Why collect prints?

Local art collector Christina Lane talks about why she loves prints, whether it's to start an art collection or just to brighten up your home with special memories. Plus just a few of our prints of Greenwich and Blackheath that take a more unusual viewpoint of the area, if you too enjoy the hidden gems as well as the famous landmarks.

"Greenwich Park (Magic Hour)", linocut by Kit Boyd, new in the gallery for our Colours of Spring exhibition

Why do you collect prints?

I appreciate the exquisite and intricate detail of a print. They are original, unique and are numbered and not mass-produced. They depict a real image. I feel fortunate to have one of a number (e.g. 12/50), and I wonder who owns the remaining others.

"Late Evening, Greenwich" (Greenwich from Island Gardens), photopolymer and monoprint by Angela Brookes

"Sentinels of the River Thames", etching by Tim Mitchell

How did your collection start?

I was born in Greenwich and have always lived in Greenwich and Blackheath. I love to collect obscure images/snapshots of Greenwich and Blackheath (as opposed to the iconic images), which only someone with an intimate knowledge of the area would recognise.

I find it very nostalgic and emotive. My prints remind me of growing up in the area.

"Autumn Bandstand", etching by Elaine Marshall, one of Christina's prized prints in her collection

I have an amazing print of the Blackheath Preservation Society's restored buildings (number 25/40) by Valerie Warren. I recall seeing it in the 1980s and dearly wishing to purchase it, but I couldn’t it afford it at the time. I came across it recently (I am always on the lookout for prints to add to my collection) and I was very excited to find it after over 40 years. I have prints by Elaine Marshall, Brenda Hartill, Valerie Warren, and M Black.

I remember visiting Greenwich Printmakers when the shop first opened. It is now one of the only remaining original shops in Greenwich. I am so pleased that it is still going.

A photo from when the gallery first opened in 1979, then at 7 Turnpin Lane

What does your collection mean to you?

I especially appreciate the prints from Greenwich Printmakers. Many of my prints were purchased from them over a period of 40 years. My collection is incredibly personal and special to me. They hang mostly in my hallway, and I regard them as a little gallery of my memories. I also have watercolours. My first acquisition was a watercolour of Greenwich Park, Pre-Canary Wharf, in the 1970s; it’s a little piece of history as there are no big buildings in the foreground. I feel that my watercolours and prints sit well together. I also have a few old maps of Greenwich and Blackheath and again, I feel, they work well together as a collection.

Writing this piece has made me consider the legacy of my prints and I would like to donate them for public viewing when I pass away, but I am not sure how this could be arranged or if any organisation would actually be interested in them!

"Night Walk, Blackheath I", drypoint with gouache by Lucy Ward

Do you think that print still matters as an art form?

I think prints are important as an they are original, beautiful, detailed, and the colours are exquisite. They are timeless and fit into any style of décor or period.

"Maze Hill, Greenwich", linocut by Bethany Marett

Why do you recommend prints as a collector?

Prints are reasonably priced and beautiful. They are limited in number and unique, not mass-produced. Collecting art is expensive – even framing art is costly. Prints are affordable and accessible. I am not sure of the value of my collection, but I am sure they have appreciated in value over time.

"Greenwich Pier West", linocut by Steve Edwards

"Greenwich Park No. 1", drypoint by Catherine Gerbrands