It all started in March at one of Edinburgh’s libraries. It seems the people at the Scottish Poetry Library came across a quirky and beautiful paper sculpture tree left on one of their tables. No one new who’d left it, but it was addressed to the library’s twitter account name and contained a short thank you that read:
It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.…
… We know that a library is so much more than a building full of books… a book is so much more than pages full of words.…
This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas
Next to the tree sat a little paper egg, lined in gold leaf with tiny pieces of paper, which when put all together formed the poem, “A Trace of Wings” by Edwin Morgan.
It all seemed like a random and very sweet gesture made by someone who loved that branch of the library. Until late June, when the National Library of Scotland found a little sculpture of their own, complete with a note thanking libraries. And then another turned up a Filmhouse in Scotland, and one at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, and then two at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and so on and so on.
Even with quite a bit of coverage from local and international media, no one has yet to come forward to claim their work. I guess they’re really just happy providing smiles to the places they love most…..libraries. You can see all of the sculptures and read more about the places right here. If you’re interested in keeping up with any news on more sculptures, you could follow most of these libraries on Twitter. The Edinburgh Poetry Library seems to be the one to keep things updated. (Plus, all these places have fascinating online library catalogs, websites and blogs. You might just find it interesting to see what’s going on in another part of the world!)
And a quick note to the creative person/persons doing these little sculptures……if you’d like to drop one off in Canada to a quaint little library, in say, Carleton Place…..we’d be more than happy to share it with our wonderful patrons. Just saying.
We know that a library is so much more than a building full of books… a book is so much more than pages full of words.…
Just beautiful…. how nice of someone to share the love
These are wonderful!
Thank you very much for this. Connie
http://7thandvine.wordpress.com/
How we love and honor our libraries. They do so much to make everyone’s lives better.
The Paper Sculptures are beautiful–what a gift!
Best wishes from Wisconsin, USA…
My sentiments exactly!
Hello from Canada! Have a wonderful weekend!
This is very cool. Thanks for posting!
Three of my favorite things…books, art, and a good mystery!
These are so beautiful!
That is officially FABULOUS! I love them because they are beautiful and fragile, like words themselves if we ever neglect them too long or take them for granted. However, the better part of the story is the fact that no one is seeking fame for this. It’s just an act of spontaneous creativity and human kindness done for no reason beyond love and desire. What a great note to end a cruddy day on! Humanity survives!
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
Awww…..thanks so much for dropping by. It does make the heart feel good, doesn’t it? There should be more of this in the world. Have a great weekend!
Beautiful!! I hope one makes it your way!!!
Gasp! Can we get one in America?! Preferably in Washington State? Whomever is making these, thanks! Your art is sweet and quite cool.
Thanks for putting up this post…I had no idea these were showing up!
What a beautiful gesture — it’ll be interesting to see if the “culprit” every reveals him/herself…
Fun post — thank you for sharing!
This is SO cool – I wonder where you can purchase something like that or even who makes them??
Absolutely beautiful!
Thanks for sharing – I wish more people appreciated and respected libraries. Where I’m currently living in the U.S. all our local library have been closed except for 4 days a week (Mon-Thurs until 5pm –> totally inconvenient hours for any student, like myself, wanting to study) due to budget cuts. I hope we all get reawakened soon to the importance of local libraries.
Thanks for posting!
Ash
I’d love to know how to create something like this (or buy one….probably be a lot less stressful!). They certainly are gorgeous!
I agree….libraries are not dinosaurs and in the world we live in, you’d think people would need places where they could come and get affordable (free) entertainment, education, amusement….anything you can think of, practically…like a library. Hopefully, the powers that be will open their eyes before it’s too late and reinstate libraries. They’ll always be a necessary part of our communities.
Thanks for stopping by!
aloha Carlton Place Public Library – just a suggestion…
google:
Altered Book Sculpture
take a look at the Images. follow up on any that appeal to you. you’ll see some even with trees. the book in your post looks familiar to me. the style. but i can not remember exactly where i’ve seen it (or who’s site i was on when i saw it). i suspect that some of the other artists who work in this medium might recognize it. there are some images that show process. there are a lot of altered book groups as well.
have fun. aloha.
Thanks for the suggestion, Rick!
What a clever and thoughtful gesture.
bwahahahahaahaha – sounds like a combination of glamour-bombing and altered books. both entirely their own areas but also areas and formats that Mail Art embraces. very cool. aloha.
That’s wonderful that this talented person (or people) donates the old paper sculptures to libraries. What beautiful art – that’s real modern art.
oh it’s beautiful stories like this that make me stay up all night reading. Libraries rock! the smell of all the pages, the quiet “echo-ey” sounds, voices heard between the books, your favorite cozy corner… i miss you, library!
Thanks for the lovely post. Please visit me sometime! http://skybluewithdaisies.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/books-and-crannies/
… and if you are ever in South Windsor, CT, little paper tree maker, the Wood Memorial Library is the sweetest.
Libraries DO rock!
My personal favourites are the sounds of joy when a little one finds that special book, or standing at the circulation desk and listening to someone tell you in detail about a favourite book!
Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be dropping into your blog soon!
[...] It all started in March at one of Edinburgh's libraries. It seems the people at the Scottish Poetry Library came across a quirky and beautiful paper sculpture tree left on one of their tables. No one new who'd left it, but it was addressed to the library's twitter account name and contained a short thank you that read: It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.… … We know that a library is so much more than a building full of … Read More [...]
[...] Mysterious Paper Sculptures (via Tales From An Open Book) It all started in March at one of Edinburgh's libraries. It seems the people at the Scottish Poetry Library came across a quirky and beautiful paper sculpture tree left on one of their tables. No one new who'd left it, but it was addressed to the library's twitter account name and contained a short thank you that read: It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.… … We know that a library is so much more than a building full of … Read More [...]
Those sculptures are really cool. Maybe I’ll open up a library just so that mystery artist will give me a tree gift.
LOL! I know what you mean!
That is interesting, do you think they will ever find the person who left the sculptures?
This sounds like a short story in the making—better yet a kind novel of sorts.
You’re right! Could be a great story!
When you think about it, it might spoil the beauty of it to know who makes the sculptures. But it certainly makes you wonder!
aww..those are beautiful sculptures!!!..thanks 4 sharing!
Amazing and beautiful work!!! It’s fantastic to feel that libraries and librarians have touched someones life so much that they have felt moved to create these works.
I hope they stop by Wollongong University library in Australia and leave us a present also. Would love to see something so special in person!
Congrats on being freshly pressed, certainly well deserved.
I know libraries touch people, but it is so nice to see something in this way. Hello from Canada!
Hello to you too! We get a lot of exchange students from Canada they are always so friendly and appreciative of any help they receive. Huge lovers of the library too!!!
Great story….and beautiful art!!!
Neat and clever!
Oh my goodness* this is just lovely!
You know, it reminds me of the bower birds nests. Are you familiar? Check this out, I think you’ll relate…
http://youtu.be/GPbWJPsBPdA
hopefully that will provide link. If not then this:
I’m determined to show you this! You will love it.
Beautiful work!!
[...] It all started in March at one of Edinburgh's libraries. It seems the people at the Scottish Poetry Library came across a quirky and beautiful paper sculpture tree left on one of their tables. No one new who'd left it, but it was addressed to the library's twitter account name and contained a short thank you that read: It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.… … We know that a library is so much more than a building full of … Read More [...]
[...] Freshly Pressed featured this nugget of library love that I just had to share with you! These paper sculptures are appearing in Scottish [...]
If I had an arts patron, didn’t have to worry about paying bills, this is the sort of art I’d do.
Leaving bits of art around, making political and social statements, this is the stuff that fuels my imagination.
How incredible.
This is a little like the sculpture version of Banksy don’t you think?
I create stuff too in my sister blog Diane gets Crafty. Do have a look.
I know! I think this sort of thing is wonderful, gets me thinking, too. Thanks for the link to your blog. I’ll take a look. I’m always looking for crafty ideas!
The sculptures are amazing, obviously a book lover did them. thanks,
cool sculptures…
http://travellersdiningdepot.wordpress.com/
I heard about these mysterious sculptures from friends in the UK, but it’s great to actually see the artwork. PS: Congratulations on being “pressed”.
Thanks so much! It was a great surprise!
[...] In honor of Havre-Hill County Library’s annual four-day used book sale, aka book nerd Christmas, and just because I found it immensely delightful and artistically fascinating, I give you this link to a library/art/literature mystery from Scotland that I linked to from a WordPress sister site. [...]
I did a short blog about this too, it’s wonderful isn’t it. I run a large UK library, I want one too.
I hope we never find out who did it, it would spoil the mystery!
It’s true. While it would be nice to know in some ways, it would take away from the magical gesture.
I love this! A beautiful, creative gesture of gratitude and appreciation – long may they continue
This is truly amazing… I love interesting works of art.
[...] http://talesfromanopenbook.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/mysterious-paper-sculptures/ [...]
Nice
That is awesome, intriguing, and so lovely. I can’t wait to find out who the paper artist is.
Very beautiful pieces of art – ad a nice gesture!
I wish we knew who the artist was, I don’t think it would take away for the art itself. It’s just so beautiful and unique that it’s a shame no one has claimed it. I understand the essence of being an unknown creator, but someone deserves a lot of credit on these!
Hopefully, someone will come forward one day.
Love that first piece. Very well done.
I am glad someone has taken the time to appreciate the libraries! As the daughter of a librarian, libaries are so important to me and all they do means the world to me! What this person did is incredible and so kind!
I so agree! It’s a special thing, for sure.
Oh wow, what a masterpieces!
[...] It all started in March at one of Edinburgh's libraries. It seems the people at the Scottish Poetry Library came across a quirky and beautiful paper sculpture tree left on one of their tables. No one new who'd left it, but it was addressed to the library's twitter account name and contained a short thank you that read: It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.… … We know that a library is so much more than a building full of … Read More [...]
What a fantastic idea–and such beautiful little sculptures!
Thanks for sharing!
[...] It all started in March at one of Edinburgh's libraries. It seems the people at the Scottish Poetry Library came across a quirky and beautiful paper sculpture tree left on one of their tables. No one new who'd left it, but it was addressed to the library's twitter account name and contained a short thank you that read: It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.… … We know that a library is so much more than a building full of … Read More [...]
Enchanting story. A reminder of the beauty we can create through simple acts.
(*knew)
Wow! We have space for art at our Library in Union City, California.
How thoughtful and kind. What a great gift to the libraries!
This is such a marvelous tribute–to leave a mystery behind for those whose business it is to lend mysterious bound books to those looking for an adventure in reading. Tres apropos.
[...] http://talesfromanopenbook.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/mysterious-paper-sculptures/#comment-3698 [...]
[...] after I had already written my first draft and thrown it out. Here’s a link to that blog: http://talesfromanopenbook.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/mysterious-paper-sculptures/ . And here’s a link to the same bog that they linked: [...]
These are so lovely. It’s wonderful how organic they are. It’s so easy to think of libraries as living places, so it seems natural that various flora should mysteriously appear. Thanks for passing the magic along to the rest of us!
We can all use a bit of magic in our lives, can’t we?
These are magical.
Awesome!
Libraries are, indeed, magical places – places where magic happens, and fantasies are born and come to life. How poignant and fitting that some anonymous benefactor (s) has/have seen fit to unveil a bit of the wonder they experience in the land-of-the-books, in the form of a tangible reminder! May we all learn from this object lesson: to embrace the simple joy we’ve each found, at one time or another, within pages filled with inspiring words.
Well said. Thank you
I just love that this wonderful booklover managed to sneak such beautiful creations in, and leave unnoticed. Perhaps….magic?
Perhaps……
[...] from: http://talesfromanopenbook.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/mysterious-paper-sculptures/ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
these are so beautiful! I would be pleased to find these pretty sculptures around my workplace every morning!
Thanks for sharing, and a huge thank you to the artist/sculptor for such a thoughtful gesture!!
You can see more of them here:
http://scotlitpap.blogspot.com/2011/09/mysterious-paper-sculptures.html
[...] Mysterious Paper Sculptures « Tales From An Open Book. [...]
These remind me a lot of the paper sculptures used in J.K. Rowling’s introduction video to the Pottermore website. I believe she lives in Edinburgh too, so who knows, could be the same person. It’s amazing stuff! http://www.pottermore.com/
Interesting connection. Now wouldn’t that be something??? (And as much as I love the whole Harry Potter thing, if this was connected as a publicity thing, it would tarnish it all, I think.)
best posting brother..
visit on http://anar373ct.wordpress.com/
thank’s before..
just love the smell and colors of books on the shelf in a library, awesomeness
utterly charming. The first one look bonsai-ish
For tales of other bold souls
turning our world into their personal
canvas – visit my site for more of
these Bohemians at Large.
http://rastelly.com/
Wonderful. Thanks for the great link!
lovely art works. thoughtful people. sweet!
i wish we had a lot of those here in the philippines – not the paper sculptures though but public libraries! it’s sad to admit that we have more humongous malls here than public libraries. (*sigh*) anyway, thanks for sharing this charming post.
have a nice day!:)
That is sad. Libraries are wonderful places for sure. I don’t think you’d see too many people donating anonymous sculptures to the local mall. Makes you think, huh?
Hello from Canada!
Beautiful gestures from the creator of these paper sculptures which are works of art! Thanks for sharing!
Real royal gesture, particularly since he wishes to remain anonymous. May be it is payback time.
THOSE ARE AWESOME PEICES
Beautiful Sentiments from the person doing this! In a world of advanced technology and where ebooks and internet is fast replacing the need for printed stuff, its amazing, touching and very warming that someone is caring about libraries; the place where the true essence and joy of reading really is and will forever remain…
Seriously, nothing beats the joy of reading from a hard copy book, especially one with worn out pages from time and the smell of ink on paper all around…
Well said!
I’ll bet it is much more fun for the artist to remain anonymous than to have his/her self known. What a beautiful gift.
Amazing
These are wonderful! i really really like it
Three of my favorite things…books, art, and a good mystery!
Wow, amazing art, really beautiful!
Wonderful work. First one is beautiful.
What a wonderful gesture with amazing art to go with it!Thank you for sharing!
I love books, the way the feel and the way they smell too. I enjoyed your post.
A wonderful use for old books!
[...] This mysterious and beautiful book sculpture was found in an Edinburgh library. To read the note that came with it and see more wonderful works left at other libraries by the same artist, see Tales from an Open Book. [...]
[...] It all started in March at one of Edinburgh's libraries. It seems the people at the Scottish Poetry Library came across a quirky and beautiful paper sculpture tree left on one of their tables. No one new who'd left it, but it was addressed to the library's twitter account name and contained a short thank you that read: It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.… … We know that a library is so much more than a building full of … Read More [...]
wow – incredible – thanks for sharing!
-grace
That is COMPLETELY AWESOME. I didn’t even realize people were sculpting in paper until I recently saw this guy in Cowboys & Indians magazine. I can’t believe the level of detail.
http://www.eckmanfineart.com/works.html
I think I like the library sculptures even better though, because there’s a remarkable sort of feeling behind them. Now it makes me want to be a library-art vigilante too!
[...] I get into the post, wanted to put a link down: http://talesfromanopenbook.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/mysterious-paper-sculptures/ This is the kind of project I was always intensely attracted to, but never executed nearly as [...]
Those are so neat! Love your blog!
It’s awesome that they’ve made physical beauty out of something usually only regarded for mental or verbal beauty – it shows a true passion and love for books, because it must have taken quite some time to construct those little wonders. I’m just happy to know that little wonderous, mysterious things like this still happen and that there are still ‘proper’ book lovers out there!
absolutely amazing, i can’t believe my eyes
What a lovely and touching idea!
The fact the the person who is putting all this time into making these little scenes and is not trying to take credit for it makes it all the better. I feel like this person is genuinely trying to put a smile on peoples faces, without trying to get something out of it. Really awesome