The Beauty of Books

‘The Beauty of Books’ is an exhibition celebrating the art of the book. This exhibition aims to demonstrate the numerous hand printed periphery which traditionally surround books.

A bookplate is a small decorative, often hand printed, label which is pasted into the flyleaf of a book. The practise of using bookplates can be dated as far back to the reign of Amenophis III in Egypt. Otherwise known as ‘ex-libris’ (from the Latin, “from the library of…”) these bookplates are used to indicate the ownership of a book, marking it as a prized possession. In contemporary form, these bookplates are still considered a fine art and as such are still created, hand printed and collected around the world. In some cases, the inclusion of one of these beautifully created bookplates can often increase the value of a book.

In what began as a small communal project, Green Door Printmaking Studio started to collect donated and specialised books surrounding the practical issues of printmaking. This library has been steadily growing since Green Door was first established in 2006 and, as a means of combining skills we invited members of the studio to create bespoke bookplates and this collaborative exhibition evolved.