Paper Back will be open on Saturdays and Wednesdays 10 – 2 or by appointment.

Have a great summer.

Starting from this weekend (6th April).

Open on Mondays, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays 10 – 2.

Any other times by appointment.

I could never find a decent map of papers amazing journey from China to the rest of the world.   So here is mine showing the important dates and destinations.

Please click to view.

Paper History Migration Map

Philip Sutton: My Shakespeare

March 2nd – May 4th Bridport Arts Centre

Philip Sutton has been a strong supporter of the Globe Theatre which was established through his friendship with the architect Theo Crosby and the American actor Sam Wanamaker. Sam spent many years in the 50s trying to get the Globe Theatre off the ground, which Philip supported by producing posters becoming a friend of the project.

Bridport Arts Centre

I worked on this Philip Sutton print ( St Ives c. 1967 )to remove the water damage at the bottom of the paper.  Work included dry cleaning,  blotter washing and deacidification.

A controversial character but a wonderful sculptor, printmakers and typeface designer.  I have worked on a couple of his prints before but I recently had the pleasure of working on a rare certificate and medal designed by Gill for Industrial Heroism.

It was a private civil award given by the Daily Herald newspaper to honour examples of heroism carried out by ordinary workers. Many of the 440 awards were posthumous.

The Order was instituted in 1923^[1] by the Daily Herald specifically to recognise the deeds of valour of those who had saved their fellow workers from danger or death. It was popularly known as the “Workers’ VC“.^[2]

The institution of the medal was prompted by an incident in which four dockworkers helped control a major fire in the Liverpool docks, thereby saving the docks, shipping and a large part of the city, but were offered a reward of only £17, provoking a public outrage.^[3]

The Daily Herald was the official organ of the Trade Union Congress and one of the world’s best-selling newspapers at the time.

The award was presented up to 1964, when the newspaper closed.

After dry cleaning and testing the pigments the certificate was washed and deacidified.  The medal ribbon was very fragile and I supported it at the pin with a melanex tab and at the ring that the medal hangs from with linen string.  The board was cut  so that the medal would sit inside the rebate.  The verso of the medal could be viewed by lifting the middle board and therefore not touching the metal.

Black poster frames have their place but why use them all the time?

Make your Art unique.

We have Antique and Vintage frames in stock.

As the item came into the studio.

After dry cleaning, washing, deacidification and lining onto a micro chamber conservation paper with a mixture of wheat starch paste and methyl cellulose adhesives.

With sympathetic retouching using watercolour.

Mounted using conservation quality boards.

After 20 years of working from home I have finally moved to a Studio.

 2 Gundry Lane, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3RJ

I am open every day between 10 and 2 apart from Sundays and Tuesdays (where you can find me at Bridport Old Books between 10 – 5).

If you would like an appointment outside those hours please email or phone a day in advance.

Studio

Reception and Gallery

I would like to thank everyone who has helped me especially John and Jos Pardoe and my wonderful family without whom I couldn’t have done it.  I am very lucky.

Have posted some pictures of my recent projects.  What is great about this job is the variety and never knowing what will come in the studio next.

The object was stuck onto a backing board.  It had extensive skinning and loses.  Acidic discolouration and staining.  There was previous restoration and retouching.  Work included removing backing board,  blotter washing with bondina tissue for support.  It was deacidified and lined using micro chamber lining paper with a wheat starch and methyl-cellulose paste.  The combination of glues give strength and flexibility.  The loses were filled using appropriate repair papers.  The retouching was done with watercolours mixed with methyl-cellulose to hold their form.  It was then slot mounted onto a conservation board ready for mounting and framing.

The three pictures show before, during and finished.

.