Few
Liverpool families lacked seafarers amongst their menfolk,
adding to the prevalent demand for cheap prints of famous
transatlantic sailing packets and early steamers.Walters was
very much aware of this mass market, at least sixty of his
paintings being reproduced as prints, especially as the expensive
earlier aquatint process was replaced by the much cheaper
one of lithography. By about 1860, he had largely adopted
photographic reproductions of his own paintings, of which
about a dozen larger or 'cabinet size' prints are known to
survive. Some were overpainted in oils, and under glass may
be mistaken for an oil painting on board, on cursory examination.
At the time they cost a respectable four guineas. More numerous
were his 'carte de visite' size photographic reproductions.
Mostly of second generation steam liners representing nearly
all the well known Liverpool companies. Often having an accommodation
plan on the reverse they were very popular with shipping lines
and passengers alike, being despatched in thousands worldwide.
A collection of about seventy examples is preserved in the
Liverpool Record Office. Normally bearing textual specifications
of the vessel concerned they can prove to be of value in identifying
some of the artist's original paintings.
|
Self portrait of Samuel Walters. Inscribed
verso, "Portrait of Samuel Walters of Liverpool, aged
21 and six months painted by himself Liverpool 1833"
Oil on panel 9" x 7.25"
Courtesy of the artist's great-grandson. |
