Schmoller Collection of Decorated Papers
An international collection of over 4,000 decorated papers
Overview
This collection holds over 4,000 sheets of decorated or patterned papers (mainly used as endpapers or paper bindings for books). It contains handmade, hand decorated, and machine decorated papers, mainly from the 20th century, but also including 19th and 21st century examples.
The papers come from Europe, the Americas, Japan, China, India and Nepal and were collected over a lifetime by Hans and Tanya Schmoller. Techniques include traditional marbling, art marbling, embossing, block printing, paste papers, stencilling, lino cutting, airbrushing and batik.
Image: Chiyogami paper, Japan, 1920-1930.
Well-known makers are represented including:
- wood block papers by the firm of Remondini (Italy)
- designs created for the Curwen Press in the 1930s by Eric Ravilious, Enid Marx and Graham Sutherland
- marbled papers by Cockerell & Son and by Tirzah Garwood Ravilious
- art marbling by Karli Frigge
- contemporary makers such as Victoria Hall, Jemma Lewis and the French studio, Antoinette Poisson
The collection is supported by 230 sample books from a wide range of printers and makers, countries and dates. This is a unique strength of the collection and an important aid to the identification of designs, printers and artists who have largely been forgotten or excluded from the history of book arts.
You can search the collection online using the Search link below, or make an appointment to view it in our Reading Room during opening hours. If you’d like to bring your students to see some of the collection, enquire about a group visit.
Access the collection
Photography and Copyright
You can photograph our collections for personal study and research only. Just ask for a Photography Permission Form when you visit.
If you’re not able to visit us in person, we may be able to send you a scan or photograph of the item instead.
Contact us if you need an image for use in social media, print or online publication, or commercial purposes.
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