Sunday, December 14, 2008

A Saturday...

Jean and I went to the open house at the Salem Athenaeum--a private library, where we recently became members. It has an amazing collection of books (including a copy of Sir Isaac Newton’s ground breaking PhilosophiƦ Naturalis Principia Mathematica!)

They have also hosted some great lectures and classes which is how Jean and I first got involved. The open house that we attended was to display and discuss the artistic and symbolic merits of “end papers.” End papers are the insides of books covers—the transition from exterior to interior. Look in any hardcover book and you’ll see many different styles of end papers, from maps and graphs to marbleized artistic patterns. It’s one of those things that we encounter all the time, but never think about. Of course, the main reason I went was for the free coffee and cookies.

In keeping with the paper theme, a local artist was on hand to teach people how to make their own paper. Yep, starting with some unwanted paper stock and a regular blender, she created pulp, which was then turned into paper. Jean and I gave it a try too.

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