Crystal Palace in Colour.

tulse hill terry · Post by **tulse hill terry** » 3 Dec 2007 05:54

"George Baxter (1804 - 1867) is regarded as the "Inventor" of colour printing. The Baxter process, which he patented in 1835, involved an initial metal keyplate and up to 20 wood or metal blocks to apply each individual colour, and all this on hand presses!"

http://www.georgebaxter.com/

Steve Grindlay · Post by **Steve Grindlay** » 3 Dec 2007 07:58

I suspect this is not a genuine Baxter print; I have the same view and have always assumed it was a Le Blond. The colours lack the vibrancy of an original and the signature is wrong. The site you linked to has a section on fakes and under section 5 - Baxter 'applied' signature it says:

This is a rubber stamp applied, more than likely in the 1920's, specifically to deceive. Technically this fake signature can be found on any print, including genuine unsigned Baxters, but mainly you will see this on Le Blond prints and Le Blond Baxters. The rubber stamp usually, if not always, states 'Published Oct 7th 1854 by G Baxter Proprietor and Patentee London'. It is quite often so feint it can hardly be seen and for some reason it is always applied at an angle.

I do have a genuine Baxter print of the Crystal Palace which I've uploaded <here>.

George Baxter had strong local links. He married the daughter of Robert Harrild (the man responsible for installing St Antholin's spire in his garden at Round Hill) and when he retired Baxter spent the last seven years of his life in a large house on Peak Hill. He has a prominent grave in Christ Church, Forest Hill.

kennyb2 · Post by **kennyb2** » 3 Dec 2007 13:43

What ever the ifs and buts of this pic, every time I see anything like it, I am convinced that the biggest criminal act of govt authority of the 20th century was the failure to rebuild the Crystal Palace.

What an asset it would be,and what a better project than that rubbish Dome.

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 3 Dec 2007 14:10

I agree that the Crystal palace is one of the most incredible buildings of the last 150 years and that it was a shame it was never rebuilt or that the park had been lets to rot for so long. There were many interesting buildings in the park and WHY they got rid of the fountains is anybodies guess.

As for the dome, the dome itself only cost £50 million, the rest of the money was spent on infrastucture, roads, tube station an what went in it. I like the dome and it at last has a life beyond the millenium. It is also far and away the most visited tourist attraction the UK has ever known with 12 million in one year. I went and had a very interesting and informative day. Most people who don't like the dome don't actually know the full story behind it and didn't go. It has many similarities with the CP in that it helped rejuvenate an entire district of London and it was many years after the even that it went on to have another use. The main difference is that the Dome made a huge loss and the CP funded most of the museums in london. That's management fault, not the domes fault.

Falkor · Post by **Falkor** » 3 Dec 2007 15:16

I do have a genuine Baxter print of the Crystal Palace which I've uploaded <here>.

Oh my gosh, Steve, mate, that is gorgeous!!! Why's the "Baxter print" published in the "Palace of the People" book so washed out like the Le Blond print above?* That book always disappoints me the more research I do; although the colourful interior is shown through a James Nash painting, the blue and white exterior isn't emphasised in the same way.

Steve's scan of the genuine Baxter print shows in more detail the effect of the colour blue on the exterior of the Crystal Palace:

THANKS STEVE; that's made my day!

*Likewise, I prefer this painting of the palace and gardens over the Le Blond:

kennyb2 · Post by **kennyb2** » 3 Dec 2007 17:31

A truly magnificent structure, and a building of beauty indeed

tulse hill terry · Post by **tulse hill terry** » 4 Dec 2007 02:51

I'm loving how this thread has developed into "Crystal Palace in Living Colour." Is it possible to rename it?

However did the image above by James Duffield Harding, leave the Duke of Devonshire's family and end up in the RIBA drawing collection I wonder, it is massive though. I saw it at the exhibition at Dulwich Gallery.

Here is the watercolour of "Opening Ceremony at the Crystal Palace, June 10th 1854," attrib Joseph Nash, and sold by Sotheby's a few years ago.

A testament to Owen Jones' passion for "polychromy" and covered so well in Jan Piggott's book. I don't know why Folkar always gives it such a hard time.

Onward with the colour! Apparently the only colour photographs ever taken in the Crystal Palace, circa 1936. A testament to the manager, Mr Bucklands efforts to revive the Crystal Palace. Shame about the watermarks, not very sporting is it? Perhaps a certain someone should have a word with them.

The South Nave.

?

The Pompeian Court.

The model of Aboo Simbell.

Pompeian Court (detail.)

Egyptian Court.

Buckland's worker giving the Egyptian Court a lick of paint. (Don't even get me started on the subject of Getty.)

Falkor · Post by **Falkor** » 4 Dec 2007 10:22

Anyone got a good quality scanned print of the other Joseph Nash one showing the north transept please?

The model of Aboo Simbell.

Do any similar views exist in B&W that were taken so close up to those figures?

tulse hill terry · Post by **tulse hill terry** » 4 Dec 2007 15:08

Anyone got a good quality scanned print of the other Joseph Nash one showing the north transept

Que?

Falkor · Post by **Falkor** » 4 Dec 2007 15:13

This one...

tulse hill terry · Post by **tulse hill terry** » 4 Dec 2007 19:13

Not me, though presumably whoever is offering the giclee print (you don't say who) could sell you one you could re-scan.

By William White Warren, I have no idea if this is still on loan to the National Gallery, London.

Tiny but complete view of print Folkar pasted a section of in another thread, for sale on abebooks

Falkor · Post by **Falkor** » 4 Dec 2007 19:22

OK mate, but I'll have to save those pennies, cause it ain't cheap...
http://www.art.co.uk/asp/sp-asp/_/pd--1 ... denham.htm

Falkor · Post by **Falkor** » 4 Dec 2007 19:35

Got anymore from this series?

tulse hill terry · Post by **tulse hill terry** » 4 Dec 2007 19:37

You either psychic or have cctv installed at my study, I have just put what Nelson prints in order before scanning, I am going through everything I have at the moment.

Falkor · Post by **Falkor** » 4 Dec 2007 19:40

Nice one; looking forward to it!

tulse hill terry · Post by **tulse hill terry** » 4 Dec 2007 19:43

"Inauguration of the Scutari Monument and the Peace Trophy at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, 9 May 1856" The Royal Collection

Piggot page 63

Falkor · Post by **Falkor** » 4 Dec 2007 20:15

Might as well add these to the topic...

lbere · Post by **lbere** » 4 Dec 2007 22:42

Thanks, these pictures are amazing, espically the first one. I have never seen these types photos of The Crystal Palace before, just the normal black and white ones off the outside.

tulse hill terry · Post by **tulse hill terry** » 5 Dec 2007 06:03

These went for peanuts, ebay June 2006

tulse hill terry · Post by **tulse hill terry** » 6 Dec 2007 23:54

2 Le Blond prints. "Abraham Le Blond of Le Blond & Co. became the first Baxter licensee in 1849. From 1850 until about 1867 the firm produced large quantities of prints using the Baxter Process. They also produced many small prints which were used for pocketbook illustrations. Le Blond produced just over 100 prints using the Baxter Process as well as some reproductions of Baxter's originals which have become known as 'Le Blond-Baxters'. In 1868, a year after George Baxter’s death, Le Blond acquired 66 sets of Baxter's original plates and blocks and republished those subjects. These Le Blond-Baxters were more cheaply produced than the original Baxters and generally are not of such high quality. Abraham Le Blond is best known, however, for his set of 32 oval prints which are of an extremely high quality."

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Crystal Palace in Colour.

Crystal Palace in Colour.