The life of a remarkable artist and pioneering inventor who lived and worked in Lancaster more than a century ago will be celebrated this year.
2026 marks the centenary of Karel Klic’s death.
Klic, originally from Bohemia which is now the Czech Republic, is little known in Lancaster even though he played a really significant part in the city’s industrial life in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
Mirador, a Lancashire-based arts and heritage charity, will raise awareness of Klic’s remarkable life and work by running a year-long programme of exciting activities and interesting events involving people of all ages and abilities.
The project entitled 'Copy That - The Revolution in Photomechanical Printing' - will culminate with an exhibition at The Storey Gallery in Lancaster in November, exactly a century since Klic’s death.
Klic invented photogravure printing, a process for reproducing high quality images, which brought art to the masses after joining forces with the Lancaster-based company, Storey Brothers, renowned for producing oil cloth.
Together, they established the Rembrandt Intaglio Printing Company based in Queen’s Mill, now the site of Lancaster’s Aldi in Aldcliffe Road.
Using Klic’s photogravure method Rembrandt Intaglio printed fine art images so that most households could afford to have art on their walls at home. The invention also revolutionised the printing of pictures in the press, in books and on postcards.
During his time in Lancaster, Klic lived in Meadowside, now part of Lancaster Medical Practice where a plaque will be unveiled later this year to celebrate the inventive former resident.
Klic was a classically trained artist himself fascinated in capturing likenesses and among his many oil paintings of prominent Lancashire people is a portrait of Sir Thomas Storey which is displayed in Lancaster City Museum.
Mirador has been granted £91,430 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to mark the centenary
“Thanks to National Lottery players, Mirador will be able to deliver multiple, fun and lively creative opportunities for people of all ages that will reflect the ground-breaking work in Lancaster that Klic achieved with the copying process," said George Harris, Mirador co-founder and creative producer.
"Klic and the Storey Brothers revolutionised the idea of art for everyone and our programme will live up to that ambition.”
Police issue quicksand warning after riverbank danger for school pupils in Lancaster
Lancaster animal shelter launches 'Big Build' fundraiser to help save charity
LISTEN: Morecambe "definitely submitting a bid" to become first UK Town of Culture
Heysham Port upgrade blamed for traffic chaos 'trapping residents in their homes'
LISTEN: Tourism champs hail Eden Project and Tour de France as huge for Morecambe Bay area
Donation helps college pan ability football team to play in national championships
LISTEN: Meet the new manager of the Midland Hotel in Morecambe
LISTEN: Main contractor to build Eden Project Morecambe to be announced this month
£1.2m of funding for flood defence schemes in Lancaster district announced
Morecambe Bay hospital trust unveils new painless blood test
Thousands raised to help boost return of Lancaster Music Festival
High street computer games shop in Lancaster closes down
LISTEN: Carnforth actor wins Hollywood and Paris awards for horror film role
"1600 potholes repaired last week" says councillor as roads debate rumbles on
Burger King takeaway in Lancaster city centre closes down
Morecambe lifeboat crew reunite dog lost on sands with owner
New Morrisons Daily supermarket opens in Morecambe
Council investigate after derelict food trailer found dumped in Lancaster layby
Man charged after pedestrian died in Morecambe hit and run
LISTEN: We go out on Pothole Patrol in Morecambe
