Collections Online

On arrival in London in 1819 accompanied by Gideon Fairman and Asa Spencer, Jacob Perkins commenced business as steel plate engravers under the title of Perkins and Fairman at 29 Austin Friars in the City of London. In December 1819, an engraver to King George III, Charles Heath joined the partnership, the company moved to 69 Fleet Street and became Perkins, Fairman & Heath. Soon after Fairman relinquished his partnership and the firm changed to Perkins & Heath. In May 1929, Joshua Butters Bacon, who had married Jacob Perkins' second daughter, joined the partnership and it became Perkins and Bacon. Finally, Henry P. Petch, an engraver who had joined the company in 1823 was taken into partnership in 1834 and the company finally became Perkins, Bacon & Petch. Following the death of Henry Petch, the firm became, in 1887, Perkins, Bacon & Co. Ltd. and in 1904 moved from 69, Fleet Street to Southwark Bridge Road.