Bertha Jaques made her etchings on a secondhand press after teaching herself the process from instruction manuals using repurposed surgical tools. The enthusiasm that she and a small number of self-taught printmakers demonstrated led to the formation of the Chicago Society of Etchers in 1911. As the hardworking secretary-treasurer of the Chicago Society, Jaques managed the hundreds of members and associate members. Not only a veteran etcher in her own right who was one of a few printmakers of her generation to experiment with color printing inspired by Japanese woodblocks, but she also scouted talent among the pool of young emerging artists. A sought-after lecturer dedicated to the promotion of the etching medium, she gave printing demonstrations to audiences around the country, printed others' plates, and made her studio available to visitors to the Midwest.
