What were these professions!

[flossie1]

An ancestor of mine was a 'grainer' in 1851 and then an 'ornamental painter' in 1861.  I am not quite sure what each would entail.  I am not sure about a grainer and perhaps ornamental painting was decorating statues / walls.  I may be totally off in both, can anyone help please?

[Lostris]

you're very close - use Google or similar search engine  ... use those words plus occupation - to get a full definition.

[Greensleeves]

I believe a grainer was someone who used to paint wood ..... to look like wood!  I remember in my childhood my grandparents' house had doors which looked as though they had been varnished to within an inch of their lives, and then some kind of texturing was added to make it look like woodgrain.

[stanmapstone]

There were two types of Grainer, one who specialised in decorating tin boxes and trunks to resemble wood, and one who painted wood, stone, iron, etc. to imitate the grain of wood, or veining of marble.

Stan

[LizzieW]

I believe a grainer was someone who used to paint wood ..... to look like wood!

It was very popular in the 1950s, I remember my mum had loads of it done around the house.  I didn't like it, to me it looked - what it was - fake wood.

[Treetotal]

See definition here for Painter and Grainer:

http://www.census1891.com/occupations-p.htm

Carol

[stanmapstone]

Grainer and marbler, imitator of wood and marble; paints wood stone, iron, etc. to imitate the grain of wood, or veining of marble; in graining, paints surface with flat colour, uses steel combs, pieces of rag or cotton wool, and his own fingers to give appearance of graining and knots; in marbling, applies various colours to stone or other surfaces with brushes, "A Dictionary of Occupational Terms"

Stan

[Treetotal]

I can remember this fashion in painted doors using a woodgrain effect when I was growing up...I think varnish was used with rags and a comb as Stan describes....the colour we had was an awful tan shade.
Carol

[stanmapstone]

See http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/decorative-paint-technique-woodgraining-instructions/index.html

Stan