George Baxter, Master Colour Printer

March 2 to April 2, 2015

June 21 to September 30, 2016 

Curator: Merrill Distad

A milestone in the art of colour printing, George Baxter’s patented process used oil-based, coloured inks to produce engraved prints of extraordinary detail and beauty, totalling an estimated 20,000,000 copies of almost 400 different subjects. These ranged from the religious and sentimental, to portrait prints of public figures and celebrities, British and European architecture and landscapes, as well as scenes from the Crimean War, Australian gold rush, and Crystal Palace exhibitions. No one did more to bring colourful artworks within reach of the humblest householder’s purse, nor leave a more colourful legacy for generations of admiring collectors of Victoriana. This exhibition was interrupted when the Peel library closed for renovations (3 April 2015–21 June 2016). The catalogue for this exhibition is available for sale in person in the Peel library for $15 (cash only, no dealers).

 

The Peel library has offered a fascinating array of exhibitions since moving to the basement of Rutherford South in 1984. Numerous awards demonstrate that the exhibition catalogues published by Bruce Peel Special Collections are some of the best in North America. They are distributed internationally by University of Alberta Press and continue to be actively used by local researchers. For information on past exhibitions and the availability of exhibition catalogues, see Previous in-house Exhibitions.