top of page
Welcome to GeorgeBaxter.com

The home of research into the work of George Baxter, Baxter Prints, Baxter's Licencees and other Mid 19th Century hand pressed Victorian Colour Printers

George Baxter (1804 - 1867) -The 'inventor' of colour printing

Colour printing had been in existence for many years but it had been quite basic and very expensive to produce. In 1834 Baxter was the first person to acheive quality AND quantity 'commercial colour printing'. His patent in 1835 allowed him to dominate the market for the next 15 years and acheive the highest quality hand produced prints until his retirement in the 1860's. The quality, finish and look of his missionary prints produced in the 1840's, for example, would be hard to replicate

George Baxter Prints - Flora and other prints for sale
Who was George Baxter - Victorian Colour Printer - Baxter Print

even today BUT in 1840 these were all produced by hand - from the engraving of the steel plates, the wood or metal blocks for each colours and all printed on hand presses. These were NOT 'prints' as perhaps we think of today but hand produced works of art.

​

Was he really the 'inventor' of colour printing? Possibly not but as early as 1842 Baxter advertised himself as 'The Inventor and Patentee of the art of printing in Oil Colours' and was definitely the inventor of the art of commercial colour picture printing.

Examples of Baxter's work

Prince Albert
Queen Victoria - George Baxter Print
Duke of Wellington
1692 - Empheror Napoleon I

Baxter produced about 400 different prints, some of his most popular were his portraits - examples here are Prince Albert, Queen Victoria, Duke of Wellington and Napoleon I - Queen Victoria invited Baxter to sketch the scene at her Coronation which he later produced as a rare full colour print

Crystal Palace 1854 - Great Exhibition
George Baxter's Gems of the Great Exdhibition 1851g
 Pompeian Court of the Crystal Palace

Baxter produced many original prints of topical events of the day, nothing can be more topical than his prints of the Great Exhibition of 1851 and of The Crystal Palace

George Baxter's The Bridesmaid
 George Baxter - Windsor Castle

He produced many religious subjects, such as Rubens 'Descent from the Cross', copies of famous paintings of the day like 'The Bridesmaid' after Brooks as well as original subjects like 'Windsor Castle' or 'Puss Napping' stated as drawn from life.

The first prints published by him as separate works of art were some of his missionary prints in the 1840's such as 'The Ordinance of Baptism' showing a scene in Jamaica.

George Baxter - Ordinance of Baptisim
Rubans - George Baxter Descent from Cross
George Baxter - Puss Napping
Home
Contact

CONTACT ME

Any questions, please feel free to ask - Always happy to talk 'Baxters'

If you want to send images please email to: sales@georgebaxter.com

Mic - www.GeorgeBaxter.com

Burry Port, South Wales, UK

bottom of page