Endpapers

I absolutely love the colours in this marbled paper (seen via the domino blog). What great inspiration. I am reminded of endpapers found in books lining old libraries and antique bookshops and flea markets. That smell of ink and paper. Everything faded, yellowed, pastel-coloured.

What are endpapers? They are the leaves found at the beginning and ending of a book. They are not only decorative... they actually serve a purpose. They lessen the strain on the book cover and hide all those raw edges. In some cases, the endpapers are the only thing holding the cover to the inside of the book.

Here is a great flickr set outlining slices of the process of bookbinding. I just love the art of bookbinding; the careful choice of materials leads to such a wonderful sense of touch and texture, outlasting any mass produced paperback by miles.