Thomas Robert Way was a printer, lithographer, and painter. Thomas and his father, Thomas Way Sr., were integral in revitalizing the art of lithography in Britain, which had been utilized for cheap commercial reproduction of images, and not a form of artistic expression. Influenced by the Ways, Whistler made his first attempts at lithography in 1878. They aided Whistler by explaining the lithographic process, as well as cataloguing and publicizing his artworks. In 1877 they printed a pamphlet to accompany Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room, and in 1881 they printed the catalogue for the Fine Art Society's exhibition of Whistler's Venice pastels. Following Whistler's bankruptcy in 1879, the Ways purchased a number of his works and subsequently worked closely with Whistler on a variety of projects in the 1880s, including the printing of the Venice etchings. T.R. Way wrote an appreciation of Whistler in 1905 and a book titled Memories of James McNeill Whistler in 1912.