Paperblanks Iron Horse Grande Hardback Journal – Plain, 128 Pages

Capture your ideas, plans and memories in this Iron Horse grande hardback journal from Paperblanks, with 128 plain pages of 120 gsm acid-free paper.

Reproducing a gold stamped, dark brown leather binding designed by Alice Cordelia Morse, Pacifica represents a spirit of grand adventure. The original binding was crafted to hold William Seward Webb’s California and Alaska and Over the Canadian Pacific Railway, a well-regarded travelogue first published in 1890.

The Story Behind the Design

Get ready to follow your creative train of thought with Pacifica! Reproducing a unique gold stamped, dark brown leather cover crafted by the American bookbinder Alice Cordelia Morse (1863–1961) in the style of 16th-century fanfare bindings, Pacifica represents a spirit of wayfaring and grand adventure.

The original binding was crafted to hold William Seward Webb’s California and Alaska and Over the Canadian Pacific Railway, a well-regarded travelogue first published in 1890. The book detailed a trip Webb took with his family through western North America, documenting the wildlife they viewed and the general experience of travelling by train, or “iron horse.” This edition, which was published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons in New York, featured Webb’s notes and illustrations of the journey through Colorado, New Mexico, California, Montana, British Columbia, and the Canadian Rockies.

This exquisite edition was produced as a deluxe gift book and was limited to only 500 copies. The copy reproduced here is now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Library in New York City.

As an artist, Morse maintained the belief that the book designer must take the central idea of the book and creatively depict it on the cover. For this binding, one can imagine her creating train tracks crisscrossing a map, or perhaps even the spokes of a compass, in the gold stamping she patterned.

Travel is said to broaden the mind, so it is our hope that our Iron Horse design will inspire your creativity and expression through not just the beauty of the binding, but the unique story behind it.

• Original artwork: William Seward Webb’s California and Alaska and Over the Canadian Pacific Railway book binding designed by Alice Cordelia Morse
• Era: 1890
• Region: New York City, USA

Product Details

• Size: Grande – 205 × 300 × 15 mm
• Interior: Plain
• Pages: 128 (64 sheets)
• Paper: 120 gsm acid-free cream laid paper
• Cover: Hardback
• Closure: Elastic band
• Binding: Smyth sewn – lies flat and stays durable
• Edge printing: Yes
• Corners: Rounded
• Pouch: Memento pouch
• Design: Iron Horse
• Series: Pacifica
• Satin ribbon marker
• 100% recycled binder boards
• Decorative printed cover paper
• Endpaper with credit and copyright information as well as historical background for the original artwork
• Threaded stitching and glue, as needed
• Acid-free paper
• Memento pouch
• Weight: 787 g
• Product code: PB9770-9 | ISBN: 9781439797709

About Paperblanks

Paperblanks works with museums, libraries, galleries and artists around the world to faithfully reproduce remarkable artwork, historic bindings and treasured manuscripts. Every book is made to last, with binder boards crafted from 100% recycled materials, and the back endpaper tells the fascinating story behind the cover design and credits its creators.