Flyleaves from the DHUBdoc Antique Reserves.
Flyleaf [ˈflaɪˌliː f] n pl -leaves (Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) the inner leaf of the endpaper of a book, pasted to the first leaf. Collins English Dictionary
This present exhibition brings together some of the flyleaves that can be found inside some of the documents in the DHUBdoc's antique reserves, dating between the 17th and 19th centuries.
Flyleaves, which were designed to protect a book's contents, are an art form within themselves that continue to have artistic significance in the modern world.
With this small virtual exhibition, we hope to give visibility to the treasures of this little known, but highly respected, art form. A remarkable number of these gems, which continue to be appreciated by contemporary creators, can be found at the DHUB's documentation centre.
As you can see in the attached video, a relevant part of these documents come from a bequest to the City Council of Barcelona made by Ms. Carmen Gil Llopart, Countess of Vilardaga. These works, that became part of the Museu del Tèxtil i d'Indumentària's reserves, are the fruit of the patient research done by an authentic collector, during her time in Paris during the early 20th century. These documents represent a valuable collection of the most interesting books and treatises about apparel and fashion, edited over several centuries.
Monocromatics at their beginnings, the flyleaves began to contain geometric motifs during the 17th century that included floral and later, oriental motifs, accentuating the intensity of their colour.
At the beginning of the 19th century they created new motifs used new colours, predominantly pastels, but then later returned to the traditional models but using glossy papers. The use of classic motifs continued during the 20th century, a century which marked the experimentation with new stamping techniques. Looking at the present day, we can find decorative and wrapping papers whose themes and motifs were inspired by and evolved from this very art form.
The Gabinet de les Arts Gràfiques de Barcelona, which forms part of the DHUB Museums, also has one Spain's most interesting collections of flyleaves in regards to both quantity, and quality. These documents come from the private collections of Joan Amades (327 references) and Jesús Vallina (138 references), and include two flyleaf commercial catalogues. ç
The collection contains examples of all of the applied techniques used in the production of flyleaves that were produced in Italy, France, Germany and Spain between the 18th and 20th centuries.
Related bibliography available atDHUBdoc:
Estampados y colores orientales. Barcelona: Index Book, 2006. 208 p. ISBN 9788496309739.
Patterns for Papers. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1987. The Victoria and Albert colour books. 32 p. ISBN 0810917203.
SHAO, Lianshun. The Ultimate Gift Wrapper Collection. Barcelona: Index Book, 2006. 255 p. ISBN 8496309177.
Selected Bibliographies available at other catalan libraries
AMADES, Joan. El Paper de guardes. Barcelona, 1971. Gràfica Catalana. 22 p.
CABESTANY, Julio. Papel para guardas de libros. Revista de las Artes y de los Oficios. 1945, núm. 11, p. 18-19.
CARPALLO BAUTISTA, Antonio; VÉLEZ CELEMÍN, Antonio. Los Papeles decorados en las encuadernaciones del Archivo y Biblioteca de la Catedral de Toledo. Toledo: Instituto Teológico San Ildefonso, Cabildo Primado de Toledo, 2010. 125 p. Primatialis ecclesiae toletanae memoria; 10. ISBN 9788493746582.
CHAMBERS, Anne. Guía pràctica del papel jaspeado. Madrid: Tellus, 1989. 94 p.
DOIZY, Marie-Ange. De la dominoterie à la marbrure : histoire des techniques traditionnelles de la décoration du papier. Paris: Art & Métiers du Livre, 1996. 253 p. ISBN 2911071018.
DUVAL, Michel. Les Papiers marbrés. Metiers d’art . 1991, núm. 44, p. 98-106.
GAISSER, Eberhard. Le papier marbré : technique de coloration orientale pour le papier et autres matériaux. Paris, J. Jacobs, 1984.
LORING, Rosamond B. Decorated Book Papers. Cambridge: Harvard College Library, 1973.
LORING, Rosamond B. Marbled and Paste Papers : Rosamond Loring’s Recipe Book : A Facsimile of her Manuscript Notebook. Cambridge : Houghton Library, 2007. 58 p.
MIURA, Einen. L’Art du papier marbré. Paris: Armand Colin, 1990. 151 p.
SAURMAN, Judith B. Ready-to-use marbelized papers : 12 full-color 11 1/2” x 18” sheets for craft projects. New York: Dover, 1979.
STONE, Solveig. L’Art de la marbrure. Courbevoie: Soline, 1994. 78 p.
WOLFE, Richard J. Marbel. Paper: Its History, Techniques, and Patterns : with special reference to the relationship of marbling to bookbinding in Europe and the Western World. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991. 245 p. ISBN 0812281888.
Other Resources
Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs. Papiers de garde dorés-gaufrés, dominotés et marbrés du XVIIe siècle à la période contemporaine dans les collections de la bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs. Paris: Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs, 2009. [Consulta: 18 de maig 2011].
VÉLEZ CELEMÍN, Antonio. Marmoleado. [en línia]. Madrid. [Consulta: 20 de maig 2011]. [http://marmoleado.blogspot.com]
