AN obsession with a watercolourist who died in 1843 meant an ignominious end to Harris Myers' civil service career.
It was the 47 reams that went to produce 750 copies of the 288-page William Henry Pyne and his Microcosm that the former Cambridge University Press chief Myers failed to pay for that led to him being charged with accepting an advantage.
Myers had spent more than 20 years researching Pyne's work and working on the manuscript.
In February 1995 he approached Hans Lodders, managing director of Agfa Hong Kong, then Agfa-Gevaert, prosecutor Ian McWalters told Eastern Court.
Mr Lodders agreed to help Myers by sponsoring production of the book, because special printing techniques for coloured pictures were only available from Agfa, Mr McWalters said.
In return, Myers was to give Agfa 100 copies of his book so the company could use them to promote its new technology, he added.
Myers instructed his staff to print 750 copies of his book, with Agfa's technical assistance.
