George Baxter, a Londoner, is credited with inventing the first commercially viable colour printing process. Baxter was an established artist and printer before he adapted earlier ideas of colour printing with woodblocks in 1828. His ‘Baxter process’ involved the engraving of an image onto a metal plate, with relief wood blocks superimposed over each other in precise alignment to add colours to complete the print. He used good-quality paper, and mixed all his own oil inks to build up a picture slowly, tint by tint; between 10 and 20 printings were required to achieve one image, and many prints were touched-up by hand. However, the result was a picture in oil colours that was clear and distinct. In 1835 Baxter patented the process. Apart from the sale of 'Oil Pictures', his prints were used to illustrate books, his 'Cabinet of Paintings' was the first to be published in full colour and he produced music sheets, needle boxes, boxes for handkerchiefs, playing cards and more. Nonetheless, he was constantly in debt and was declared bankrupt in 1865. Two years later, he died as a result of injuries from an omnibus accident. After his death his prints were published as Baxter Prints by Vincent Day Brookes & Son and as their own by Le Blond & Co., his licensees.
