Marbled endpaper; verso: Three Male Portraits c. 1845 - 1847

Editor: This is "Marbled endpaper; verso: Three Male Portraits" by Sanford Robinson Gifford. I'm really drawn to the intricate, almost chaotic patterns. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This endpaper, though seemingly decorative, exists within a larger cultural context. Marbling was a technique often employed in bookbinding, a craft historically gendered and classed. Editor: So, you're saying it's not just about the aesthetic? Curator: Not at all. Consider the labor involved, the socioeconomic status of those who could afford such embellishments. Even the act of preserving knowledge within a marbled container speaks to power structures. Do you see how it reflects social hierarchies? Editor: I see how the book’s materials may speak to power, and the labor required for its making. Curator: Exactly! It prompts us to question whose stories were deemed worthy of such elaborate preservation, and whose were not. Editor: Thanks, that really opens up a new perspective on something I saw as purely decorative.