Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Even Bookmarks are Art: The latest and greatest by artist Jodie Hansen

Did you know that the first recorded use of a bookmark was in the 1st century AD? Pretty cool fact you can use around the dinner table this holiday season, should the conversations need to be enhanced beyond the weather or politics. But wait...there's more!

Fast forwarding to the the 19th century, bookmarks were intended for use in bibles and prayer books primarily and were made of ribbon, woven silk, or leather. By the 1880s the production of woven silk markers was declining and printed markers made of stiff paper or cardboard began to appear in significant numbers. This development paralleled the wider availability of books themselves, and the range of available bookmarkers soon expanded dramatically.

Fast forward again to the 1980s-1990s when just about everyone had the coolest bookmarks of all, including the ever popular Garfield bookmarks (the cartoon cat that eats lasagna, remember him?) that almost everyone brings up when we sell a bookmark lately.

Relics from the "old days"...the 1980s-1990s

Fast forward to current day, when a lot of folks may not read from paper books and instead choose to read stories from various devices, but books still rule in our books! Our city has even built a beautiful architectural masterpiece for just them and the community. :-) 
The Library, Ink and Watercolour by Craig Baltzer
 All this to say...we have BOOKMARKS FOR SALE and they are awesome. 

Artist Jodie Hansen created a great selection of bookmarks that are affordable and fun for everyone on your list that likes to read once in a while. Little works of art that hold your place in your book...yay! There are lots of to choose from, but here a few examples. Only $5 each. READERS REJOICE!  (ps- these are perfect for Easter gifts)