19th century Baxter prints (George Baxter)

George Baxter (1804-1867) developed the Baxter colour printing process, which gained international renown. After serving as an apprentice to a wood-engraver, he dedicated eight years to perfecting his technique. In 1829, Baxter produced his first colour print titled "Butterflies."

Baxter's process involved combining an engraved metal plate with up to twenty engraved wooden blocks. Each block was printed separately in a distinct colour, using a combination of intaglio and relief techniques. The resulting prints were of excellent quality yet affordable, leading to their widespread production. Baxter prints found their way into various applications, such as notepaper, pocket-books, decorated music sheets, needle cases, and book illustrations.

In recognition of his innovative process, Baxter was granted a royal patent in 1835 (Patent No. 6916 - Improvements in Producing Coloured Steel Plate, Copper Plate and other Impressions). The patent remained in effect from 1835 to 1854. In the final years more... of this period, Baxter licensed his method to different printers who continued using it until the 1870s. After the expiry of Baxter's patent in 1854, his process was gradually replaced by other colour printing methods like chromolithography.

Baxter prints can be distinguished by specific characteristics unique to each technique employed in the process, such as the aquatint grain, the darker lines of the intaglio plate, and the flattened edges of the relief blocks.

Despite producing an estimated 20 million prints throughout his career, Baxter faced financial challenges and died just two years after being declared bankrupt. Factors contributing to his difficulties included competition from rival companies, the increasing popularity of photography, and Baxter's own pursuit of perfection in a time-consuming process.