By Jo Howell 2024

The other books that I bought from my auction madness were Woman worth Emulating by Mrs Clara L Balfour 1895, and Everyday Physics by H E Hadley 1936. The paper is much nicer in these two books, and the added bonus is they don’t smell as foisty as the other one did. Slightly less vomit inducing.

The things we do for art!

Women worth emulating was another Sunday school prize for a little girl. The inscription inside the cover reads:

Christmas Day first prize for choral singing contest at listen hills blah blah something Sunday school to Polly Arrand.

Nicely written inscription

I was really pleasantly surprised that this paper took the chemistry as well as it did. There’s a little foxing on the paper, but it’s a smoother overall. The paper is thinner than the book from my previous blog, but I definitely prefer it.

The cover is another lovely art nouveau drawing. I will have to consider something that I can do with the covers. They’re too nice just to bin. It needs some thought.

Anywho, update about the folding test on the paper from Heroines of Mercy- totally fell to bits. The old paper fibres couldn’t handle the punishment.

But, this thinner and smoother book, Women worth emulating, works beautifully for the cyanotype printing process, and stands up to the folding treatment. I am now the proud owner of enough small boats to make 4 pairs of earrings.

I need to get some more silver earrings and wire. And some nice varnish. Then I’ll get some earrings up on the Etsy again.

Until my next update! The Everyday Physics book is next.

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