The Picture Printer of the Nineteenth Century, George Baxter

Hardback. Fair. Sampson Low, Marston, London, 1911; 4to, pp xxvi, 363; printed on thick paper and the volume consequently bulky; blue cloth boards gilt and with an inlaid colour oval print of of a rural herding scene; covers dull and with the front board detached and the half title consequently loose and the binding worn; occasional very light foxing but generally clean throughout; ownership inscription and some pencil scribbling on the front end paper, one folding notice repaired with tape; profusely illustrated with 47 monochrome and 21 colour illustrations of Baxter's work or of bills and notices giving relevant information in some cases. Baxter, a wood engraver and printer like his father, is generally credited with developing a commercially viable method of colour printing, his first known print appearing in 1829. Although he didn't particularly benefit from his inventions or his work - he went bankrupt in 1865 - his prints are generally very fine and far superior to those of other printers to whom he licensed his process. The book isn't a definitive work on Baxter but with its mix of biography and extensive description and cataloguing of Baxter's output is still a useful reference work for anyone interested in the subject. NOTE that as the book weighs approaching 1,700g there will be a postage supplement on the default charges shown for overseas buyers although not for those in the UK.