Feature April 2014

The Waddleton Chronology

Norman Waddleton was best known for his Collection of Books with Colour Printed Illustrations.

Having collected books for more than 30 years, Norman transferred his collection to Cambridge University Library so that it would be available to researchers and he became Honorary Keeper of Illustrated Books at the Library. Not only did he collect the books but Norman then compiled bibliographies for them, publishing his first consolidated Chronology in 1993.

The Theory and Practice of Landscape Painting in Water Colours, one of the 27,000 books in the Chronology

With the help of Norman's family, the Waddleton Chronology of over 27,000 books was made available on line . This is an essential research tool for anyone interested in 19th century colour printing including George Baxter and his licensees, but it goes much further than that; encompassing books from as early as the 15th century, and on into the 20th century.

The New Baxter Society recognised the importance of this work with the award of the Denis Knight Memorial Cup in 1992. Sadly Norman, who was a active member and supporter of the New Baxter Society, died in 2008; but his legacy of the Chronology lives on.

As of 2019 this Chronology is no longer available online.