diff --git a/docs/latex/wx/image.tex b/docs/latex/wx/image.tex
index e8d5db60bd..d3ab4becae 100644
--- a/docs/latex/wx/image.tex
+++ b/docs/latex/wx/image.tex
@@ -187,6 +187,12 @@ on program start-up to look up colors. This ensures a very fast conversion, but
 the image quality won't be perfect (and could be better for photo images using more
 sophisticated dithering algorithms).
 
+\membersection{wxImage::Copy}\label{wximagecopy}
+
+\constfunc{wxImage}{Copy}{\void}
+
+Returns an identical copy of the image.
+
 \membersection{wxImage::Create}\label{wximagecreate}
 
 \func{bool}{Create}{\param{int}{ width}, \param{int}{ height}}
@@ -546,7 +552,7 @@ scaling bitmaps in general as the only other way to scale bitmaps
 is to blit a wxMemoryDC into another wxMemoryDC.
 
 It may be mentioned that the GTK port uses this function internally
-to scale bitmaps when using mapping mode in wxDC. 
+to scale bitmaps when using mapping modes in wxDC. 
 
 Example:
 
diff --git a/include/wx/image.h b/include/wx/image.h
index 5978327a5b..423dc55f69 100644
--- a/include/wx/image.h
+++ b/include/wx/image.h
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ public:
     wxImage( const wxImage& image );
     wxImage( const wxImage* image );
 
-    // these functions get implemented in /src/(platform)/bitmap.cpp
     wxImage( const wxBitmap &bitmap );
     operator wxBitmap() const { return ConvertToBitmap(); }
     wxBitmap ConvertToBitmap() const;
@@ -110,8 +109,16 @@ public:
     void Create( int width, int height, unsigned char* data, bool static_data = FALSE );
     void Destroy();
 
+    // creates an identical copy of the image (the = operator
+    // just raises the ref count)
+    wxImage Copy() const;
+    
     // return the new image with size width*height
     wxImage GetSubImage( const wxRect& ) const;
+    
+    // pastes image into this instance and takes care of
+    // the mask colour and out of bounds problems
+    void Paste( const wxImage &image, int x, int y );    
 
     // return the new image with size width*height
     wxImage Scale( int width, int height ) const;
diff --git a/src/common/image.cpp b/src/common/image.cpp
index 2de40f9b39..e0380e6855 100644
--- a/src/common/image.cpp
+++ b/src/common/image.cpp
@@ -178,6 +178,26 @@ void wxImage::Destroy()
     UnRef();
 }
 
+wxImage wxImage::Copy() const
+{
+    wxImage image;
+    
+    wxCHECK_MSG( Ok(), image, wxT("invalid image") );
+
+    image.Create( M_IMGDATA->m_width, M_IMGDATA->m_height );
+    
+    char unsigned *data = image.GetData();
+
+    wxCHECK_MSG( data, image, wxT("unable to create image") );
+    
+    if (M_IMGDATA->m_hasMask)
+        image.SetMaskColour( M_IMGDATA->m_maskRed, M_IMGDATA->m_maskGreen, M_IMGDATA->m_maskBlue );
+
+    memcpy( data, GetData(), M_IMGDATA->m_width*M_IMGDATA->m_height*3 );
+    
+    return image;
+}
+
 wxImage wxImage::Scale( int width, int height ) const
 {
     wxImage image;
@@ -339,6 +359,59 @@ wxImage wxImage::GetSubImage( const wxRect &rect ) const
     return image;
 }
 
+void wxImage::Paste( const wxImage &image, int x, int y )
+{
+    wxCHECK_RET( Ok(), wxT("invalid image") );
+    wxCHECK_RET( image.Ok(), wxT("invalid image") );
+
+    int xx = 0;
+    int yy = 0;
+    int width = image.GetWidth();
+    int height = image.GetHeight();
+    
+    if (x < 0)
+    {
+        xx = -x;
+        width += x;
+    }
+    if (y < 0)
+    {
+        yy = -y;
+        height += y;
+    }
+    
+    if ((x+xx)+width > M_IMGDATA->m_width)
+        width = M_IMGDATA->m_width - (x+xx);
+    if ((y+yy)+height > M_IMGDATA->m_height)
+        height = M_IMGDATA->m_height - (y+yy);
+    
+    if (width < 1) return;
+    if (height < 1) return;
+    
+    if ((!HasMask() && !image.HasMask()) ||
+       ((HasMask() && image.HasMask() && 
+         (GetMaskRed()==image.GetMaskRed()) && 
+         (GetMaskGreen()==image.GetMaskGreen()) && 
+         (GetMaskBlue()==image.GetMaskBlue()))))
+    {
+        width *= 3;
+        unsigned char* source_data = image.GetData() + xx*3 + yy*3*image.GetWidth();
+        int source_step = image.GetWidth()*3;
+        
+        unsigned char* target_data = GetData() + (x+xx)*3 + (y+yy)*3*M_IMGDATA->m_width;
+        int target_step = M_IMGDATA->m_width*3;
+        for (int j = 0; j < height; j++)
+        {
+            memcpy( target_data, source_data, width );
+            source_data += source_step;
+            target_data += target_step;
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+    }
+}
+
 void wxImage::Replace( unsigned char r1, unsigned char g1, unsigned char b1,
                        unsigned char r2, unsigned char g2, unsigned char b2 )
 {