Lady with a fan

Some of the finest Victorian prints from the period by publisher Joseph Martin Kronheim, vivid engravings depict fashion, landscapes and popular sports in Victorian England and Europe. Detail and color depth are created by the Baxter method, a complex technological process that made color printing a truly commercial form. The Englishman George Baxter developed and patented his method in 1835. Due to financial difficulties, Baxter sold his patent to Joseph Cronhelm (engraver, expert and artist) who continued to produce color prints. These prints come from the collection of Alfred Ernest Owen, a famous Englishman and engineer who was involved in the development of the bicycle, car and airplane. An avid art collector, he was elected president of the Baxter Society in 1926 and bought the entire stock of Joseph Kronfelm's prints. These prints were kept in the vault of Owen's mansion. When Owen died at the age of 60, the prints remained in the repository until 1982 and were transferred to the Christie's house in London. Experts spent five years before creating a catalog of prints for sale in 1987.