We're pleased to announce the following additions to the Paperblanks catalogue for Fall 2011:
New Collection: Mucha
The muted and complex palette of pastel colours and the sensuous, sinuous lines of Alphonse Mucha’s work heralded a novel moment in art history. In works notable for their youthful energy and simplified draftsmanship, Mucha (1860–1939) helped to turn the conventional art world upside down.
After years of toiling in obscurity, in 1895 the impoverished young Czech became an overnight sensation in Paris by creating a poster for a play starring Sarah Bernhardt, the most famous actress of the period. Before long, “le style Mucha” – later known as the Art Nouveau movement – was the term used to describe the new spirit transforming the city. Mucha’s commitment, however, was not just to the “nouveau,” but to the larger human project: a celebration of the creative spirit.
Click here to see the four other designs available in the micro format!
New Collection: Silver Filigree
Intricacy and delicacy combine with repetition to create this silvered meditation on the nature of beauty. The word filigree derives from the Latin words “filum” for thread and “granum” for seed. The filigree pattern adorning our cover was originally designed and handcrafted in Germany circa 1800. To achieve the gilded and polished motif, a base layer of silver sheets was first die cut, and elaborate grooves were then meticulously etched into its surface. The art of filigree is a moving testament to the human drive to ornament in order to delight the eye and the spirit. One can imagine a magistrate in ancient times carrying such a book and using it to keep a record of matters of state as easily as one can see it in pride of place on a well-appointed contemporary desk.
Click here to see this new collection's two designs.
New Title: Ventaglio Marrone
New title added to Paperblanks' Baroque Ventaglio Collection. Where better to pen a magnum opus than inside this magnificent example of “a ventaglio” (fan) binding? Our reproduction of giltwork melting over red and brown Moroccan leather shrouds unadorned pages that make space for chronicling events of the day or recording elaborate fictions.
Our covers display at their centre a rose window surrounded by a design of slight Eastern influence and in each corner a filigree fan – the window quartered. An intricate ornamentation typical of Italian and Spanish Baroque, the geometrically compartmentalised design finds its inspiration in the French style “à la fanfare,” which gained popularity during the first half of the 17th century. Characterised by a celebration of ornate detail, Baroque decoration draws interest to deep symbolism couched in opulence. These richly layered, decadent journals are an ideal place to preserve inspired contemplations.
Click here to see which formats this design is available in!
New Titles: Embellished Manuscripts
The two newest artists added to our Embellished Manuscripts Collection are William Blake and William Wordsworth. To inspire the writer, these unique journals portray the work of some of the greatest writers, thinkers and artists of all time. These reproductions of excerpts from original manuscripts, letters, scores and drawings provide a glimpse into the creative process of figures such as William Shakespeare, Sigmund Freud and Vincent van Gogh.
Blake, PoemsWilliam Blake (1757–1827) wielded words and art in defense of spiritual truths that he felt were being lost in Britain’s rush toward industrialisation and scramble for material gain. He paid dearly for his convictions, and only after his death was his eccentric genius recognised. Our journal cover portrays a draft of seven poems, including “London” and “To Nobodaddy,” from his notebook published in the late 1700s. |
Wordsworth, Letter Quoting "Daffodils"In defance of those who preferred sophistication over instinct and emotion, William Wordsworth (1770–1850) helped the Romantic revolution take sight. Here we celebrate Wordsworth’s legacy with an excerpt of a letter written from his home, Dove Cottage, to his friends, defending his work and quoting lines from his now most famous “Daffodils” poem (“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”). |
Four New Handstitched Titles
We've added four new Handstitched books to the Paperblanks® catalogue using existing designs: Safavid (from the Safavid Binding Art Collection), Lindau (from the Lindau Gospels Collection), Filigree Floral Ebony (from the Lyon Florals Collection), and Ougi (from the Japanese Lacquer Boxes Collection).
Handstitched books are rare and have become the domain of connoisseurs or those who can afford the luxury of traditional craftsmanship. Paperblanks® welcomes you into this exclusive club with our uniquely priced Handstitched series of books representing the quality and timelessness inherent in the oldest of crafts, the stitching of manuscripts.
Click here to see the four new designs.
New Format: Mini Reporters
Our new Mini Reporter format is designed for the ramblers and the rovers; for students, travellers, journalists and note-taking enthusiasts. For those who often find themselves scribbling on loose paper or whatever else is on hand as a place to set down stray and inspired thoughts, our Reporter journals are the perfect notebooks to carry everywhere. The same size as our Mini format journals, our Reporters can easily slip into a back pocket or coat pocket, or a small purse or handbag.
The first designs for this new Paperblanks® format come from our enduringly popular Old Leather Collection - Black Moroccan and Foiled. Our Old Leather designs are modeled after manuscripts from the Renaissance-era that were renowned for their exquisitely crafted leather covers. Bringing the antique polish and gleam of these handsome bindings into the 20th-century Reporter’s journal, we offer the quintessential notebook to accompany you along your life’s travels.
Both designs are available in lined, unlined and grid paper.
Find & Buy Paperblanks
Interested in buying any of these new titles or any other Paperblanks designs? Use our Store Finder to find retailers in your area or online retailers who can ship to your location. Find it by clicking here or by going to http://www.paperblanks.com/stores!
Paperblanks' Embellished Manuscripts Collection is a series of journals that portray the work of some of the greatest writers, thinkers and artists of all time. The Poe, Tamerlane journal, examined in the video above, is one of the best-selling designs from the collection; it features a cover that reproduces an excerpt from one of Edgar Allen Poe's original manuscripts.
Poe: The Darkest and Most Gothic of American Writers
Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849) is widely considered the darkest and most gothic of American pioneers as he explored and settled entirely new literary landscapes, including the short story and science fiction, as well as the detective story.
Poe's personal life was characterized by tumult and passion. He was orphaned at a young age and his fortunes plunged and soared over the course of his career. The cause of his death remains mystery but his reputation continues to grow. His dark romanticism and fascination with the themes of violence and death and the macabre have combined with his fearless innovation as a writer and critic to make him one of the most revered prose and poetry writers in the world.
The Journal Design
The journal cover of the Poe, Tamerlane book portrays a fragment from the manuscript of Poe's first published work, Tamerlane and Other Poems. The 40-page book was originally published in 1827 and was made up of poems largely inspired by Lord Byron. It's significance is that it "gave a young Poe the confidence to continue writing" and, as scholar Henry Lee Poe put it, acted as a "trumpet blast announcing that a new poet had stepped upon the stage."
This design is available in Ultra and Mini formats.
All About Paperblanks' Embellished Manuscripts Collection
Our' Embellished Manuscripts Collection, more than any other Paperblanks collections, reveals the progression and mastery we’ve achieved in print press production. To read more about how the collection has evolved, how we choose the artists, and what we feel the collection represents, check out our recent article Paperblanks Stories: All About Our Embellished Manuscripts Collection.
Find & Buy Paperblanks
Interested in buying the Poe, Tamerlane journals or any other Paperblanks designs? Use our Store Finder to find retailers in your area or online retailers who can ship to your location. Find it by clicking here or by going to http://www.paperblanks.com/stores!
