Erin Fletcher : Hand Bookbinding & Conservation
The Crucible
$1,500 - Contact Me
Exhibited at the Chicago Public Library's 'One Book, Many Interpretations: Second Edition' from August 2011 - April 2012.
Awarded Best Binding for The Crucible
Double fan-glued with faux shoulders in a bradel style binding. Bound in oyster white silk with hand embroidered design and applique of white and dark brown silks. Doublures in dark brown silk. Endpapers are antique and custard hahnemuhle ingres. Hand-sewn heads with polyester thread. Edges painted in light yellow.
20.4 cm x 13.2 cm x 2 cm
Completed in 2011
Artist Statement
The Crucible is a fictional account of the historical events leading to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 as a comparison to the Red Scare of the 1950s. Joseph McCarthy, the face of the House of Un-American Activities Committee began a search for communist supporters, sometimes resulting in forced or inaccurate accusations. Inspired by these two events, Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1952 as a commentary on how human paranoia and suspicion can lead to collapse of reputations and unlawful executions.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, an abundance of embroidered bindings appear in England. Traditionally bound in silk, velvet or canvas, these bindings were hand embroidered with imagery inspired by the text to be bound. Taking cue from Miller's use of allegory, I incorporated techniques and layouts of these venerable bindings to create a contemporary embroidered binding of The Crucible.
The headbands were hand sewn with light yellow and white silk thread. Each strand of white thread represents one of the victims of the Salem Witch Trials.