BAKER, William George 1864–1929

Born in Wellington of pioneer stock, his grandfather G. Baker of Baker's Hill, Karori, having come to New Zealand in the Lady Nugent 1840. Attended ‘Dicky’ Holmes's school, Early's and later Mt Cook Street, all in Wellington. Originally worked as an upholsterer and there is no mention of art training but Baker exhibited with the Fine Arts Assoc. 1883 and 1884, NZ Academy of Fine Arts 1894–1904 and 1907, Otago Art Society 1893–98, in the NZ Industrial Exhibition 1885, and the St Louis Exposition, U.S.A. 1904. Probably at the turn of the century he became a professional artist touring the country seeking suitable subjects: many were in the Wairarapa and the Southern Lake districts. Painted only in oils until 1902, then in watercolours also. There are indications that he exhibited systematically at agricultural shows and held auctions of his work in various towns. Is said to have met and become a friend of T. R. Attwood at an agricultural show in Auckland. Lived the last thirty page 31 years in Titahi Bay, Wellington. Work was reproduced for colour supplements for Christmas numbers of Otago Witness 1927, 1930, 1936. Represented in AIML, Canterbury Museum, McDougall, Turnbull, Hocken. A coloured lithograph of a painting is in Hocken.