Ontwerp voor een reclame voor R.W.P. de Vries Jr. te Edam 1884 - 1952

This advert for R.W.P. de Vries Jr. of Edam, probably made in the late 19th or early 20th century, is all about bookbinding and related crafts. I can imagine the designer, maybe de Vries himself, carefully inking in those art nouveau-style lines. He had a steady hand, a clear vision. Must have been satisfying to see the fluid shapes emerge. It reminds me of illuminated manuscripts, where every letter, every border, was lovingly rendered. There's a real sense of care here, a dedication to craft that speaks to a different era. Even the list itself—book decorations, bindings, albums—evokes a world of handmade beauty. These forms, repeated across time, act as a call and response between makers, each contributing to the ongoing conversation of creativity. Ultimately, it’s up to us to keep this dialogue going.