Scale Beam japanner/gilder

[Arundoll]

Hi, My great grand uncle lived in Birmingham and from his census returns from 1851-1891 he was employed as a Scale beam japanner/gilder. I can only assume this would best be described as applying black laquer and gold lettering to those incredible pieces of heavy engineering and pumping machines that epitomised the Victorian era. Am I right?
Thanks in advance
Arundoll

 

[Morturn]

Scale beams are found on weighing machines and come in all sizes. I would have thought that it’s the smaller machines that would have been more decorative. Decorating items like this was certainly a highly skilled craft.

 

[Richard Dye]

Scale beams are found on weighing machines and come in all sizes. I would have thought that it’s the smaller machines that would have been more decorative. Decorating items like this was certainly a highly skilled craft.

Mort, I think you are correct. The highly decorated scales were smaller and were used usually (not always) at the point of sale.