jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, the Japanese paper in-lays.

The in-lays are finished. As the single book is now three volumes, each with a different set of end papers the design reflects this. Volume one has a single line of in - lays in the same paper as the end papers. Volume two has two lines, the first being a continuation of the first line on volume one and a new line of in-lays below it in the same paper as the end papers in volume two. Volume three takes the same approach.




The overall effect is subtle and I am liking this.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, the covers.

After a great deal of looking and some experimentation the covers have been made. The binding is of leather with the reverse on the outside. The client has asked for something with natural tones, aged like old ivory.... so I have stained the leather with a leather varnish. This protects the surface of the leather and lends a warm tone. The leather has taken the varnish in varying degrees, I think it looks good and is well on the way to be finished with multiple inlays of Japanese Paper.

The Book Eaters Number 4.

Man thanks to Marc at parklightpictures for the image....

The book is finally finished, it along with lots more books will be on display at The Royal Festival Hall on the south bank on the 4th 5th and 6th of September.

There will also be a film of the making and eating of the books and lots more stuff to do with insects as the Pestival takes place.

The Book Eaters Number 3.

Aspects of the Decayed or The book Eaters.

The Book Eaters Number 2.

The book was frozen, this is sounds strange but is important as I do not want all of my books to be eaten in the studio.



Now comes the not-so-easy part of the project, the cleaning away of any wee beasties and muck. A long process as the book has to dry out first. The contours and colours are wonderful, full of texture and smell !



As the pages are opened the paths and holes created by the larvae and insects.



The staining and pressure marks have fused a number of pages together to form ridged pages...



... whilst others have become more lace like. I love this book.

The Book Eaters.

I spend my life making books. Recently I have been burying my books and today was exhumation day for one of them. As I rummaged through the soil,, worms disappearing down dank holes, shiny beetles defending their turf and other stuff i cared not what it was, I slowly unearthed my book.



Cleaning off the soil from the pages revealed a myriad of colours. Fungi and moulds creating pattens and swirls to delight the eye. Then the insect and their spwan damage began to take form. First the edges of pages had been nibbled.



On opening the pages holes began to make their mark adding to the page.



The book was being taken back to nature being both home and food, an environment within an environment.

Burying Books.

First the weather, the summer in London has been interesting. Having nipped out for a quick one in the middle of a down pour the equipment failed.



As part of this years Pestival at the Royal Festival Hall, south bank, London I have been making books and burying them in locations around Studio 5. I have been working with Amoret Whitaker ( the celebrated Forensic Entomologist ) looking at the interaction of insects and the book. The results will be displayed during the weekend of the Pestival.



The books were buried some time ago, having exhumed them and checked up on them at regular intervals the books have become a micro environment within the natural world. Top stuff.



Re-burial.

End Papers and end bands.

Once the end papers have been tipped on the cords were frayed out, trimmed to about 1 1/2 cm and glued down on to the end papers.



Next is the first spine lining of Fray Not is applied with PVA and lots of elbow grease.



The end bands are made from a flat leather core with paper wrapped around and moulded over the leather core. The paper corresponds to the end papers of each individual book.



Kraft paper is the final spine lining, again applied with PVA and elbow grease.



Neatly trimmed to fit the spine perfectly.

Sawing and stuff.

With the spine cleaned the book is split into the 3 volumes.
Narrow grooves are sawn in to the spine. The first cut is vertical, being careful not to cut too deep.



Once the depth has been cut (just deeper than the binders cord - 3 ply) I saw at an angle, first one way.....



.... then the other. Creating an inverted V which will lock the binders cord in place.



PVA (or Fevicol for my Indian Chums) is then applied to the spine, ensuring that the adhesive has gone in to the grooves. It is important not to over do the glue.



It is then a question of waiting for the glue to dry.

This is just one method of securing the spine of an adhesive binding, as with everything, practice is the key.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

So work starts on a new book Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.
We start with the text block, this has to be split into 3 separate volumes, this should be no problem. The problem is the original construction, it is one of those books that the publishers grandly say is a hard back, we, the customer pay more for what is essentially a paper back (perfect binding) with a couple of boards bound in paper. This particular book has some 786 pages held together with glue. A lot of pages one may say, the answer the original makers came up with was to apply lots of adhesive ...

First the adhesive has to be removed. I use a soldering iron with a trowel like foot to melt and scrape away the adhesive. messy and not my favourite job in the studio. Next I will make the end papers, common made with a decorative Japanese paper and while those are doing their stuff in the nipping press I will be securing the individual volumes.

micrometers.

Back from Copenhagen, again.

But first, Water on exhibition in the Bodleian.



The Royal Library (The Black Diamond) a stunning building with a fantastic interior.





Private view of the exhibition of studio members work at Galley North in the centre of Copenhagen.

The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde. The finished binding.

The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is finished. Red dots to the back board have been in-laid and the eye panel has been dyed and worked.
The lower right hand panel on the front board was printed (under supervision) by Anne Claire Weber, a work experience trainee from Tolbiac Lycee, many thanks Anne Claire.



The dyeing and working of the panel emphasises the ridges, bumps and creases in the leather.



Red touches to the eye lid adds menace.



drawing us into the depth of the eye.

The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde. The last panel take shape.

The last panel, again derived from an old glove. The fingers have been moulded around the base of a Victorian medicine bottle, found at low tide in the mud of the Thames river, near the studio. The effect is disturbing, an image has been placed under the glass, the inner self seen through the windows of our eyes.



Detail of the final panel (sorry for the image quality)

The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde. The front board panels take shape.

Work continues. More panels to the front board, hand dyed leather and more glove work. Reverse and a small printed paper panel.



Detail of the paper panel. A soft plate off-set print of Victorian glasses, the colours in tune with the end papers, leading the reader into the text.

the Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde. The back board panels take shape.

The structure for this binding is based on a disappearing spine, Bradel binding. The spine has been covered in reverse goat skin. The spots are a natural result of the dyeing process. I think they look like bubbles in a strange potion. The first two panels have been applied to the back board.
The first is from an antique ladies evening glove with a seam running down the middle (ish). The second is a panel resembling a Victorian news paper cutting, a stop press of a murder.



Working on the lower panel. An image from the London Illustrated News of the 1880s, has been transferred to a panel, again covered in a ladies evening glove. The seam forms a break in the panel. The area to the left of the seam is worked over with a technical pen.



The resulting image when applied to the binding. With only part of the face worked the other half almost disappears, almost a transition between the two personalities.



Detail of the lower panel.

The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde.

A Fantastic read, with this particular volume having dark images. A lot to get one's teeth into. The original case was removed and kept as the owner wants all the stuff keeping. As this is a commission I would do this any way.
As you can see from the image the book was originally rounded and backed. Over the years the rounding has given way leaving a rather flat spine. Other considerations.... There is not a square edge, line or angle to be found. The edges are rather uneven with the deckle and brisk cutting. All in all this book is going to be interesting to work on.
With some commissions I find myself working to a budget.... let work commence.



After the spine was cleaned, I judged that the sewing was sound and was able to move on to the end papers. I managed to find an old print of a lab with all the flasks, bunson burners, pipes, and strange shapes that one thinks of. With further manipulation with pencil, crayon and tipex I was able to make soft plate off-set prints. The colours are sharp, moving from acid yellow through to rich re, perhaps the lab through the eyes of both Jekyll and Hide.



The head was already coloured red, the end band is sewn in a green silk with a red leather skirting which has been brought round to cover the ends of the end band core.


Detail of the tail and the disappearing spine, Bradel binding. The structure will allow me to use a double board and offer a degree of flexibility to the finished design.