/37 N wall. Centre window. Top sash. Inside face
QAG/38 N wall. Centre window. Top sash. Outside face
QAG/67 E wall. NE corner. Skirting fascia
QAG/68 E wall. NE corner. Lower wall panel
70
APPENDIX THREE (continued)
Second Floor – Front Room

QAG/39 Neo-classical chimneypiece. Mantel LHS
QAG/40 East wall. SE corner. Upper wall. Rail above chair rail
QAG/52 NE corner. Old narrow shutters nailed together to fill old window aperture
QAG/74 East wall. NE corner. Exposed panelling – upper wall
Second Floor – Rear Room

QAG/41 Chimneypiece. Mantel RHS
QAG/42 Wall to RHS of chimneypiece
Exterior
QAG/38 First Floor front. Centre window. Top sash. Outside face
QAG/53 Doorcase. LHS upper fascia
QAG/65 Wooden cornice at front
QAG/66 Wooden cornice at front
QAG/73 Doorcase. Swag: bottom L/H
71
APPENDIX FOUR
SOME PIGMENTS FOUND IN THE HOUSE
White Lead
"White may be said to be the basic colour in all painting practice, for few pigments are used
without the incorporation of some white to give body (opacity) or to reduce colour strength.
Until some fifty years ago [about 1900] white lead was the only white pigment produced in any
great quantity, but since then other whites have been introduced which have practically
superseded white lead for some purposes, notably interior painting. In spite of certain drawbacks,
however, white lead remains unsurpassed for exterior painting. The other principal basic whites
used in this country are zinc oxide, lithopone, antimony and titanium".53
Zinc Oxide
Zinc oxide is a bright white pigment that is non-poisonous, and is not discoloured by
sulphurous fumes. These properties led to its consideration as a replacement for white lead
towards the end of the nineteenth century. One of the earliest references to it appears in a
book of specifications published in 1859.54 In this instance it was recommended in rooms
with gaslights where the "clearness and brilliancy" of the white was to be preserved. Its chief
disadvantage is the hardening effect it has on oil, which causes it to produce a hard non-
elastic and brittle paint film. This may lead to premature breakdown of the paint on external
surfaces by cracking or chalking unless corrected. In mixture with white lead it produces a
very good paint. The zinc hardens the lead and helps it to maintain colour in a smoky
atmosphere, while the lead moderates any hardening action of the zinc and so prevents
brittleness. Paints containing such a blend of lead white and zinc oxide were used in the first
quarter of the twentieth century.
The use of zinc oxide appears to have reached its peak in the second decade of the twentieth
century. It was at this time that Arthur Jennings, the prolific writer on paint, wrote:
Before 1914 nearly the whole quantity of zinc oxide used in this country was imported from
France, Belgium, Holland, and the United States of America, but since that time several
factories have been started in England, and the present produce has already reached an output
almost sufficient to fill all home requirements.55
Its appearance in paint stratigraphy usually indicates the period ca.1890-1960.
Titanium Dioxide
A pigment known as titanium white, which was a combination of titanium oxide and barium
sulphate was introduced into Britain in 1921, and this rapidly became established as one of
the staple pigments for paint manufacture. Towards the close of 1927, however, as a result of
long experience and research, the difficulties of preparing a satisfactory pigment from the
53
(Hurst 1949, 61).
54
(Donaldson 1859, xxi).
55
(Jennings 1921, 1:184-185).
72
APPENDIX FOUR (continued)
pure oxide were finally overcome, and a pigment of brilliant whiteness and intense opacity
was introduced containing approximately 98 per cent titanium oxide. The outstanding
qualities of this were soon recognised, and by the late 1940s it had largely superseded the
original type of pigment for many purposes, although the composite pigment was still
manufactured and used for a while. It has been the prime white pigment in house paints for
the last forty years.
Red Lead
John Smith described very clearly the manufacture of red lead:
this colour is made out of common lead, by first reducing it to a litharge; and that litharge
being afterward ground to a powder in a mill is afterward conveyed into a hot furnace, for
that purpose, where 'tis continually kept stirring with an iron rake, till it has attained to
the colour of a fine, pale red.56
This pigment had a very mixed reputation, and was often used more for its drying properties, than
its orange-red colour, which was liable to turn black in oil. Whittock said, however, that it kept
its colour in water-based media, and was consequently, sometimes, used in distemper.57 T.H.
Vanherman (a London colourman) found little use for its colour in house-painting, except as a
ground for mahogany graining.58
As well as being used in the manufacture of drying oils, this pigment came to replace Spanish
brown or red oxide as a priming colour. Its quick drying nature was of considerable use at a time
when a coat of oil paint could take several days to dry, and the decoration of a room, perhaps, a
week. The addition of red lead to the undercoats would ensure that these would be ready to
receive the finish coat as soon as possible. One consequence of this characteristic was that it was
somewhat difficult to work with, hardening into an unmanageable mass,59 and adhering:
so strong to the bottom of the paint-pot, that it proves a troublesome task to liberate it and
bring it into a working condition again.60
On internal surfaces the pigment was often mixed with size and used to kill knots, prior to
painting.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century primers based on red lead dispersed in linseed oil
began to be used on structural steelwork. Their use continued until the late twentieth century
when the toxic nature of red lead became a concern.
56
(Smith 1687, 21).
57
(Whittock 1827, 10).
58
(Vanherman 1829, 29).
59
(Tingry 1830, 106).
60
(Vanherman 1829, 29).
73
Yellow Ochre / Yellow Iron Oxide

In common with the umbers, the earth pigments designated ochres (or oxides) saw constant use
in house-painting, not only were they readily obtainable, but they encompassed a large range of
hues, both in their natural and their calcined state.
The Swiss, Pierre Francois Tingry explained how readily they were obtained:
Ochres are easily purified by simple washing. They mix readily with water, and the sand
and stones which they contain being heavier than themselves, subside. The water, turbid
with the ochre, is decanted, by making it pass into a trough lower than the vessel in which
it was washed; when the ochre has subsided the clear water is drawn off. The ochre is
then taken out, and being dried is divided into small masses.61
John Smith mentioned the two basic types:
Yellow Oaker, Is of two sorts; the one gotten in England, the other brought from
beyond the Seas: the one is light Yellow, much like the colour of Wheat straw; the other
is somewhat of a deeper colour.62
The second edition clarified this, by referring to the first as "Plain-Oaker" most of which was
found in the Shotover Hills near Oxford,63 and the other as "Spruce-Oaker".64 The former
displayed many of the best properties for a house-painting pigment, being described as a "Colour,
that with pains, will grind very fine, it bears an excellent body, and resists the weather well".65
A darker ochre called "Common Brown or Bristol Oker" by John Pincot was recommended for
filling imperfections in the body work of carriages, presumably a greater capacity for drying
rendered it useful for this purpose.66 This facility for drying could relate to the confusion
mentioned earlier under Umber, where Tingry recorded the use of the name Brown ochre as a
synonym for umber. Robert Dossie pointed out that its colour was as a result of calcination
"either by subterranean fires or artificially".67
As well as various sorts of yellow and brown, Tingry told us that:
Many of the yellow ochres when burnt become of a red colour, and are then occasionally
used for more delicate processes.68
61
(Tingry 1830, 74).
62
(Smith 1676, 22).
63
A very detailed account of where to obtain this Oxford ochre is given in (Plot 1677, 55).
64
Dr. Harley suggests that spruce was an old form of Prussia or Prussian (Harley 1982, 89).
65
(Smith 1687, 22).
66
(Pincot ca.1811, 31).
67
(Dossie 1796, 1:104).
68
(Tingry 1830, 73).
74
In this state the pigment was generally known as light red.
Hay accounted for the wide variety of colours, and told us that its price varied with the shade:
They are a native earthy mixture of silica and alumina, coloured by oxide of iron, with
occasionally a little calcareous matter and magnesia, and are found between strata of rock
and sand. Ochre varies in...price from 1d. to 1s. per lb.69
Red Ochres / Red Iron Oxides

Red ochres came in many different forms, and provided a number of reds for the house-painter
during the period under review. Spanish brown, Venetian red, and Indian red, when in their
natural state, were pigments used as they were found, while light red was made by calcining
yellow ochre, and English red was one of a large number of artificial red oxides produced from
the by-products of certain industrial processes. These latter appeared, largely, as a result of the
Industrial Revolution.
The natural red ochres were obtained from many locations, and prepared very simply:
Ochres are easily purified by simple washing. They mix readily with water, and the sand
and stones which they contain being heavier than themselves, subside. The water, turbid
with the ochre, is decanted, by making it pass into a trough lower than the vessel in which
it was washed; when the ochre has subsided the clear water is drawn off. The ochre is
then taken out, and being dried is divided into small masses.70
Spanish brown was described by Smith as coming from Spain, the best of it being of a deep
bright colour, although inclined to be gritty.71 He went on to say that it was the only colour used
in priming woodwork, not least for its cheapness. Tingry mentioned the west of England72 as
being the more likely source of this pigment,73 and Robert Dossie suggested that it was probably
brought from abroad originally, at a time when it would have been much finer than now "dug up
in several parts of England". He confirmed that it was mainly used as a primer for coarse work
by house-painters, needing no other preparation than "freeing it well from stones and filth".74
Pincot pointed out that in new houses the inside work may be primed with "strong double size,
just stained with a little Spanish Brown, merely to see where the brush has been".75
The naming of colours has always given rise to confusion, the Frenchman Watin referred to a
red ochre imported from England, which he called "rouge brun", or "brun-rouge
69
(Hay 1847, 108).
70
(Tingry 1830, 74).
71
(Smith 1676, 14).
72
Probably the Forest of Dean and the Mendip hills, in Somerset.
73
(Tingry 1830, 73-74).
74
(Dossie 1796, 1:59).
75
(Pincot ca.1811, 38).
75
d'Angleterre", which was used in oil and distemper, and for the painting of floors and carts.76
This English brown red was probably the same as the English red mentioned by the author of
the Pocket Manual and by George Field, who described Prussian red as the same pigment.77
In his later work, Smeaton was more precise, calling them both colcothar of vitriol (q.v.).78
However, although, in the nineteenth century, they were both regarded as artificial iron
oxides, the Frenchman Jean Watin clearly states that Prussian red was "une terre calcinée
donnant une rouge imitant le vermillon", indicating a brighter red than the English variety.79
Either the name was given to a similar pigment, or Watin was confusing it with something
else.
In a similar fashion, Venetian red was brought from Venice; but it was also produced in
France, Germany, and many other places, according to Tingry.80 Both Peter Nicholson, and
Whittock, lifting the words from Dossie, described it as being a native pigment, inclining to
the scarlet, and being used in the imitation of mahogany.81 It was grouped with Spanish
brown and light ochre, by David Hay, as being amongst the coarse red pigments.82 Field,
however, indicated that it was prepared artificially from iron sulphate [often known as green
vitriol] in the manufacture of sulphuric acid. He gave the alternative name of scarlet ochre.83
A more prized red earth was that known as Indian red, which Dossie said had originally been
imported from the East Indies, but since the manufacture of the artificial variety from caput
mortuum,84 was no longer imported.85 Field, writing over fifty years later, described it as a
purple-russet iron ore brought into the country from Bengal, and "now obtained abundantly" from
"respectable colourmen".86 He gave the name Persian red as an alternative, which is similar to
the Persian ochre which Tingry presumed came from Persia, and called a "a dear colour" used
mainly in portrait painting.87
A red iron oxide with the rather exotic name of colcothar of vitriol, was:
the purplish red peroxyde of iron, made by adding solution of soda to the solution of
sulphate of iron or copperas, is another red used by the house-painter. It produces the
chocolate paint so much in use for the woodwork of kitchens, servant's halls &c.. It is
76
(Watin 1778, 23).
77
(Pocket 1825, 96; Field 1850, 45).
78
(Gilder's ca.1827, 32).
79
(Watin 1778, 23).
80
(Tingry 1830, 73).
81
(Dossie 1796, 1:59; Nicholson 1823, 413; Whittock 1827, 10).
82
(Hay 1847, 113).
83
(Field 1850, 45).
84
The ferric oxide residue obtained as a by-product in the manufacture of fuming sulphuric acid (Harley 1982, 121).
Caput mortuum literally means death’s head. The name originally derived from alchemy where it was used to
denote the residue after an alchemical operation such as distillation or sublimation.
85
(Dossie 1796, 1:58).
86
(Field 1850, 44).
87
(Tingry 1830, 73).
76
cheap in price, and very durable.88
Charcoal Black
According to Tingry, black of a bluish hue was produced by the burning of vine twigs, which,
when ground carefully, and mixed with white produced a silver white.89 Beech charcoal was
credited with a very similar tone, and bearing in mind the European origins of this work, it is
more likely that in this country, beech rather than vine twigs would have provided the source.
The few references to this pigment that occur appear to be derived from the above source, and
even fewer give an indication of its usage. Nicholson in his The Mechanic's Companion, of
1825, mentioned it being used in small amounts to brighten up the last two coats of a surface
being painted in white with oil.90 Pincot suggested Prussian blue, or black, for the same purpose.
Perhaps when one considers the practical nature of Pincot's writing, and his long experience of
the trade, the addition of a blue that held a key place on the house-painter's palette seems more
likely in everyday work, than a black reserved for this purpose alone.91 In finer work, one may
expect a charcoal black to have been used in the way that Nicholson described, and the author has
encountered it in at least one late eighteenth century house.92
Carbon Black
Lamp black was the soot collected after burning the resinous parts of fir-trees. It came mostly
from Sweden and Norway, although it was manufactured on a large scale in Germany at the
beginning of the nineteenth century.93 John Smith referred to its being "made up in small boxes
and barrels of deal, of several sizes, and so brought over to us".94
It was the most commonly used of the blacks, being cheap and plentiful. It was a very fine
pigment, that would serve most needs, without grinding, if mixed up well with linseed-oil. If
used in this manner, however, the greasiness would retard its drying time, unless a drying agent
were added.95
Blacks, of various forms, were often added to white paint in order to combat the inherent
yellowness of a lead white and linseed oil paint.

88
(Hay 1847, 113). For an account of its use on exteriors see: (Baty 1992, 44-47).
89
(Tingry 1804, 350).
90
(ibid., 406).
91
(Pincot ca.1811, 17).
92
The investigative work at Uppark, in Sussex, has shown that a charcoal black was used in the upper layers of the
white painted woodwork in many of the rooms.
93
(Tingry 1804, 347).
94
(Smith 1687, 16-17).
95
(Pocket 1825, 89).
77
Vermilion
The pigment known as Vermilion, is a bright scarlet pigment produced by combining sulphur and
mercury, the result being red mercuric sulphide. Cinnabar is the natural form, which was less
common, but often preferred, because of the tendency of the early colour-shops to adulterate the
artificial variety with red lead.
There were two methods of producing this pigment, the one known as Dry-Process, and the other
as Wet-Process. The Chinese are believed to have invented the dry-process, although Amsterdam
became the principal centre for its manufacture in Europe in the early seventeenth century. It is
still available in mainland China, and the author has recently obtained a quantity from
Guangdong province.
When viewed under the microscope, the particles of dry-process vermilion are irregular, and
clearly made by pulverising lumps. The larger particles tend to be elongated, reflecting its
columnar structure.
By the end of the seventeenth century, Gottfried Schulz, a German, had discovered an easier, and
less expensive method of manufacturing the pigment. This was done by heating the black
mercuric sulphide in a solution of ammonium or potassium sulphide. It soon became the
favourite method of production in the West, being known as English or German vermilion.
The particles of wet-process vermilion are fine and uniform in size, which is a characteristic of a
chemically precipitated product.96
Its price in the late 1840s varied from three shillings to six shillings per pound.97 As a
benchmark, the ubiquitous yellow ochre varied from 1d. to one shilling per pound.98
96
(Gettens et al 1993, 159-165).
97
(Hay 1847, 110-12).
98
(Ibid. 108).
78
APPENDIX FIVE
GRAINING
The imitation in paint of materials usually more expensive, or exotic, is thought to have been
carried out since ancient times.
As a means of decoration in interiors, Wyatt Papworth believed that:
The processes of graining and marbling may be traced back as far as the time of James VI
of Scotland, (1567-1603).99
The growing use of softwood for the building and internal cladding of houses in the late
seventeenth century, led to an increased demand for the painted imitation of woods in this
country. In his second edition, Smith referred to the imitation of "Olive Wood" and "Walnut
Tree", and described them being veined over with a darker pigment.100
Ian Bristow's commentary on the seventeenth century decoration at Dyrham Park, in

Gloucestershire, lists a number of painted woods, referred to in the accounts for the house;
amongst them cedar colour, walnut colour, wainscot colour, and princes-wood colour.101 At first
sight, such names might be understood to imply merely the colour and tone of these woods, but
in this early period, either the colour or the imitation of a wood could be indicated,102 and it is
usually context or recorded price that makes clear what had been carried out.
A clue to some of the conventions of the day can be obtained from a letter of 1700 that
accompanied three samples of graining prepared for a client:
B, ye properest for a Bedchamber, if well performed (withe the pencil), and not tou mucht
withe a brushe as is the common way, it will requier moor skill to paynes & will coste the
moor, it represents a Light wall-nut tree color as I have seen some cabinets, and is proper
for Antirooms & Bedchambers, the other A is a dark wallnut tree & will require a glossey
varnishe and is very proper in Light chambers - C is a wainscot color muche in voge
(since wright wainscot is subject to (since wright wainscot is subject to groe dark and in
spots ,) and generally speaking ye use at present is a flate color that of torteschall103
[italics mine].104
99
(Papworth 1857-58, 9).
100
(Smith 1687, 52).
101
(Bristow 1979, 141). Prince wood, or prince's wood, is a dark-coloured and light-veined timber produced by two
West Indian trees, Cordia gerascanthoides and Hamelia ventricosa; also called Spanish elm. SOED 1986. S.v.
"Prince-wood." Sir Roger Pratt, writing in the 1660s in his capacity as architect of Kingston Lacy Hall, Dorset,
listed three of these four woods, making no mention, however, of wainscot (Gunther 1928, 282).
102
Smith, in dealing with umber, said that "it resembles the colour of new oaken wainscot the nearest of any colour in
the world" (Smith 1687, 27). The earliest use of the word "graining", encountered by the author in a published text,
is in a list of painting prices of 1786 (Pain 1786, 14).
103
"Flate color" probably refers to the low sheen on tortoiseshell.
104
(Winde 1700, quoted in Beard 1981, 60).
79
APPENDIX FIVE (continued)
Not only could wood be represented in light and dark forms, but the finish could also vary in
levels of sheen, some combinations being more appropriate than others.
Olive wood and Walnut appear in the 1788 edition of Smith,105 yet by this time, the use of both
of these woods was probably rather old-fashioned, being replaced by wainscot (or oak), and
mahogany, which began to feature in price books of the period.106
It appears that, once again, the architect Sir John Soane was amongst the first to introduce new
ideas. His use of graining to imitate light oak or satinwood on the dado and skirting of his
Dining Room at 12 Lincoln’s Inn Fields in 1793 was some years before any other recorded use.107
No mention of graining is found in the first English edition of Tingry, of 1804, which is no doubt
a reflection of both the book's continental origins, and the fact that the process had not yet
become fashionable again. In England, however, during the next ten years, a rekindled interest in
the technique of imitating woods in paint developed. Papworth recalled a friend saying that:
…the doors of the Chapel in Conduit Street, Bond Street, attracted much attention from
the novelty of their being grained to imitate wainscot, done perhaps, about the year 1810
when a new front was given to the building. From some letters in my possession I find
that mahogany was imitated in 1815, and maple wood in 1817.108
Price books of the time reflect this growing interest in fancy woods, and Laxton's The Improved
Builders' Price Book of 1818, contains an early and wide range, amongst them: new wainscot,
white oak, old or dark oak, air wood, satin wood, Hispaniola mahogany, coromandel wood,
amboyna wood, yew tree and black rose wood.109
By the 1820s the interest was such that even Butcher had changed the original list of woods
mentioned by Smith, deleting olive wood, and adding mahogany and wainscot110 to the walnut
already listed. Smeaton, reflected this, and added satin wood and two varieties of rose wood.111
Whittock confirmed the approximate date of this renewed enthusiasm, in his work of 1827:
The very great improvement that has been made within the last ten years [italics mine] in
the art of imitating the grain and colour of various fancy woods and marbles, and the
facility and consequent cheapness of this formerly expensive work, has brought it into
general use; and there are few respectable houses erected, where the talent of the
decorative painter is not called into action,
105
(ibid., 5).
106
(Pain 1786, 14; Taylor 1813, 125).
107
(Bristow 1996:1, 208-09).
108
(Papworth 1857-58, 9).
109
(Laxton 1818, 99).
110
(Butcher 1821, 3).
111
(Pocket 1825, 105, 109, 160-62; Gilder's ca.1827, 49, 51-52, 189-90).
80
in graining doors, shutters, wainscots, &c.112
He went on to tell us that:
Much has certainly been done by modern decorative painters, within the last fifteen
years.113
One of the features of this new trend was the extent to which some house-painters developed the
art of imitating the natural product. Whereas the late seventeenth century representations of
woodgrain are almost theatrical in their handling, in that they only read as wood from a
distance,114 the early nineteenth century grainer was encouraged to observe nature, for the
"foundation of his future proficiency"115 and to produce realistic specimens.
Whittock, as well as producing actual coloured examples of many of the popular wood effects in
his The Decorative Painters' and Glaziers' Guide, gave an indication of where such woods might
be used. Writing some twenty years later, Hay showed how this had changed by the end of the
period:
[Of Oak, or Wainscot]
1827
Oak is the wood that is commonly preferred to any other for outside
work...preferred to any other wood for doors and shutters where strength is required. The
decorative painter, therefore, who considers propriety, will generally recommend the
imitation of oak for street doors, shutters, &c..116
1847
Imitation oak has been greatly used in halls, staircases, libraries, and dining-rooms, and it
will be observed, from the description of the process, that it must be very durable.117
It appears that the fashion for a wide variety of fancy woods began to wane within a few years,
and Vanherman told us that, having "formed a considerable part of the decorative system",
graining and marbling are "now giving place to the plain and simple".118 The two reasons given
for this change being, the:
additional expense to the painter's bill, and the short-lived beauty they exhibit; for being
generally executed in water colours, and then varnished, should this covering crack and
chip, the work will consequently look shabby, ragged, and mean.119
112
(Whittock 1827, 20).
113
(ibid., 46).
114
See the walnut graining, carried out by Sergeant Painter Robert Streater, on the panelling of Apartment 7 at
Hampton Court Palace, and exposed by Catherine Hassall a few years ago.
115
(Whittock 1827, 20),
116
(ibid.).
117
(Hay 1847, 140).
118
Vanherman 1829, 40).
119
(ibid.).
81
He added that:
Graining, like diamonds in portrait painting, should be sparingly employed for its scarcity
constitutes in a great measure its value.120
The process of graining was, inevitably, labour intensive. Papworth, relying heavily on Hay's
description,121 said that:
in the first instance [it is] the same as for ordinary painted work, but it requires more care
in obliterating the marks of the brush. The last coat, instead of being flatted, is composed
of equal portions of oil and spirits of turpentine, and is brought up to the colo[u]r
characteristic of the wood to be imitated.122
When this ground-work was quite dry, a thick layer of a semi-transparent paint was prepared, in
the colour of the wood to be imitated. This was laid smoothly over the ground-work, after which
a graining comb,123 made of steel, ivory, horn, or wood, was:
drawn through this composition, by which it is separated upon the ground-work into
minute portions, representing the grain of the wood.124
The heart grain and flowers would then be wiped out using a thumb nail, or a piece of horn,
covered with a cloth. This was left to dry before being overgrained with a transparent layer of oil
or water colour. Two or three coats of an oil varnish based on a resin such as copal would then
be applied.
120
(ibid., 41).
121
(Hay 1847, 137).
122
(Papworth 1857-58, 9).
123
These combs were made in a range of sizes, a number being illustrated on plate II, facing page 22 of Whittock's
The Decorative Painters', and Glaziers' Guide. Tingry tells us that they were obtained at the comb-makers in
London (Tingry 1830, 282).
124
(Hay 1847, 138).
82
APPENDIX SIX
A CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNT OF HOUSE PAINTING COLOURS AND PRICES
The following is taken from William Salmon's Palladio Londinensis, which was first published
in London in 1734. For nearly forty years (until 1773 when it was superseded by William Pain's
publications) this remained a standard builders' manual, and in that time it saw more editions
than any of the other books of its kind.125
The paints and materials mentioned were to be had from the premises of Alexander Emerton,
who was a Colourman, at the sign of the Bell near Arundel Street, in the Strand. These premises
were half a mile away from 36 Craven Street.126 In 1741, Elizabeth Emerton advertised that she
was continuing the business of her late husband. By 1744, however, Alexander's brother Joseph
had taken over the firm, which was still trading under the name Emerton and Manby a number of
years later.127
p.55
Sect. VII.
of PAINTERS Work
PAINTERS Work is measured in the same manner as the Joiners, only with this difference, that
instead of accounting the Doors and Window-Shutters Work and half, they have double Work, as
being painted on both sides; and they also measure all Edges, &c. where the Brush goes.
1 Sash-Frames, Sash-Lights, Window-lights, and casements, are done at per Piece.

2 Modillion, and other Cornice, at per Foot running Measure.
3 Outside Painting three times in Oil is worth, if well done, from 6d. to 8d. per Yard.
Inside Painting, new Work, of common Colours, at 6d. per Yard.
4 Inside Painting, old Work, of common Colours, at 4d per Yard; but of extraordinary
Colours, as
5 Olive Colours, at 8d. per Yard.
6 Prussian blue, at 8d. per Yard.
7 Greens, at 12d. per Yard.
8 Sash-Frames, at 12d. each.
9 Sash-Lights, at 1d. each.
10 Window-Lights and Casements, at 3d. each.
11 Iron bars, at 1d. each, or more if very large.
125
(Harris 1990, 404).
126
The business was well known at the time and evidence has been found for paint from Joseph Emerton having
been bought in 1742 by Sir James Dalrymple for use in his house at Newhailes, East Lothian (Baty 1998:3, 23).
127
(Bristow 1996:2, 91-92).
83
APPENDIX SIX (continued)
12 Modillion Cornice, from 6d. to 12d. per Foot running.

13 Common outside Cornice 2d. per Foot running.
NB All carving in Rooms and out-side Frontispieces to Doors, &c. are so various, that they
must be valued by the Time and Materials expended.
of Colours used in House-Painting.
PAINTING, if not the chief, is as necessary a Part of Building as any other whatever, both for
Use and Ornament, the doing of which well and often being the surest way of preserving all the
rest, instances of which may be seen in several Buildings, about London, where the Misfortunes
of the Builders have prevented them from finishing their Works, it may be observed that the
Sash-Frames, Sashes, Window-Shutters, Doors and Door-Cases, for want of Painting, in a very
few Years, are so much decayed, that were those Buildings to be made tenantable, most of the
outside Timber-Work must be renewed; Iron-Work, tho' of a much stronger Nature than Timber,
if not well secured by Painting, is likewise subject to the same misfortune: On the contrary,
where Timber-Work is often painted it will endure many Ages, no Weather being able to
penetrate thro' it as to the ornamental Part, there is no gentleman but must allow that there is a
great difference between a clean painted Room, and one that hath not been painted, or where the
Painting is foul.
I shall be the more particular under this Head, Of Colours. Painters Work being very
expensive, and this being the only part in Building wherein a Gentleman can be assisting
either by himself or Servants, it being almost impossible for any Gentleman to do either
Masons, Bricklayers, Carpenters, or Smiths Works; whereas it is well known and daily
experienced since the Advertisement of ALEXANDER EMERTON, that several Noblemen
and Gentlemen have by themselves and Servants painted whole Houses without the
Assistance or Direction of a Painter, which when examined by the best Judges could not be
distinguished from the Work of a professed Painter.
And that which conduces most to this Practice is the vast Disproportion between the Prices
which Painters charge for their Work, and the Expence which Gentlemen are at in this
Method of Painting, which at the utmost doth not amount to one fourth Part of the Painter's
Price, to prove which I shall proceed to the Prices of Colours, and likewise shew what
Number of Yards one Pound of each Colour will paint.
First Primer ground in Oil, at 36s. per 112lb weight or 4d. per lb. One pound of which will
paint 20 square Yards.
Second Primer ground in Oil, at 36s per 112lb or 4d per lb. One Pound of which will paint 12
square Yards.
84
Best White Lead ground in Oil, at 36s per 112lb or 4d per lb. One Pound of which, with two
Pennyworth of Oil, will paint 8 square Yards; which is three Farthings per Yard, for which
Painters usually charge 4d per Yard.
Pearl Colour, ground in Oil, at 4d and 5d per lb.
Lead Colour, ground in Oil, at 4d and 5d per lb.
Cream Colour, ground in Oil, at 4d and 5d per lb.
Stone Colour, ground in Oil, at 4d and 5d per lb.128
Wainscot, or Oak Colour, ground in Oil, at 4d and 5d per lb.
One Pound of any of these Colours, with Oil, will paint 8 square Yards, for which Painters
usually charge 4d per Yard.
Chocolate Colour, ground in Oil, at 6d per Yard.
Mahogany Colour, ground in Oil, at 6d per Yard.
Cedar Colour, ground in Oil, at 6d per Yard.
Wallnut-tree Colour, ground in Oil, at 6d per Yard.
One Pound of any of these Colours, with Oil, will paint 10 square Yards, for some of which
Painters usually charge 4d per Yard, for others more.
Gold Colour, ground in Oil, at 8d per lb.
Olive Colour, ground in Oil, from 8d to 12d per lb.
Pea Colour, ground in Oil, from 8d to 12d per lb.
Fine Sky Blue mixed with Prussian Blue, ground in Oil from 8d to 12d per lb.129
Orange Colour, ground in Oil, at 12d per lb.
Lemon Colour, ground in Oil, at 12d per lb.
Straw Colour, ground in Oil, at 12d per lb.
128
Variants on this were used for most of the eighteenth century.
129
A number of rooms in the house were painted with this colour in the early nineteenth century.
85
Pink Colour, ground in Oil, at 12d per lb.
Blossom Colour, ground in Oil, at 12d per lb.
One Pound of any of these Colours, with Oil, will paint 8 square Yards, for some of which
Painters usually charge 10d or 12d per Yard, for others they will expect more.
Fine deep Green, ground in Oil, at 2s 6d per lb.130
One Pound of which, with Oil, will paint 20 square Yards, for which Painters usually charge
12d per Yard.
Oils used in House-Painting, are
Linseed Oil at 10d per Quart.
Turpentine Oil at 12d per Quart.
Best drying Oil at 12d per Quart.
Painting Brushes of several Sizes, from 2d to 6d each.
Putty, at 4d per lb.
Double Size used by the Painters for priming new Work, at 4s per Firkin, or 2d per Quart.
Single Size, at 18d per Firkin, or 1d per Quart.
These Colours, with all other Materials used in Painting, are prepared in the best manner, and
sold by ALEXANDER EMERTON, Colourman, at the Bell over against Arundel-street near
St Clement's Church in the Strand, London. He likewise gives printed Directions for the
using his Colours, or procures Painters to work for Gentlemen by the day.
130
This was the colour bought by Sir James Dalrymple in 1742 for his house at Newhailes, East Lothian (Baty
1998:3, 23).
86
APPENDIX SEVEN
SOME REFERENCES TO DARK BROWN DOORS AND SKIRTINGS
1) Dr. Steven Parissien. RICS Diploma in Building Conservation. Module 11. "The Historical
Development of Interior Design 1600-1939." Course notes.
(Referring to William Salmon's list of colours in Palladio Londonensis (1748):)
"In contrast, chocolate brown was very commonly used for internal woodwork, particularly for
skirtings and for doors; it was not only cheap and practical - scuffing showed far less on a dark than
on a light background - but also aesthetically pleasing, terminating the light-coloured wall above in
a very effective fashion."
----------------
2) Sally Jeffery. The Mansion House. Phillimore. 1993. p.134.
On 19 November 1761, Rowe was ordered to paint all the doors of the two principal storeys a
mahogany colour...
---------------
3) Ian Bristow. Architectural Colour in British Interiors. London: Yale University Press. 1996.
a) pp.59-60
…and in 1781, a visitor to Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire, a house where the late Christopher
Hussey suggested nothing had been done over the preceding forty years, wrote:
"Most of it is furnished in old style, for example, Mama's & my rooms are brown
wainscots."
b) p.131
It is especially interesting, therefore, that while Chambers may have employed white skirtings
throughout the grand rooms in the Strand Block at Somerset House in 1780, technical investigation
has shown that in the humbler, more everyday apartments belonging to the Secretary of the Society
of Antiquaries and Housekeeper of the Royal Society a "chocolate" skirting was employed in rooms
which were otherwise simply painted stone colour (off-white) and hung with wallpaper. This
suggests, perhaps, that in more ordinary homes the brown skirting persisted well towards the end of
the eighteenth century.
c) p.132
Thus at Erddig, DENBIGHSHIRE (now CLWYD), a door was to be painted chocolate colour in
1772 [..The colour of the Paint a dead white as to the skirting board, and shutters, but the door of a
chocolate colour..]; while, probably two or three years earlier [1774-75], James Adam directed that
the deal doors of the Dressing Room at Nostell Priory were to be painted mahogany colour.
----------------
87
APPENDIX SEVEN (continued)
4) Tasker, John. Bill for redecoration and building work carried out for John Tharp at 20 Portman
Square, London (Home House). 1797. (Document lodged in the Cambridge Record Office).
p.16
ANTE DRAWING ROOM
53yds Ditto Run of plain skirting brown 0 6 7½

-----------------
5) John Pincot. Pincot's Treatise on the Practical Part of Coach & House Painting. ca.1811
...if your skirting is to be painted black, leave that to the last...

--------------------
6) Frank S. Welsh, "The Early American Palette: Colonial Paint Colors Revealed" in, Roger Moss
(ed.). Paint in America. The Colors of Historic Buildings. p.70.
Blacks
Lampblack or bone black was used on skirting fascias, as was dark brown. Sometimes the area
around door knobs was similarly painted for the same reason. This use declined after about 1800,
and by 1815 was very old-fashioned.
--------------------
88
EXAMPLES OF BROWN PAINTED SKIRTING FASCIÆ AND DOORS

ca.1757 plus
(The following were established by paint analysis)
1) Patrick Baty. Handel House, 25 Brook Street.
(House built 1719-23, Handel lives there until 1759)
The second, third and fourth schemes on the only original door that survives (2nd floor, rear) were
brown.
-----------------
2) Patrick Baty. Greenbank House, Clarkston, Glasgow. A Brief Report Following an

Examination of the Painted Surfaces in the Entrance Hall and Dining Room. 4th July 1999.
(Greenbank House was built between 1764 and 1765.)
Entrance Hall
The skirting was originally a dark red brown.
--------------------
3) Catherine Hassall. Castletown Cox, [Co. Kilkenny, Ireland.] Initial Investigations on the
Decorations. 15th January 1999.
(House built ca.1770)
Entrance Hall.
Skirting painted dark brown. Doors were mahogany.
(See also the bill submitted by Pearce Stapleton in 1789, where the skirtings were repainted in
brown. Ref. RP.D.71.1)
------------------
4) Patrick Baty. An Analysis of the First Scheme in the Rooms on the Ground, First, and Second
Floors of 50 North Great George's Street, Dublin. 25th August 1993.
(House built ca.1785.)
Inner Hall
Skirting fascia: sample IH/4A Dark brown
Dining Room
Skirting: sample GD/5 Red-brown
89
Drawing Room
Skirting fascia: sample 1D/7A Red-brown
Rear Bedroom
Skirting: sample 2BR/1 Brown
90
ILLUSTRATIONS THAT INDICATE BROWN DOORS OR SKIRTINGS

ca.1757 plus
Brown painted skirting
1) Attributed to James Cole the Younger. A Flute Player. ca.1735.

Bearstead Collection, Upton House, Warwickshire. National Trust Photographic Library. [pl.107
on p.119 of Charles Saumarez Smith, Eighteenth-Century Decoration. Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
1993.]
2) Artist N/K, Family Group. 1756. Courtauld Institute Galleries. [Pl.200 on p.206]
3) Johann Zoffany, George, Prince of Wales and Frederick, later Duke of York. 1764. (Ibid.
pl.244).
4) Johann Zoffany, Sir Lawrence Dundas with his grandson. 1769. (Ibid. pl.253).
5) Attrib. Philip Hussey, An interior with architectural wallpaper. ca.1780. (Ibid. pl.300).
6) Philip Reinagle, Mrs Congreve and her daughters in their London drawing room. 1782. (Ibid.
pl.302).
7) Artist N/K, The Tyers family. ca.1785. (Ibid. pl.317).
9) Joseph Bonomi, A dining room for Lambton Hall, County Durham. 1800. (Ibid. pl.378).
10) The Presence Chamber at Kensington Palace, in W.H. PYNE. History of the Royal
Residences. 1819. Vol II, pl. facing p.33 (original watercolour by J. Stephanoff in Royal Library
drawings, No. 22150)
11) Mary Ellen Best, Dining Room at Langton Hall. ca.1832-34.
91
APPENDIX EIGHT
SAMPLE ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES
Sample Preparation Procedures
Pigments
Samples of pigments from specific paint layers were permanently cast in Cargille Meltmount
(with a refractive index of 1.66) onto microscope slides. The pigment samples were examined at
500x and 1000x magnifications under both transmitted, and plane polarized light.
The pigments were identified using polarized light microscopy (PLM) techniques which allows
identification of different pigment particles based on the characteristics of particle shape, colour,
refractive index, and optical properties. In certain instances, where further confirmation was
required, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), using the scanning electron microscope, was
carried out.
Cross Sections
Samples of finish coatings and substrates were removed from representative surfaces in the
rooms being examined with a scalpel, craft knife or dental drill. Depending on the material, the
samples varied in size from 5mm to 10mm. The samples were divided before casting, leaving a
portion of the sample available for future testing. Samples were cast in small cubes in silicon
rubber moulds using clear casting polyester resin (Alec Tiranti Ltd, Reading, Berks.). The resin
was allowed to cure for 24 hours at room temperature and under ambient light. The cubes were
then cut in half to expose the cross sections, and wet polished with 240, 400, 600 and 1200 grade
wet-and-dry papers.
The cross section samples were examined under visible light using a Biolam metallurgical
microscope at 200x and 500x magnifications. Those that appeared to have the full sequence of
layers, i.e. that displayed an intact sequence from the substrate through to the final scheme, were
examined particularly closely. These intact samples were compared with those samples that were
distorted or unclear, and with those that were incomplete. The combined information has
provided the details in this report.
The cross sections were photographed digitally using a Nikon Coolpix 5000 camera. The best
photomicrographs for each element have been included with this report. Photographs were taken
at 200x and 500x. A number of the photomicrographs have been digitally enlarged or reduced to
fit the page.
92
WORKS REFERRED TO
All works that were published appeared first in London, unless otherwise indicated
Baty, Patrick. "Palette of the Past". Country Life, 3 September 1992: 44-47.
________. "The Role of Paint Analysis in the Historic Interior." The Journal of Architectural
Conservation, March 1995:1.
________. "To Scrape or Not to Scrape ?" Traditional Paint News, Vol 1 No 2 October
1996:2 9-15.
Bristow, Ian C.. "The Balcony Room at Dyrham" in National Trust Studies 1980 (1979).
________. Architectural Colour in British Interiors 1615-1840. Yale University Press, 1996
(1).
________. Interior House-Painting Colours and Technology 1615-1840. Yale University

Press, 1996 (2).
Butcher, W.. Smith's Art of House-Painting. 1821.
Donaldson, Thomas Leverton. Handbook of Specifications. 1859.
Doonan, Nancy L.. "Historic Exterior Paints." Bulletin of the Association for Preservation
Technology (US), vol. xiv, no. 4 (1982): 27-29.
Dossie, Robert. The Handmaid to the Arts. 2 vols. Rev. edn. 1796.
Field, George. Rudiments of the Painters' Art, or a Grammar of Colouring. 1850.
Gettens, Rutherford J., Robert L. Feller, and W.T. Chase. "Vermilion and Cinnabar" in Artists'
Pigments: A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics. Vol. 2. (ed. Ashok Roy). Oxford,
OUP. 1993.
Gunther, R.T.. The Architecture of Sir Roger Pratt. Oxford, Clarendon Press. 1928.
Harley, Rosamund. Artists' Pigments c.1600-1835. 2nd edn. Butterworths. 1982.
Harris, Eileen. British Architectural Books and Writers 1556-1785. Cambridge, Cambridge
University Press, 1990.
Hay, D.R.. The Laws of Harmonious Colouring Adapted to Interior Decorations, with
Observations on the Practice of House Painting. 6th edn. Edinburgh and London. William
Blackwood and Sons, 1847.
Holloway, J.G.E.. The Modern Painter and Decorator. 3 vols. Caxton Publishing Company Ltd.
93
1961.
Hurst, A.E.. Painting and Decorating. Charles Griffin & Company Ltd. 1949.
Hyde, Ralph (ed.). The A to Z of Georgian London. London Topographical Society publication
No 126. 1982.
Jeffery, Sally. The Mansion House. Phillimore. 1993.
Jennings, Arthur Seymour, and Guy Cadogan Rothery. The Modern Painter and Decorator.
Caxton Publishing Company. 1921.
Laxton, W.R.. The Improved Builder's Price Book. 2nd edn. 1818. 1869.
London County Council. Survey of London: volume 10: St. Margaret, Westminster, part I: Queen
Anne’s Gate area. 1926. 'No. 19 Queen Anne's Gate', 116-117.
Nicholson, Peter. The New Practical Builder. Appended is The Practical Builder's Perpetual
Price Book. 1823.
Pain, William, & James. British Palladio. 1786.
Papworth, Wyatt. "An Attempt to Determine the Periods in England, when Fir, Deal & House
Painting were First Introduced." Transactions of the RIBA. 1st series, vol. viii: 1-13. 1857-8.
Pincot, John. Pincot's Treatise on the Practical Part of Coach and House Painting. ca.1811.
Plot, Robert. Natural History of Oxfordshire. Oxford and London. 1677.
Rea, John T.. How to Estimate being the Analysis of Builders' Prices giving full details of
estimating for builders, and containing thousands of prices, and much useful memoranda. 2nd.
edn. B.T. Batsford. 1904.
Salmon, William. Palladio Londinensis. 1734.
[Smeaton, G.A.]. The Painter's and Varnisher's Pocket Manual. 1825.
________. The Painter's, Gilder's, and Varnisher's Manual. ca.1827.
Smith, John. The Art of Painting. (The Art of Painting in Oyl.) 1676. 2nd edn. 1687. 5th edn.
1723; 9th edn. 1788.
[SOED] The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. 3rd edn., rev., Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1986.
Tingry, P.F.. The Painter's and Varnisher's Guide. 1804.
________. Painter's and Colourman's Complete Guide. 1830.
94
Vanherman, T.H. Every Man his own House-Painter and Colourman. 1829. (Originally
published as: The Painter's Cabinet, and Colourman's Repository. 1828.)
Watin, Jean Felix, L'art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur. Liege, nouvelle edition. 1778.
Weinreb, Ben, and Christopher Hibbert (eds.) The London Encyclopaedia. BCA, 1983.
Welsh, Frank S[agendorph]. "Who is an Historic Paint Analyst ? A Call for Standards." Bulletin of
the Association for Preservation Technology (US), vol. xviii, no. 4 (1986): 4-5.
________. "The Early American Palette: Colonial Paint Colors Revealed" in, Roger Moss (ed.).
Paint in America. The Colors of Historic Buildings.
Westminster Poll Books, London 1774, 1818 & 1841. Exeter. S.A. & M.J. Raymond, 1996.
Whittock, Nathaniel. The Decorative Painters', and Glaziers' Guide. 1827.
Assorted Unpublished Documents
xxx Architects. xx Queen Anne’s Gate. Historic Buildings Report & Design & Access Statement.
May 2010.
Baty, Patrick. "The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London SE10. A Report Following an
Examination of the Perimeter Railings and Two Windows from the King Charles and the Queen
Anne Block." 31st December 1995 (2).
________. "6 Fitzroy Square: Notes Following an Analysis of Paint in Various Areas." 27th
January 1996 (1).
________. "Home House, 20 Portman Square, London W1. A Report on the First Scheme
Following an Examination of the Paint on Various Surfaces." 28th February 1998 (1).
________. "The Benjamin Franklin House, 36 Craven Street, London WC2. A Report on the
Early Painted Schemes Following an Examination of the Paint on Various Surfaces." 12th July
1998 (2).
________. "Newhailes House, East Lothian. A Report on the Decorative Schemes Following an
Examination of the Painted Surfaces in Various Areas." 26th November 1998 (3).
________. "Some Notes on the Decorative Schemes Found in Nos 23 and 25 Brook Street."
January 2000 (1).
________. "A Report on an Analysis of the Paint on the Exteriors of 26-31 Charlotte Square,"
Edinburgh. 3rd June 2000 (2).
95
________. "Wx House, Wiltshire. A Report on the Decoration Following an Examination of the
Painted Surfaces in Various Areas." 26th December 2000 (3).
________. "56 & 58 Artillery Lane, Spitalfields. A Report on the Decorative Schemes
Following an Examination of a Number of the Painted Surfaces on the Interior and Exterior." 29th
January 2006.
________. "The Travellers Club, Pall Mall. A Report on the Paint Following an Examination of
the External Surfaces on the Front Façade." 12th January 2008.
Winde, William to Lady Mary Bridgeman. Letter dated 3rd August 1700. (Staffs CRO, Earl of
Bradford's Archives, 18/4). Quoted in Beard 1981.
96

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xx QUEEN ANNE’S GATE

A Report on the Early Painted Schemes

12th August 2010

A Report on the Early Painted Schemes

A Report on the Early Painted Schemes

Brief Background to the House1

1705-18 Wm. Smith

Elements of the following areas were examined:

This report contains the following:

a) Appendix One - Photographs of the location of sampling;

a) The position of a particular layer in relation to known events;

Some Notes on Terminology

The following terms appear throughout the report.

Detailed Analysis of Samples

1) No 56 Artillery Lane, in Spitalfields, had a 7 year repainting cycle.18

Floor Area Approximate Number of Schemes

"Take notice also, That all simple Colours used in House

It is understood that other doors to the stairs have been replaced.

Ground Floor – Front Room

Shutters and Windows

Ground Floor – Rear Room

First Floor – Front Room

Second Floor – Front Room

Second Floor – Rear Room

In view of the preponderance of stone-coloured schemes my recommendation would be that such

Patrick Baty BA (Hons) FSA Scot FRSA

Entrance Hall: Arched Door to Base of Stairs

Ground Floor: Front Room

7 Ground Floor: Front Room

Ground Floor: Front Room

Exposed 1960s+ scheme 18

Ground Floor: Front Room

Ground Floor: Rear Room. Chimneybreast

First Floor: Front Room. SE Corner

First Floor: Front Room. North Wall

Second Floor: Front Room. East Wall

Second Floor: Rear Room. Chimneypiece

Exterior: Doorcase Exterior: Cornice

Second Floor: Front Room – Dark Green

Queen Anne’s Gate

Hall door here Dark layer

3rd lead colour Stone colours

1st lead colour

Photomicrograph of QAG/55 (upper layers) (x200 digitally reduced)

Photomicrograph of QAG/55 (lower layers) (x500 digitally enlarged)

NB No obvious red oxide

Photomicrograph of QAG/58 (lower layers) (x500 digitally enlarged)

1st lead colour

2nd stone Red lead

Red oxide Wood

Photomicrographs of QAG/62 (x200 & x500 digitally altered)

Photomicrograph of QAG/56 (lower layers only) (x500 digitally reduced)

Photomicrograph of QAG/57 (x200 digitally enlarged)

3rd lead colour 1st lead colour

Red oxide Wood

Photomicrographs of QAG/44 (x200 & x500 digitally altered)

1st black Wood

Photomicrograph of QAG/48 (x200)

Photomicrographs of QAG/49 (x200 & x500 digitally altered)

1st lead colour

1st stone Red oxide

Photomicrographs of QAG/64 (x200 & x500 digitally altered)

Existing sashes introduced here

Closet formed here?

Queen Anne's Gate Report

Queen Anne's Gate Report