DE WALDEN PRESS

 Miniature Hand made limited edition books

Limited Edition of forty-nine copies signed and numbered.  Click on thumbnail for larger image.

The Tower of London is over nine hundred years old and has been at the centre of some of the most important events in the history of the British Isles.

Originally built as a power-base by William the Conqueror, it has been used by monarchs down the centuries, each adapting the Tower to his or her own particular needs.  This A to Z selection shows the variety and scope of the Tower’s history, some parts being well known, others less so.

I devised the binding to reflect aspects of the Tower’s use and history.  The pages are secured with 9ct. gold rings, echoing the regal nature of the Tower as well as its use as a prison for high-ranking subjects.  The rings are laced into the covers with strips of vellum, a durable material in use for centuries.

The cover is of English calf leather dyed a russet colour and blind tooled in a medieval style with a gilt rose.  The rose has been part of Royal English coats of arms, ever since they came into use.  The covers fasten with a leather loop and knot.

The text is printed in gold and black on cream Zerkall paper, in a typeface called Dauphin, which has similarities to early Norman French script.

There are nine hand-coloured illustrations, and one printed in gold, showing aspects of the Tower buildings, incidents and occupants.  Letter K folds out to show a list of Kings and Queens and the dates of their reigns.  There is a foldout plan of the Tower and a copy of an early print showing Lady Jane Grey about to be beheaded on the scaffold.  The fate of Gruffud, who fell to his death trying to escape, is shown in the frontispiece and the second elephant to appear in England takes up the rear under Z for Zoo.