What was the coating used on Saloon windows in the past (2023 Update)

[fiveoclocksomewhere]

Watch almost any old western movie and the saloons almost always had a coating on their windows. It has a small design pattern of colors that let light in, but made so people could not see inside.

Ok, Hollywood has never been historically accurate with a lot of stuff, but this is seen in so many Westerns, that there must be some accuracy to it. Plus, it would make sense that they wanted light, but did not want children and others seeing what was going on inside the saloon.

The stuff used on these movies was probably some sort of "contact paper", and I have seen "contact paper" sold for windows which people use in bathrooms and stuff like that.

But in the 1800's they could not buy "contact paper". So, what did they use? I asked a guy who works for a glass company, and he does stained glass too, and he said he has seen that on th Western movies too, but dont know what it is. He suggested it could be similar to wax paper, but he was not able to provide any more information, or what the stuff was called.

Does anyone on here have any knowledge of this?

It's impossible to search the web for it, not knowing what it's called.

[Clare Snyder]

Crystal laquer was one commonly used "obscuring agent" on glass in years gone by.

[gfretwell]

Stained glass but I doubt that actually made it to a lot of small town western bars. In a big city it may have been more common. I suspect that is just colored cellophane in the old cowboy movies. They were going to throw a chair or a cowboy through it before the movie was over anyway.

[Audra]

I wonder the same thing. Several westerns have the same small print like the glass on the window at the Long Branch on gun smoke

[Clare Snyder]

Cristal laquer??

[Thomas]

Tobacco smoke residue.