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| Not the same book, but similar design and style |
I guess I've learned that an age-old saying is true: a picture really does say a thousand words
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Hidden Meanings
Looking at all the different ways that images are used to convey meaning and worth last week was mind boggling to say the least. It was interesting to see how an image or the presentation of a book can provide so many glimpses into how the previous owner acted or what was in store beneath an elaborate binding. Just by looking at what was presented on the binding of a book, we were able to figure out that the book with elaborate and fragile designs on the cover held stories by Shakespeare and was thought to be both a cherished item and a great expense to the previous owner.
I was also really interested by the pictures inside of the books, especially the horticulture books that we looked at. Seeing the two books over the almost the same plants presented in different ways was really cool. On one hand, Fuchs took great pains to have every plant he could get his hands on accurately etched onto a press so that each plant could have it's own large page, showing detail while giving the reader a chance to go exploring and fill in the color of the plants himself. However in the other book, although there were many pages with long-dead plants pressed into the book, there were a lot of blank pages that were still waiting to be filled with a specific plant. This book was past the point of bursting because of all the extra material added in, indicating that the book had started out blank, but had been filled in over time by the owner, whom we can only assume was the one who found each plant and pressed them into the book one by one. Just the thought that looking at the images and material that have been left behind by past owners can give us an idea of who they were and how they acted is a really cool concept!
I guess I've learned that an age-old saying is true: a picture really does say a thousand words
I guess I've learned that an age-old saying is true: a picture really does say a thousand words
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Which would you all prefer- the book where you could fill in the plant color yourself or the book you could fill with pressed leaves? I think I would treasure the kind with the actual plant pieces in it more. I guess it has its downsides because it gets full and could split the binding. Any thoughts? :)
ReplyDeleteHmmm, tough question. I guess I would enjoy the adventure of finding all the different plants and personally putting them in, as well as the satisfaction I would get from having helped complete the book. On the other hand, I think I would be too terrified of messing up and putting the wrong plant in the wrong place...so I'd be tempted to get the already complete book. Overall though, I think I'd want the incomplete one so I can look back on it and not only "know" that I got the plants in the right spot, but also so I could see the complete book (despite the breaking bindings) and know that I had been a part of completing something great, that I had a hand in filling in all the blanks and had an adventure while looking for the pieces that will eventually complete my puzzle. In other words: it would become a sort of scrapbook filled with memories as well as a practical guide to all those plants
ReplyDeleteI agree with Erin, I would probably prefer finding the physical plants themselves and placing them inside the unfinished book. I completely respect how much time it must have taken to create each woodcarving for each plant (especially since we all know how hard it was first hand), but I don't think I have the patience or talent to accurately color the plants in the other horticulture type book. It also has a cool scavenger hunt feel to it if you are looking for your own plants to fill the book. Each plant will have its own memory of where it was taken, how was it found, and how hard it was to find it. I think Erin was completely right when she said it's like a scrapbook (of knowledge!).
ReplyDeleteLike Erin said, I would be mortified of putting the wrong plant in the wrong space if I had the book where I had to collect the plants myself. While it would be fun to go searching for them, it would be incredibly time consuming. Also, I would second guess myself constantly about my judgement of what plant was what. I would prefer the one that was filled for me. The images would be less hands on, but I would probably get more use out of it because I wouldn't be fretting over my own additions constantly.
ReplyDeleteThis is true Zander, but doesn't that go with everything in life? The longer it takes to build something, ultimately the more sweet and helpful the reward. If many herbists were careful in their research than just imagine how helpful and incredible the finished piece would be.
DeleteI would have to agree with Alex and Erin. I would find it much more fun and rewarding to find the actual specimens, but knowing myself I would end up making a mistake by putting the wrong plant in the wrong place. I enjoy and learn more with hands on projects, so I would have to choose a book with the physical plants.
ReplyDeleteThe book that already had the plants in it was probably my favorite book that we've looked at it. It just seemed so used, like an old car that had driven hundreds of thousands of miles. You could just tell from looking at it that not only had someone put in a lot of time adding to the book, the book had been studied, and transported, brought into the field, carried in bags. If books had personalities, then I would prefer a book like this, as opposed to a snobby library book that spent its entire life on a shelf worrying about pens and markers.
ReplyDeleteI mean the book that plants had to be added to.
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