Holmes Winter - "The Last of Old St Albans", 1898.

Illustrated front cover of part 1 (number 9) of Holmes Winters' series of etchings "The Last of Old St Albans", published 1898.

Holmes Edwin Cornelius Winter (1851- 1935) was born in Great Yarmouth and is regarded as an East Anglian painter. He is first listed as living in St Albans in 1892 in Albert Street. It is thought that he discovered St Albans whilst on a walking tour with another well known local artist Frederick Kitton.

During the later years of his life he was overtaken by insanity and he spent the last 5 years of his life in a mental institution.

In 1897/98 he produced a series of etchings entitled The Last of Old St Albans. These comprised 100 plates issued in 10 parts; he completed the series in 1905. Each was strictly limited to 25 copies and the plates were all destroyed. These etchings remember the quiet country town that St Albans once was, though it is interesting to note how many of these views are still remarkably similar, over 100 years later.

This gallery highlights only a small part of the set. Further works but Holmes Winter are available to view online by follwing the link below.

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