Background
Henry Rafter was born around 1830 in Malta to Catherine Amelia Moore and Michael Rafter, and in 1855 he married Mary Christiana Sturtevant, 23, a student of the School of Arts in Coventry.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Henry Rafter
Edit ProfileCareer
He is noted for his scenes of landscapes, nature and animals. He was also a prolific book illustrator, and produced several portraits as well. He worked in the 19th Century in England, with watercolor and lithographs.
In 1856, his work flourished.
He produced approximately 50 paintings in that year. In 1856 he had an Exhibition of a Sporting Subject in Coventry Warwickshire, England.
In 1862, he resigned as the headmaster of the School of Arts of Coventry. He sent in a letter of resignation to his committee, giving as his main reason the falling-off of fees.
Immediately following his appointment at Coventry, Rafter began further developing his lithography technique and pursuing patent licenses.
On 21 April 1863 he was granted patent Number. 2309 for "an improved process for obtaining printing surfaces". On 15 September 1864 he was granted patent Number.
6641 for "producing relief printing surfaces".
On 22 January 1884 he was granted a patent for an invention for "combining process with engraving relief for printed surfaces". There are two lithography plates of Henry Rafter"s in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England: Illustrations to Wyatt’s “Industrial Arts of the Nineteenth Century” Plates 37, 47.
Henry Rafter had 9 children – Henry, Catherine, Francis, William, Adolphe, John, Lucius, Sylvia and Claude.
