Margery S. Hellmann, The Holburne Press

Seattle, Washington

Anne Bradstreet, A Book for Anne Bradstreet, 2004

Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672) was America’s first published poet. Each folio of this popup book is comprised of three levels. Her poem, An Author to Her Book, is printed on the pop-up pages. Beneath them is my explanation of her life. Circling the edge of the folio is a series of sayings/proverbs collected by Anne Bradstreet. The lower page levels are sewn together using embroidery stitches appropriate to her time. Letterpress printed in brown, rust, black, and white inks on Canson Mi Teintes papers. Bound in paper over boards with a linen spine in an edition of fifty. 17 x 19 x 2 centimeters. Created 2004.

---

Over the course of many years, I traveled a meandering road on my way to bookmaking. Printmaking led me to papermaking and marbling, then collage, and then on to binding. Among the instructors guiding me along the binding trail were James Brockman, Deborah Evetts, Gary Frost, Hedi Kyle, and Ole Olsen. Eventually, my path turned to letterpress printing where I acquired my skills from Bonnie Thompson Norman at the Windowpane Press. From there the road led directly to limited edition books. Since 1995, I have worked as the Holburne Press. My goal has been to combine unconventional book structures with printing classic texts so as to create a dimension beyond the words — an added visual language. My books have been exhibited here and abroad and are held in national and international collections. My Wavewords (James Joyce) was included in the GBW Best of the Best and A Patch of Old Snow ( Robert Frost) was a Miniature Book Society Distinguished Book.