Stupid Yesterday

Wore my new Shape-Ups knockoffs to school thinking what I don't know.  I drove myself since Chris was working and parked in the $7 garage.  Walked down to my first class running later than intended but still on time.  Got to my class and the door was locked.  Ah yes, today we're meeting in the library... which is directly across from the parking garage.  D'oh!  Had to walk back down to the English building for my next class and back up for Art History.  My targeted muscles that I never use are sore.  I made up for it by eating a mini Pizza Hut pizza.  So there.

The Book Arts class met in the library so we could see their Special Collections.  The teacher used to be in charge of said collection so he had prepared a list of things to show us.  First up was a 4000 year old Sumerian clay tablet which I learned all about last semester in Art History.  It was very small, maybe an inch square and looked something like this:

We saw books from the 15th century, a Shakespeare folio from the 17th century and a book printed by Ben Franklin's press.  Another appearance from Art History was the illuminated manuscript.  They had a couple examples of those, which look something like this:

 The "crown jewel" of the collection is their 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle in its original binding.  Again I have to show you somebody else's copy because UNR has no pictures of this stuff on their website.

This book tells the history of the world starting with the creation of the universe

to Noah's Ark

to current maps of cities.  This is Florence.

There were many more impressive items that I have forgotten about due to information overload.  But there was at least an hour of this followed by an hour and a half of viewing items from their Book Arts collection.

There are lots of neat ideas there and I can't remember names enough to find enough to show you many examples but here are three by Julie Chen.

This one is called Octopus and it pulls open like an expanding file folder.  Each page (or layer, whatever you want to call it) has text and you can see the octopus at the back.

The next one is called Ode to a Grand Staircase and opens up on both sides.  There are many, many layers and separate pieces put together.

 

The last one I can't find a name for.  Admittedly, I am not trying very hard.  It is made to look like a box of candy (so I'm told, though I don't think it really looks like candy) and each piece is its own tiny book that opens differently and contains weird little thoughts.

Neat, huh?

So the rest of the day was LONG and BORING and when I finally got home I dragged Ant to the grocery store.  We got home at 9:30.  Now I'm at work.  I am ready for the week to be over and I'm deciding that today will be the end of it.  I reject working on Fridays from now on.