Lasting impressions
“The Boa Ghaut”, after a painting
by William Westall (1781–1850) published 1837. The Ghaut (gate) allowed the Duke of Wellington’s canon to pass into central India
the th London Missionary Society and an attracted interest from the Royal Family. Prince Albert encouraged en Baxter to exhibit at the Great G Exhibition of 1851.
However, the genius printer was no businessman. So timeconsuming was Baxter’s process that financial rewards were small. O Others, including some of his own workforce, adapted his secret technique to enable faster
Below:
production and set up in opposition.
Baxter had been granted an extension of his patent in 1849 but was advised to appoint others as licensees. The £50 annual royalty from each was paid to his creditors.
Few took up the opportunity, but one was rival Abraham Le Blond (1819-1894) who produced about 130 colour prints of his own. However, they are of inferior quality.
Although it is estimated that Baxter produced more than 20 million prints, the growing popularity of photography, lithographic printing, Baxter’s own perfectionism and his failure to license his process failed to stave off financial ruin.
Baxter was declared bankrupt in 1865 and died after an accident involving a horse and carriage. Machinery, plates and prints were auctioned to pay off his debts, Le Blond seizing the chance to buy 69 sets of plates from which he produced his own cheap looking prints, replacing Baxter’s trademark with that of his own.
Ironically, modern fakers have been known to cut off Le Blond’s mark and add the Baxter signature. Some also bear the forged date October 7, 1854. That said, genuine Le Blond-Baxters are collected in their own right.
The oval embossed Baxter seal is a pointer to originality (although even this is not tamper proof ). Until 1848, Baxter’s name and address usually appeared on the print itself.
From that date, the genuine mount was embossed “Printed in Oil Colours by Geo. Baxter, Patentee” or “Printed in Oil Colours by G. Baxter, the Inventor and Patentee of Oil Colour Printing ”.
In 1849, a red printed oval seal was used for the title of the print and Baxter’s name and in 1850, this changed to a white seal.
Six styles of seal were used in all and changes in his address which can help date a print were: 3 Charterhouse Square, London (from 1835-43); 11 Northampton Square (1843-51) and 11 and 12 Northampton Square (1851-60). Today, Baxter prints range from £5 to about £2,000 for the rarest prints, while a Le Blond oval costs between £5-120.
Art & Antiques for Everyone is at the NEC from April 4-7. Admission is £16 per person, including free car parking, but readers get two tickets for the price of one on production of a copy of this newspaper at the box office.