Miniatures

We had another day doing object photography today. Ben’s pictures are amazing – even the tiniest of objects can be blown up so that all the intricate details invisible to the naked eye become significant. Colours and torn edges on books, fine engraving on pin ends, patterns seeping through paper…

One highlight of the day for me was re-finding the solander boxes full of miniature books.  Mary amassed lots of children’s books – tiny ones, nursery rhymes with beautiful lino block miniature prints to illustrate, Biblical ones, and books of religious and moral instruction for children, tiny almanacs and diaries of Saints’ Days that are smaller than my thumb.  I first saw them when I started work at the gallery about two years ago, but haven’t seen them since: I’ll definitely be going back for another peek.