2015 MCBA Prize Entries

Karen Hanmer, “The Voyage of the “Fox” in the Arctic Seas. A Narrative of the Discovery of the Fate of Sir John Franklin and his Companions by Captain M’Clintock, R.N., LL.D.”

hanmer_franklin-1Binding with boards fully open. Drift ice represented by inlays and onlays of various textures and at various levels. Translucent calf vellum over photographs of shipwrecks. Blind-tooled title.

hanmer_franklin-2Front board and spine. Drift ice represented by inlays and onlays of various textures and at various levels. Translucent calf vellum over photographs of shipwrecks. Blind-tooled title.

hanmer_franklin-3Inside front board and flyleaf. Impressions of onlays representing drift ice offset onto suede flyleaf.

hanmer_franklin-4Closeup of front board showing inlays and onlays of various textures and at various levels.

 

 
Karen Hanmer (Glenview, IL)
karenhanmer.com

The Voyage of the “Fox” in the Arctic Seas. A Narrative of the Discovery of the Fate of Sir John Franklin and his Companions by Captain M’Clintock, R.N., LL.D.
2014
Full goatskin fine binding: text disbound, outer folios guarded and resewn on flattened cords laced into boards. Buffalo and calf vellum inlays, and back-pared and traditional onlays. Blind tooling and title. Hand-sewn, French-style silk endbands, graphite head. Cloth from original, damaged case bound in at front and rear. Ruscombe Mill handmade paper endsheets. Impression of onlays on edge-to-edge goatskin doublures offsets onto suede flyleaves. Public domain images of historic shipwrecks inkjet printed, then laminated behind vellum.
Unique work
Dimensions open: 7.75 x 10 x 1.5”
Dimensions closed: 7.75 x 5.24 x 1.5”

Sir John Franklin’s 1845 expedition was one of many to search for the elusive Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Franklin’s two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became trapped in sea ice and were abandoned in 1848. None of the 129 man crew survived, and the ships were believed to be lost. The Voyage of the “Fox” in the Arctic Seas. A Narrative of the Discovery of the Fate of Sir John Franklin and his Companions is an account of one of numerous expeditions to search for Franklin’s ships and crew.

The design for this binding was inspired by historic and contemporary photographs, paintings and illustrations of sea ice and Arctic exploration. Drift ice is represented by inlays and onlays of various textures and at various levels. Translucent calf vellum over photographs of shipwrecks represent glimpses of the lost ships at the bottom of the sea. The latest expedition to search for Franklin’s ships began in August 2014, concurrently with work on this binding. The well-preserved wreckage of HMS Erebus was found on September 7, 2014.