Lincrusta is a deeply embossed wallcovering. A British invention, it was the brainchild of inventor Frederick Walton

Frederick Walton

Frederick Edward Walton , was an English manufacturer and inventor who invented Linoleum in Staines and Lincrusta ....

 who earlier (1860) patented linoleum floor covering. Lincrusta was launched in 1877 and was used in a host of applications from royal homes to railway carriages. The linseed gel continues to dry for many years, so the surface actually gets tougher over time. Many examples over a hundred years old can still be found throughout the world.

Lincrusta is made from a paste of gelled linseed oil

Linseed oil

Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, is a clear to yellowish oil obtained from the dried ripe seeds of the flax plant . The oil is obtained by cold pressing, sometimes followed by solvent extraction...

 and wood flour

Wood flour

Wood flour is finely pulverized wood that has a consistency fairly equal to sand or sawdust, but can vary considerably, with particles ranging in size from a fine powder to roughly the size of a grain of rice. Most wood flour manufacturers are able to create batches of wood flour that have the...

 spread on heavy canvas.