Question Linen Mat History

[ECarrArt]

Does anyone know a rough estimate of when the first linen mats were used? I'm finding answers for linen liners but nothing on when linen mats as we know them now came into existence.

 

[wvframer]

There may be others here who can answer this question, but I would ask Lynn Roberts who has The Frame Blog, https://theframeblog.com/about/.

 

[Alan Yaffe]

I framed for a number of dealers who sold antique art from England. I got in a number of English watercolors from the mid to late 1800's that had canvas covering the green board they used as a substrate. I think the board was usually printed with the name Whatman I remember. That is as early as I remember seeing a textured fabric on a matboard. I am sure there is someone out there that can be more definitive.

 

[JFeig]

The Victorian era was awash with velvet covered borders around photographs as well as liners in stacked frames.