In 1842 Benjamin Walton became the proprietor of the Old Hall, Wolverhampton, one of the most prominent japanning factories in the West Midlands which had been in operation for over one hundred years.
Walton changed the decorating style and introduced a manner of painting, termed "the Wolverhampton style" and brought in artists from other trades. These innovations were short lived as the depression of the mid 1840's, known as the 'hungry forties', forced Walton into bankruptcy.