Registered Design Numbers

A patent identifies some novel aspect or attribute of an object or process. A Registered Design deals with the appearance of an object or broadly how it functions. When registered, a design is allocated a number, there are two series of number - those issued before 1884 and those issued from 1884 when the numbering started again at 1. For the period to 1884 designs are classified as to type of object, so it is relatively easy to find photographic designs, this is not the case from 1884.

Below is a list of the highest number reached for each year up to 1939. Michael Pritchard has listed all the photographic designs up to 1884 in 'Technology and Art'.¹

References & Notes