This was a family who over two generations produced work ranging from paintings of the Calder Valley to statues in the courtyard of the Maharajah of Jaipur, who illustrated books, have work on show in the Imperial War Museum North, who designed churches' rolls of honour and designed couturiere.

It's an exhibition breathtaking in its scope, everyone will have their favourites and this reviewer can give a flavour of it by picking out his own.

The story begins with Alfred Walter (A. W.) Bayes (1831-1909), the Lumbutts lad who offered to run errands for his neighbours so he could keep the wrapping paper to sketch on. Later, he moved to London. This reviewer's favourites on show include local works such as "A Chartist Meeting at Basin Stone" and "Taking In Day at Kilnhurst" (with a steps layout still to be seen at Kilnhurst Mount today) and the atmospheric "Reconnoitring Marston Moor", an A. W. dip into history.

Another of note is from a Todmorden memory and it depicts John Wesley on one of his visits to Todmorden walking with Hannah Lacy, a local girl.

There are some charming illustrations he produced for a book of Hans Christian Anderson fairy stories but watch out for some stunning black and white etchings - "Blind", "The Cock and Magpie", "The Cock and Bottle Tavern" and a superb sketch of "John Phillip RA".

With an example of his design work, for Acme soap, present and correct two this was a talent used to the full in many ways.

It was matched by the next generation, Emmiline (1867-1957), Walter (1869-1956), Gilbert (1872-1953) and Jessie (1876-1970).

Emmiline was a couturier and images of some of her imaginative designs for handbags and decorated boxes are reproduced.

Like his father Walter was a painter, a founder member of the Camden Town Art Group, and again a range of styles are in evidence.

Many will have seen the original of "The Underworld", which depicts Londoners sheltering in the Underground from a Zeppelin raid in world war one without knowing it has a local link. It hangs in the Imperial War Museum North and is superbly evocative.

Other works sum up their time, the 1920s and 1930s, perfectly - watch out for the black and white sketch "Rules, 35 Maiden Lane" and the brash colour of "Aux Dames de France", positioned side by side. They knocked me out.

Illuminated works by Jessie are exquisite but like her father she too turned her skills to varied use, be it the Roll of Honour, one of many she designed, made for Todmorden Methodists to designs she created for greetings cards.

Gilbert's work can be seen in Todmorden, for example the Statue of St George in the Garden of Remembrance.

But his was a worldwide reputation, with exhibitions in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Holland, Italy, New Zealand and the U.S.