February is timely for a book review of love letters. The sub-title of this selection from the British Library collection is ‘Intimate Correspondence between Famous Lovers’.
The editor, Andrea Clarke, has chosen thirty handwritten notes which span two thousand years of affectionate, passionate and occasionally distraught outpourings.
Seeing the physical objects in print; the papyrus, vellum, rag paper and varying shades of ink connects us to the past literally and emotionally.
I’m not sure why I was surprised (and moved) to be able to read a letter from 1621 – it’s extraordinary to realise that our written communication has not changed so very much in a long, long time.
Our neat, loopy, staccato, irregular, exquisite script, is as individual to us as our character. Hand lettering is explored in the BookLove e-course if you want to up your letter writing game.
These examples include tiny books, drawings, secret messages…all in envelopes or careful folds. The love is tangible.
To create love letters of your own, with papers found in sumptuous boutiques and ephemera from flea markets, sign up for the 2022 Parisian bookart workshop.
Love Letters: Intimate Correspondence between Famous Lovers, edited by Andrea Clarke, is published by the British Library.
To receive a 10% discount on your purchase from Golden Hare Books, use code bookbinderbookreview11 valid until 11th March 2022.
With love from The Travelling Bookbinder!
