By: Allyson Holliday, Complex Copy-Cataloger
Cool@Hoole thought it’d be fun to feature our staff’s favorites from among our collections. After all, closed stacks collections mean that users rely on us to know our materials in and out so that we can share the best resources for their classes or research. Along the way, we’ve not only become experts on our holdings, but also found items that we are particularly drawn to ourselves.
So, just as bookstores have “staff favorites” or “staff recommendation” shelves, we’ll have occasional blog posts showing our best picks from Hoole. Read about April Burnett and Ashley Bond‘s favorites in previous posts.
Rare book cataloger Allyson Holliday’s favorite book from Hoole is E.A. Seguy’s Papillions (Rare Books Oversize QL543.S44).
E.A. Seguy was an artist and designer in Paris during the early 20th century. He produced folios of illustrations and patterns, drawing inspiration from nature. Seguy’s albums were created using a unique printing process called pochoir – applying pigment to paper through the use of stencils. First, the artist created an image in watercolor or gouache. The design was then analyzed to determine the necessary colors and number of stencils needed. The stencils could be made of various materials including zinc, cardboard, copper or celluloid. The paint was applied through the stencils – layer by layer – entirely by hand.
Seguy successfully combined both Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles in his work. His brightly colored geometric patterns were intended to be used as inspiration for decorative items such as textiles and wallpaper.
The beauty of his butterflies makes this folio one of my favorite items at Hoole!
