In July 1978 I followed a lead from Hofrat Dr. Walter Winkelbauer which led me to the newly 
found treasure discovered by Mr. Zinner, an employee of the „Finanzarchiv”. 
I wanted, at first, only to become acquainted with the sources in the original, but a closer study 
revealed that the files had to be completely reviewed. As a result it became clear that the 
painter lists published by Folnesics-Braun, which were used as evidence by all succeeding 
researchers, were incomplete and in some details incorrect. A comprehensive general 
correction of the lists published in 1907 was necessary, and would have to be carried out as 
quickly as possible in Order to prevent any further incorrect ascriptions. 
Even the form in which Folnesics-Braun had published the lists was able to lead to serious 
errors. While, in the book of 1907, first the relevant painter number, then the painter, and 
finally (often without any explanatory comment) the length of Service at the manufactory are 
given, one could receive the impression that the painter had held that number during his entire 
period of Service. The following example (one of many) will illustrate that this was by no means 
the case. 
Johann Carmanioly was employed, as can be proven, at the factory from 1807 tili 1861. 
Folnesics-Braun ascribe the number 56 for the period from 1807 to 1850. This piece of infor- 
mation embodies two errors: first of all, Carmanioly was employed by the factory until 1861 
and not just tili 1850, and secondly, heheldtwonumbers: nr. 56 (from 1812 tili 1839) and nr. 48 
(from 1840 tili 1861). This one example - one out of many - reveals how careful one must be 
in analyzing and interpreting data coming from archives and it also illustrates how carefully 
one ought to interprete Contemporary records which are sometimes contradictory. 
Because Folnesics-Braun nearly always ascribed a single painter number to a painter’s total 
length of Service, time overlappings result and it often appears as if different painters posses- 
sed the same painter number at the same time. We know, however, from the usual practice of 
the Viennese Factory that such overlappings - ifthey everoccurred atall - were very seldom 
occurrences and referred only to very short time spans (months, but by no means years). 
Moreover it has been ascertained that Folnesics-Braun never completely analyzed the files 
they specified as source materials - neither in 1907 nor later. They overlooked, apparently, a 
listof „Bossierer” (moulder) lettersfrom 1787 anddidn’t pay any attention atall to the „Weiß 
dreher” (turner) numbers. It seems that only the painter numbers and the moulder letters 
were of interest to them. But the work of the „Weißdreher” (turner) ought not to be under- 
estimated; many of these workers were awarded bonuses for exceptional achievements. 
Folnesics-Braun probably never analyzed the wage lists of the personnel at the factory dating 
from the end of 1811 tili 1864. The wage lists are, however, very important as they specify, in 
accounting periods (of several years), the yearly wages of the painters, moulders and other 
workers. These lists illustrate the change of signs (painter numbers, „Bossierer” letters etc.) 
from one worker to another, a change which is only partly to be explained by the freeing of a 
sign as a result of the death or retirement of its previous holder. 
The System of sign changing, which always culminated at specific dates, has a simple, yet 
enlightening, explanation: Whoever started the lists had double-sheeted paper at his disposal 
that was subdivided both vertically and horizontally. The names of the workers were arranged 
in the left hand column underneath one another (one per line) while the sequence of years 
was arranged on the top horizontal. It was only possible to represent a limited number of years 
per sheet, and in this way the respective accounting periods came about. There were five 
accounting periods from the end of 1811 tili 1866: 1812—1820, 1821—1827, 1828—1839, 
1840-1852,1853-1866. Typical breaks were the years 1820/21,1827/28 etc. Often artists 
wereomitted, their numbers not used, and in order notto leave these lines empty, a new num- 
bering was begun at the next opportunity (usually at the addition of a new accounting sheet). 
This new numbering took the then number of personnel into consideration and invalidated, 
with but few exceptions, the old numbering System. 
Thus, as has already been mentioned, the most practical time to shorten the list was at the 
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