How did you become interested in Victorian endpapers?
After training as a traditional bookbinder, I started working at abindery. They used these beautifulold marbled endpapers. Some ofthem dated to the 18th century butmost were Victorian. The shop was closing and I felt so sad about thembeing lost. I had a real emotional connection to them and felt stronglythat they should be preserved, so Ibought the whole, vast collection.
What do you love about them?
They’re so incredible, you can’t quite believe they’re handmade. They’re so detailed but all entirely unique. Somelook like lunar landscapes. I can cut the same shape 50 times and they’ll always look different because the patterns on each sheet are so variable.
Where did the idea for using them for your entomology pieces come from?
To start with, I didn’t know what to do with the papers but, one day, when looking at some of the patterns, I thought how they reminded me of butterfly wings. It all went from there. I later learned that the blue ink used in some of the papers was made fromcrushed beetle shells. It fits together.
Have you had to buy any more papers since leaving the bindery?
I’m a hoarder and have kept them all – I actually have way more than I’d ever use. I do incorporate other ephemera though and have bought a stack of letters and handwritten documents from eBay, dating from the 1880s.
How important is preservation to you?
Some of the papers are so old that they’re crumbling away. I have to be really careful and put a lot of effort intopreserving them. I use acid-free mounts and conservation-grade glass so none of the UV rays can get through.
Do you have a special interest in the Victorian era?
For me, it’s not about nostalgia but looking forward. I love repurposing the papers and making them relevant for now. I also bought a stash ofVictorian specimen drawers from the Natural History Museum when it was updating its collection, which I reuse as frames. The drawers have tiny holes where hundreds of insects were pinned. I love all the imperfections.