A Passion For Handmade Books

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Experience

Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to be invited to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.  After almost a decade dedicated to her passion for art collecting, Gardner opened her museum in 1903 in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood; she insisted to her architect that the building be built to her exact specifications. Upon entering the museum, patrons are almost immediately transported to an extravagant 15^th Century Venetian style villa. The first floor contains a breathtaking courtyard and garden, complete with fountains and a tile mosaic floor.

The Museum's preeminent collection contains more than 2,500 paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, manuscripts, rare books and decorative arts; Titian, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Manet, Degas, Whistler and Sargent are just some of the artists whose works are featured.  If you’ve heard of the Gardner Museum before, it may be due to the fact that one of the most famous art heists in history took place there. On March 18, 1990, two thieves disguised as Boston Police Officers entered the museum and stole thirteen works of art, including three Rembrandt works and a Vermeer painting. In the Dutch Room of the building, there are beautifully ornate, gilded and empty frames left to symbolize the artworks, which have never been recovered.

Perhaps my favorite items included in the collection were the rare books, particularly the ones that I found to be a bit, shall we say, stylistically familiar. Take a look!

Commisione of Doge Cristoforo Moro to Domenico Diedo as procurator of St. Mark, 1464, and our Paperblanks Gutenberg Bible Parabole Journal.

Commisione of Doge Francesco Donato to Girolamo Morosini as Captain of Brescia, 1547, and our Della Fattoria Leather Photo Album.

Commissione of Doge Giovanni II Cornaro to Giovanni Bollani as Podestà of Chioggia, 1718, and our Jumbo Nettuno Leather Journal.

Overall, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has quite a collection. The walk along the line between genius and eccentricity varies between delicate tip-toeing and raucous marching, which proves for a truly unique and amazing experience. If you’re in Boston and you’d like to visit the museum, check out their website,  http://www.gardnermuseum.org.

For a closer look at the items Jenni Bick Bookbinding carries that are inspired by such works, check out our Leather Photo Albums, Leather Journals, and Paperblanks Journals.

Museum photos via.

Bringing Bookbinding into the 21st Century

Although it began as a hobby at the age of 16, bookbinding has been Michael Chrisman's career for the past 30 years. Not only does Chrisman own and run Bookbinders Workshop, Inc. in Long Island, NY, he is also the newest member of the executive board of directors at the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany. In addition to being added to the executive board of the German bookbinding museum, some of his outstanding work is also currently being featured on display in the museum. Take a look at the photos of some of his work below, including his amazing reproductions of the Gutenberg Bible, which was originally printed and bound in the 15th century, as well as some photos of Chrisman demonstrating his craft.

Although it's not easy to get your own Gutenberg Bible replica, we're happy to offer a great collection of Paperblanks Gutenberg Bible inspired journals. Check them out!

Online Exhibition The Diary: Three Centuries of Private Lives

The Morgan Library & Museum Online Exhibitions - The Diary: Three Centuries of Private Lives.

 

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Manuscript journals of Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), 1837–61. Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1909.

How do we tell the stories of our lives? For centuries, people have turned to diaries to mark time, sort out creative problems, help them through crises, comfort them in solitude or pain, or capture memories for the future. Today, as we find new ways to document our unfolding lives—in blogs, online diaries, and social networks—this exhibition looks back over several centuries to explore the enduring drive to leave a trace of our passing days. The personal writings featured here—all from the Morgan's permanent collection—reveal spiritual journeys, artistic ambition, and everyday rhythms. Some were kept private, others shared with a lover or friend. Together they represent a chorus of voices—each unique, yet bridging time and experience in their expression of love, pain, loss, and joy.

In this online exhibition, we invite you to learn about a selection of featured diaries, subscribe to the podcast, download the exhibition audio guide, and follow the curator's blog.

We welcome questions, comments, and stories about your own experience keeping or reading diaries. Send e-mail to thediary@themorgan.org or comment on the blog.