In creating this Emerald Flower release, we have partnered with Marsh’s Library to bring the beautiful essence of Irish culture and bookbinding heritage to life.

Our Partnership with Marsh's Library

A new partnership

Marsh’s Library is a beautifully preserved gem from the early Enlightenment, located in the heart of Dublin beside St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Officially founded in 1707, the institution is Ireland’s oldest public library. It was established by an Act of Parliament titled “An Act for Settling and Preserving a Public Library for Ever,” which cemented its long-term goal of preservation for future generations. For the first century and a half of its existence, Marsh’s Library was the only public library in Dublin. Remaining practically unchanged for over three centuries, the interior is lined with dark oak bookcases holding over 25,000 books, manuscripts, and maps dating back to the 18th century.

Today, it is a charitable trust open to the public, offering educational programmes and exhibitions that celebrate its rich history. Only a short walk away from our Dublin office, many of our team have had the opportunity to tour their beautiful archives.

Learn More About Marsh's Library

A Shared Passion

Together with a shared love for Irish culture and a commitment to lifelong learning, we are delighted to partner with Marsh’s Library in honouring our mutual Irish ancestry. Our collaborative release aims to highlight the library’s mission to preserve its rare books and manuscript collection, while also celebrating its distinctive architectural legacy. Through this partnership, we celebrate Marsh’s Library as a vibrant cultural and intellectual hub for visitors, students, and scholars alike.

Creating This Exclusive Collection

Working Together

With Marsh’s Library housing multiple collections that are so diverse and historically significant, it was difficult to know where to begin. We were thrilled to work alongside the curatorial team in selecting a book cover that is the perfect combination of timelessness and elegance. We believe that Emerald Flower encapsulates this and the cultural legacy of Ireland that we sought.

Developing the release

Our Emerald Flower design is taken from an original binding on a copy of The Book of Common Prayer (1760), which was the standard prescribed text for use in Anglican church services. The volume is in the Benjamin Iveagh Library, which is a collection of more than 5,000 books and manuscripts owned by Marsh’s Library. We have reimagined the design by adding our own signature Paperblanks touch. As the perfect blend of old and new, we loved giving this binding a new lease of life while retaining the age-old beauty of the Marsh’s Library collection.

The future

We are honoured to collaborate with Marsh’s Library for this first release and are eager to see what the future holds for our special partnership. With both sides having a unique connection to Ireland, we hope to continue bringing these hidden treasures to life and sharing the beauty of Irish culture, which is so close to our hearts, with the wider Paperblanks world.

Introducing the Design

Emerald Flower

Inspired by an Irish book binding from 1760 that contained The Book of Common Prayer, which was the standard text for use in Anglican church services, our Emerald Flower design is decorated with rose sprays and cornucopias that call to mind the abundance of nature’s harvest at Thanksgiving.