Registered Designs and Trade Marks

Domestic Records Information 100

1. Representations and Registers of Designs, 1839 - 1964

A representation is a sample, picture, photograph or sketch of the registered design. The registers of designs include the allocated registered number, usually the name and the address of the owner of the design (who was not necessarily the designer), and the quantity of items registered, known as the bundle or parcel. The National Archives holds the surviving representations and registers of designs between 1839 and 1964. These documents are often very large, unwieldy and very dusty: They also have fairly complicated reference systems.

2. Classification of Materials

From 1842 to 1883 the representations were filed according to their 'material classification' (what they were made of - see the classification table below). The clerks sometimes placed items in the wrong material class, so that a book binding may be mis-filed as a carpet (as was BT 50/52 design 38781).

3. Do You Have the Design Number?

If you know the registration number, and perhaps know the material class and the date of manufacture, you should have little difficulty in finding the relevant details. First, look in the tables below, and find the correct date, design number and material. Then read off the relevant series and piece numbers, then go to the catalogue. From the catalogue you should be able to identify the reference that you need to order for the register and/or representation.

4. Do You Have a Diamond Mark?

Between 1842 and 1883, the existence of a diamond mark on an item will help you find the representation and registration details - see the Diamond Marks Research Guide.

5. No Known Design Number or Diamond Mark?

If you know what the item looks like, what it is made of, and an approximate date, it is possible to limit your search using the table overleaf. First pinpoint the date, then look across to 'Classification', to find the right type of material. From the 'Representation' and 'Register' columns, you should be able to identify the likely series and reference number range. Now go to the Catalogue (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue) and work out which documents seem worth ordering. Once ordered search through the representations until you identify the item. Having discovered the design number you can then look up the registration details. If you know the proprietor for a design registered between c.1840 and c.1870 try the alphabetical register BT 44/38 .

6. Trade Marks

Trade marks were used to identify the company that made a particular product. There are representation of trade marks in BT 82 , for 1876 to 1938, but only a few specimen registers survive in BT 900/15-20 . Other trademarks, from 1876 to 1935, are in BT 244 , but these have no registers at all.

7. The classification tables

1839 Act BT 42 Series

1842 Act BT 43 and BT 44 Series

1843 Act BT 45 and BT 46

1850 Act BT 47 and BT 48

1883 Act BT 50 and BT 51

1907 Act BT 52 and BT 53

* Only brief details (and no representations) were recorded during the First World War period.

1907 Act BT 52 and BT 53

Notes:
1) Incomplete date range
2) Incomplete number range
3) BT 42 and BT 43 form a single numerical series
4) Class 11, Furnitures are printed fabric designs with a repeat pattern greater than 12 x 8 inches.
5) BT 44/14 has an extended register range to 372225 whereas BT 43/187 extends only to 361923
6) BT 44/33-37 are a set of registers to proprietors with indexes (volumes 'A' - 'E' but volume 'B' is not available). BT 44/38 is an alphabetical register of proprietors in BT 44/33-37 .
7) BT 46/5 Letter A is missing from the index
8) BT 46/8 Number not used
9) BT 47/11 Designs 1-19 are missing
10) BT 51/138 Includes non-textile designs 518415-520895
11) BT 51/173 For continuation of this volume see BT 53/7-8
12) BT 53/104 Document missing
13) For designs 1-11532 see BT 53/9-10

(ri2207) Last updated: 24 August 2005 | © Crown Copyright 2003