Air-Brush History

  Liberty Walkup was the inventor, and first U.S. manufacturer,of the artist's tool known as the air-brush.
  The air-brush is a hand-held tool that distributes liquid and powder material by air pressure.  Liquids are
  sprayed from air-brushes to accomplish tasks that include decorating cakes, paitning murals, rendering
  technical illustrations, photo retouching and, most recently, putting designs on finger nails.  Glass may 
  also be etched using the air-brush by spraying aluminum-oxide powder.

  Liberty Walkup was born on a farm three miles west of Oregon, Illinois,and about a mile south of Mt.
  Morris, Illinois, on July 4, 1844.  He developed his design for the first air-brush between the years 
  1881-1883 and by 1884 started the Air-brush Manufacturing Company at Rockford. His company 
  operated out of the Henry Building which once stood in the 100 block of north Main Street in 
  Rockford, now a parking lot across from the New American Theatre.  In 1888 his wife, Phobe Walkup, 
  began the Illinois Art School as a spin-off business from the air-brush company.  Many art students 
  from around the world first came to know and use the air-brush during their education at this 
  prestigious mid-western school of art.

  Both Rockford (or Walkup) air-brushes and students of the Illinois Art School were located world-wide 
  long before any other competitors to Liberty and Phobe Walkup.  The timeline section of this web site
  shows how the Walkup's, themselves, went all over the country and even crossed paths with Mark Twain!
  
  We hope to add more information to his page as it becomes available.  Stay tuned!!!