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...the link between you, the visual artist, and the manufacturer of art
materials.
established 1990
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Airbrush
Liberty Walkup - The Years 1882-1892
In 1882 Liberty Walkup purchased the patent to the "paint distributor" airbrush invented by Abner Peeler. Walkup's wife was a trained portrait photo retoucher, the occupation for which the airbrush was invented. With her help and ability to demonstrate, Walkup introduced the airbrush at a photo convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was met with curiosity more than anything else. Some thought perhaps there was a trick involved--a sleight of hand performance. It seemed impossible that such effects could be achieved with the airbrush and, hence, it was not a success. However, Walkup saw potential.
In 1883, Walkup, with a group of investors from Rockford, Illinois, formed a company that offered fifty thousand dollars worth of stock. This enabled him to form The Airbrush Manufacturing Company of Rockford, Illinois. In 1884, with improvements made by Peeler consisting of the revolutionary "walking bar" and a hard rubber handle to enhance appearance, the new and improved airbrush was introduced and became an immediate success.
Walkup was now well on his way to starting an airbrush dynasty. In 1886 he formed the Illinois Art School, which specialized in airbrush technique but taught other disciplines as well; it was housed in the same building as his airbrush company.
When Walkup sold an airbrush, he also gave lessons in its use. At this time the retail price of a complete airbrush hookup including airbrush, air storage tank, and pump was $45.
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Throughout the 1880's, the airbrush was presented at many photo-related conventions. When it was demonstrated at a photo convention in Milwaukee, it became an instant hit and was favorably written up in the Philadelphia Photographer, a leading magazine of the time. It was also awarded gold medals from various institutes and exhibitions such as the Franklin Institute and the Exhibition of the American Institute of the City of New York, among others.
To increase his exposure and network in the realm of airbrushing, Walkup published the Airbrush Journal. This quarterly publication made its debut in January 1891 with a subscription rate of twenty-five cents per year. At this point, Walkup not only manufactured the airbrush and ran the school that taught its application, but published the only journal dealing with the trade; he had the world of airbrushing "locked up." In that same year, The Airbrush Company of Rockford, Illinois, produced 15,000 catalogs that were distributed to consumers throughout the U.S.
During this time, Chicago was the focal point of the photo-retouching industry. Once a month Liberty Walkup traveled there and stayed at the Sherman House to make himself available to answer any questions in regard to airbrushing. Everything seemed to be running smoothly; however, little did Walkup know that on the horizon loomed the invention of the internal mix airbrush (1891). This new type of airbrush, in which the air and paint mixed inside the tip, produced a softer, more delicate spray. It would soon displace the oscillating paint distributor as the predominantly used airbrush.
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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 10 No. 5 -- March 2000