Japanese Print Shop in High Petergate, York, to close after 50 years in business, reports MAXINE GORDON
A ONE-OF-A KIND York shop is to close after 50 years in business in one of the city's top locations.
The Japanese Print Shop at 38 High Petergate is closing for good at the end of May.
Business owner Percy Barkes told The Press: "I opened the shop in 1976 and I am closing the shop after 50 years – the time is right."
He revealed that the shop stayed open in business longer than some people thought.
"When the shop opened our first framer told his friends that the shop would not last long in York!"
When it first opened in 1976, Britain had two Prime Ministers – Labour's Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan; the country was having its hottest summer in 200 years, and the Sex Pistols were about to explode on to the music scene and launch punk rock.
The average weekly wage for a man was around £70 a week – for women it was £45.30. A sliced white loaf cost 19.2p, a pint of beer around 32p and a packet of 20 cigarettes – more socially acceptable at that time – a mere 45p.
The rent at Mr Barkes' print shop was just £5 a week including rates.
The shop is owned by York Minster and an original lease from the Dean and Chapter of York back in 1976 outlines the details of the terms. The rent is listed as £250 a year for the first three years, rising to £1,450 per year in 1982.
Mr Barkes said: "It has always been a pleasure to find, display and sell Japanese woodblock prints in the centre of York."
In a previous interview, Mr Barkes revealed how he turned away from a possible career in farming and law to pursue a career as an art dealer.
After travelling Europe, he settled in York, opening the High Petergate gallery and shop and specialising in Japanese woodblock prints.
Rejecting the usual focus on courtesans, actors and warriors, he favoured design‑led prints from the Meiji, Taisho and Showa periods. As UK supplies dwindled, he began regular trips to Japan, sourcing works by artists such as Watanabe Seitei.
Known for fair pricing, he built a loyal following of first‑time and seasoned collectors alike.
In the run up to closing, the business is giving customers a £50 discount on each print sold in the shop.
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Coincidentally, York art lovers are enjoying the chance to experience Japanese prints at a blockbuster exhibition at the city's art gallery.
Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print is a major exhibition at York Art Gallery running until August 30.
It features more than 100 works, including Hokusai’s iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
The exhibition showcases 300 years of printmaking, focusing on the 18th and 19th centuries.
The great wave is one of the most famous examples of printmaking.
Just 111 original prints of the great wave exist, with only six thought to be in the UK.
The image, depicting small boats below a huge wave, has become one of the most recognisable in the world. A print of the great wave sold in 2023 for a record $2.76 million (£2.26 million) in New York and the following year it appeared on the new 1,000 yen banknote in Japan.
Admittance to the exhibition is included with general admission to the gallery.
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