The appeal of miniature books
I had a miniature dictionary when I was a child. It wasn’t a particularly beautiful object, with its plastic cover in a dirty shade of gold. But it contained so much knowledge, in a format compact enough to carry at the bottom of my school bag… I don’t actually remember using it very much, but I can still see it and feel its shape and weight in my hand.
Of course, carrying a dictionary in your pocket isn’t so special in the days of smartphones, but for centuries – the earliest printed examples date back to the 15th century – miniature books were perhaps the closest thing available.
Susan Stewart writes in On Longing that calendars and almanacs, as well as religious works such as books of hours, have historically been particularly favoured to be miniaturised, because of their ‘microcosmic’ aspect. Texts that encompass the world in a concise form are the perfect match for a diminutive volume. Just like my tiny dictionary, they also provide access to knowledge in something that can be carried or worn.
By definition, a miniature book is a book that measures no more than 75mm in height. There are, of course, much smaller books in existence, the display of skill and ingenuity in creating them being part of the appeal. Playing with scale has a fascination all of its own, from the very small to the very large, microchips to skyscrapers. It brings with it a sense of wonder – at the seeming, Alice in Wonderland-like magic of it, and at the human know-how that really is behind it.
The miniature book is not just a portable text – it is an object that demonstrates craftsmanship. Historically, miniatures included books set with jewels, and small books were worn by their wealthy owner, not simply carried or stored. They were valued not merely for practicality, precious not just for their contents, but for their own material form.
My miniature books are made in this spirit – as precious objects. They are blank, so left for you to add your own story, your own microcosm, or simply to keep as objects with a rich tradition of bookbinding skills on a miniature scale.
