Paperblanks Plume Midi Hardback Journal – Lined, 176 Pages

Capture your ideas, plans and memories in this Plume midi hardback journal from Paperblanks, with 176 lined pages of 85 gsm acid-free paper.

British theatre designer Alec Shanks made his name working in Paris at the famed Folies-Bergère cabaret. His drawing that inspired this cover artwork, created in 1932 using charcoal, watercolour and gouache on paper, was originally designed for the revue “Nuits de Folies.”

The Story Behind the Design

One of the biggest symbols of French and Parisian life during the interwar period was the capital city’s lavish musical revues and the larger-than-life venues housing them. Such names as the Folies Bergère, the Moulin Rouge and Olympia Hall echo the feverish excitement of their shows, which to this day serve as a benchmark for what looks and feels glamorous. The Plume design in our Vintage Vogue collection gives us a peek at the razzle and dazzle to which audiences were treated nightly in these iconic music halls.

At that time, modern forms of entertainment such as radio and cinema were rapidly growing in popularity and music hall impresarios spared no expense in attempting to outshine them – both literally and figuratively. They mounted live performances with a lot of glitter and even nudity, extravaganzas that couldn’t be matched by voice or screen alone. To stage these spectacular shows, cabaret managers hired the best talent not only among singers and dancers but also people who were to work on venue interiors, costumes, stage sets and posters. Included among these talented individuals were young, promising designers whose imaginative and deft artistic touch would soon be setting the tone for people’s nights out.

One of these up-and-coming designers was Alec Shanks, an Englishman with Scottish roots. He got his start helping with set designs in Birmingham at the Theatre Royale, but found that as most performance venues in England produced their own shows, there were very few actual designer positions and the competition for these was very stiff. Shanks reasoned that in order to bypass this roadblock, he should cross the Channel and build a reputation for himself in Paris. This move proved exceptionally wise, as he was soon enjoying great success designing sets for world-famous revues at the Moulin Rouge and the Folies Bergère.

During the early Thirties, Shanks became one of the top designers at the Folies Bergère. His work included creating show posters, one of which eventually made it onto this Paperblanks cover. The original was a 1932 poster for the revue titled “Nuits de Folies.” The image, which he created using charcoal, watercolour and gouache, features a lineup of poised chorus girls in fantastical outfits, a sight that is a true staple of the tradition of cabaret shows.

• Original artwork: Watercolour drawing by costume designer Alec Shanks
• Era: 1932
• Region: Paris

Product Details

• Size: Midi – 120 × 170 × 20 mm
• Interior: Lined
• Pages: 176 (88 sheets)
• Paper: 85 gsm acid-free cream laid paper
• Cover: Hardback
• Closure: Elastic band
• Binding: Smyth sewn – lies flat and stays durable
• Corners: Rounded
• Pouch: Memento pouch
• Design: Plume
• Series: Vintage Vogue
• 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: 254 g
• Product code: PB2528-3 | ISBN: 9781439725283

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.