Whistler's etching tools
1870/1890sThe Whistler Estate, presented by Rosalind Birnie Philip, 1935
Hunterian Art Gallery, GLAHA
Whistler was a meticulous craftsman and employed good quality steel tools to achieve a variety of effects, as well as to repair and correct his work. This case contains steel needles with wooden or spiral handles for etching and drypoint, a hammer (to make alterations), a burnisher and scrapers to clean up copper plates. On occasion, he also used a roulette wheel and other specialised tools.