Meaning
A tradesman who applied paint and other decorative finishes to buildings and surfaces.
Description
Painters and decorators prepared and painted the interior and exterior surfaces of buildings, applying coats of paint mixed from pigments and linseed oil and later from ready-mixed commercial paints. Many also hung wallpaper, applied distemper and carried out other decorative work. The trade required knowledge of surface preparation, colour mixing and the properties of different paints and varnishes. Painters often worked alongside glaziers and plumbers as part of a building team. The expansion of suburban housing in the Victorian era created sustained demand for painting and decorating work.
Also Known As
Decorator, House Painter, Painter and Decorator
Commonly Found In
- Census Returns
- Trade Directories
- Apprenticeship Records
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