Untitled (endpapers and title page) c. 1865

Curator: Here we have an untitled title page from a book, attributed to Francis Frith and published in 1871. Editor: It feels so intimate, like a peek into someone's old schoolbook. The script is gorgeous, very disciplined, and there's a certain elegance in the simplicity. Curator: Frith was a prominent photographer and publisher, very engaged with documenting British life and topography. This title page speaks to the importance placed on subjects like geography and drawing in Victorian education. Editor: Right, it’s almost a snapshot of a particular kind of ambition. I wonder who W.L. Smith was and what they became. There's so much story locked up in those looping letters. Curator: It reminds us that even seemingly mundane objects can offer significant insights into the values and practices of their time. Editor: Exactly. It’s a quiet rebellion against forgetting, a little echo of someone's past.