What is an ornamenter??

Question:My grandparents do geneology and found that an ancestor of mine made his living as an ornamenter in Cleveland, OH. We can't figure out what it is though.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: My grandparents do geneology and found that an ancestor of mine made his living as an ornamenter in Cleveland, OH. We can't figure out what it is though.

An ornamenter is someone who:
Compounds and casts ornamenting putty (compo) into designs and glues designs to picture moldings: Measures glue, resin, linseed oil, and water into separate gluepots and weighs them. Melts glue and resin and combines ingredients into one pot. Inspects mixture to ascertain viscosity and pours it into tube that contains whiting (powdered chalk). Stirs, kneads, and shapes putty into loaf. Presses loaf into mold with hand and thumbs. Clamps board over filled mold and places it in press. Pushes button or turns handwheel to activate and release press. Removes casting, trims design, and places it on table to harden. Brushes glue on back of hardened ornament and lays it in place on blank picture molding.

http://www.rootsweb.com/~engsts/potters1...
says:

Ornamenter: Decorates high class pieces with relief designs

Occupations in the Pottery Industry
Prepared and submitted by Staffordshire Listmember Norman in Wolverhampton
Taken from the Dictionary of Occupational Terms
as used in the Census of Population 1921
Published by H.M.S.O. 1927 price ￡1. 1 shilling.

That's in the UK, but they aren't the only potters in the world, and our two languages are close.

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http://www.occupationalinfo.org/76/76938...

TITLE(s): COMPO CASTER (wood prod., nec)
>>> alternate titles: ornamenter, hand

Compounds and casts ornamenting putty (compo) into designs and glues designs to picture moldings: Measures glue, resin, linseed oil, and water into separate gluepots and weighs them. Melts glue and resin and combines ingredients into one pot. Inspects mixture to ascertain viscosity and pours it into tube that contains whiting (powdered chalk). Stirs, kneads, and shapes putty into loaf. Presses loaf into mold with hand and thumbs. Clamps board over filled mold and places it in press. Pushes button or turns handwheel to activate and release press. Removes casting, trims design, and places it on table to harden. Brushes glue on back of hardened ornament and lays it in place on blank picture molding.
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There are 476 hits in Google for the two words "Ornamenter" and "Occupation". Exactly which kind he was is anyone's guess. If you can find the same ancestor in a later census, when they added "Industry" as a column after "Occupation", it may help. Your LDS church's Family History Center probably has access to census images, free to all, Mormon or not.