Nottingham white

Description

An old name for Lead white pigment used prior to the 19th century. Nottingham white specifically referred to basic lead carbonate that was prepared with strips of Lead placed inside the lid of an ale Vinegar container. This formed lead acetate which was slowly transformed into lead carbonate.

Resources and Citations

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• Susan E. Schur, Conservation Terminology: A review of Past & Current Nomenclature of Materials, Technology and Conservation, Spring (p.34-39); Summer (p.35-38); Fall (p.25-36), 1985