A Wonderland of Fairytales in the Peter G. Thomson Collection

In the 1880s, Peter G. Thomson started a color printing business, the main output being children’s books and comic Valentines. In 1892, a rival company, McLaughlin Brothers of New York, bought him out. Thomson used the proceeds from the sale to start Champion Coated Paper Company in Hamilton, Ohio, where it remained a major employer for more than 100 years.

Now Thomson's illustrations are on display through Feb. 17, 2013, at the Main Library in Cincinnati.