'The Book Beautiful' - Alexander Turnbull Library

The Book Beautiful

11 March 2015

A new exhibition at the Alexander Turnbull Library’s bijou gallery opens on the 2nd of March and promises visitors a rare glimpse of some stunning examples of the art of the book.

‘The Book Beautiful’ exhibition, which runs through to the 22nd of May, is a tribute to New Zealand’s earlier collectors who assembled much of this material.

Selected by retiring Curator, Ruth Lightbourne, these beautiful and exquisite objects include medieval manuscripts, early hand printed works from the 15th century, and examples of the 19th and early 20thcentury private press movement. A number of delicate jewelled and embroidered book bindings will also be on display.

A New Zealand section features a specially commissioned work by Auckland printer Tara McLeod of the Pear Tree Press.

The exhibition will be complemented by a wide range of public programmes, including calligraphy classes, demonstrations of traditional gold tooling, a visit to a working hand printing press, and talks on the art of the book.

Details of all public programmes will be available through the National Library website – http://beta.natlib.govt.nz/events.

The exhibition is open from 10.00am to 5.00pm on the first floor of the National Library building, corner of Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Wellington.

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