End papers of The British Library 1400's

 

Above and below: Endpapers from Nordlingen : Friedrich Walther and Hans Hurning, circa 1470

Above: Regenspurck : Lienhart, [1465?]

Gloucester Marbling,

Gloster or Gloucester Marbling, is named after its place of origin, but can also be found named as Partidge's Eye, Oeil de Perdrix, Stein Marmor mit Grießtropfen. 

This pattern is created by starting with a Turkish base, then a comb with one set of teeth is drawn across the bath twice vertically (or horizontally), once in either direction with the second pass halving the first. Then one or more colors of ink mixed with a dispersant, generally turpentine is sprinkled onto the bath, causing those last spots to have open, very fine spots inside them. The examples here are from the 1800's.

Late 1800's Spanish moiré marbling

 

I have to say I find these endpapers disturbingly rich, the fold effect is almost unfathomable, but they are (above and below) from a leather bound 1887 version of Milton, 'Paradise Lost and Poetical Works'.

Spanish moiré

This pattern is related to and a variation of the (typical) Spanish marble. It was created about the same time at the beginning of the 17th century. According to Muira the pattern is created starting with a Turkish base. A paper which has been folded in half diagonally and vertically (or horizontally and vertically) is laid onto the bath, moving slightly from side to side to create the curvilinear, gradations typical of this pattern.

Below: endpapers from 1870 Felix Mendelsohn, 'Songs Without Words Sheet Music for Piano'.

Above: example from 1887.

Above and Below: examples from the Bergen Library 

'Bouquet' Combed Marbling

 The Bouquet pattern, was invented near the end of the 18th century, is similar to the Peacock for in both patterns the final step is done the exact same way; however, a Bouquet pattern according to Muira begins with a Nonpareil base whereas Wolfe defines any base pattern whose final step is done this way to be a Peacock. According to Muira, the pattern is created by starting first with a Nonpareil base. After this is finished, a comb with two sets of teeth is drawn vertically through the bath in loose, wavy lines which cause the appearance of the Nonpareil columns to fan out and appear to be a small bouquet.

Above: Hirsch J.1890 from the British Library. Below: Marbled endpaper from an 1875 copy of Die Nachfolge Christi by Thomas von Kempis

Above example from 1800's

You can see how it is achieved here.

'Unrivalled' Combed Marbling

Above: Endpaper from Wits & Beaux of Society c. 1880's Wharton Biographies

Above 1869 endpaper (Book unknown). 

Above: Modern version by Mme Marie-Anne Hamaide

Known as: 'Unrivalled', 'Peigné Droit' or 'Kamm', this pattern is related to the Wide comb (Arch) pattern as well as the Old Dutch pattern. All are variations of one another and are often mistaken for each other. The major differences are very difficult to pinpoint, but seem to stem from the size of intervals the last comb's teeth are set in. 

The pattern is created when the desired colours are dropped sequentially onto the bath using some sort of implement to regulate the drop sizes. According to Muira a comb with one set of teeth set at intervals of 15-30mm is drawn through the bath horizontally, once in either direction with the second pass halving the first. Then another comb with teeth set at 2-3 mm is drawn once across the bath vertically (or horizontally).

Above: Byron's Poetry book of 1859

Marbled Endpapers from the Welcome Collection

Combed and blotched, ink thrown in almost Jackson Pollock style joyous abandon then formulated by combs and feathers into psychedelic kaleidoscopes, resembling microscopic visions of bacterial growths or incredible internal landscapes.

These are examples of 'marbled papers' which have been used to decorate the interiors of thousands of books in the Welcome Collection.

The first known form of marbling was the mainly monochrome art of 'suminagashi' in Japan which was practiced as far back as the 12th Century.  By the 16th Century it was being created in its more colourful form in Turkey and Persia. In the 17th Century European travellers were bringing home first descriptions of marbling and then the technique itself. Soon it was decorating books, walls and container linings across Europe.

Shaving Foam Marbling

I started shaving foam marbling/ printing last year with my students. It is a sensory overload as you are assaulted with the potent pong of aftershave, your hands get covered in foam and paint and the colour is vivid and wonderful.
It is fun, you get great results but it can get very messy.

Ingredients:

A tray with a lip of 1-2cm
Shaving foam
ready mixed paints of various colours
a stick (for swirling)
lots of paper
a pallet knife

Cover your tray in shaving foam.
Smooth with pallet knife
Drip or splatter paint over the surface.
draw swirly pattern through this and print onto paper by gently pressing the paper onto surface of the foam.
Then use your pallet knife to scrape excess foam/ paint from the paper and leave to dry.

Excess foam can be returned to the tray, smooth it off and repeat the process until the foam is too brown or flat to continue.
The resulting papers can be used for collage, decoupage, book binding, or as I use them as a method of tapping into the imagination by getting the creator to look into the pattern and pull out things that they can see there.