Author Archives: Zoe Finlay

Who says work has to be boring…?

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Zoe Finlay

Received in the same week last month: a signed, limited edition Banksy print; a painting by ‘Eagle’ comic illustrator;  a 17th century map of Northern England;  Japanese paintings and a 17th century Irish text. I love this job for its … Continue reading →

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Tynemouth Antiquarian and Second Hand Book Fair

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Zoe Finlay

Yes, it’s that time again…this Sunday, it is the second Antiquarian and Second Hand Book Fair of 2013, held in the beautifully renovated Tynemouth Station. Polly Bird, the local bookbinder, will be sharing a stall with me so feel free … Continue reading →

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Strawberry Fields Forever…literally

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Zoe Finlay

Here is a classic example of an ephemeral item which has now become a priceless national heritage. The recent donation of John Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to three songs, including ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ , will surely be ranked as some of the … Continue reading →

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Conquistador letter found in Naples archive

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Zoe Finlay

This is an interesting article I’ve just come across. What an amazing find and one which will add so much to our knowledge of the history of South and Central America: http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Conquistador-letter-found/29424 It’s always surprising what can turn up in … Continue reading →

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Lessons to be learnt

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Zoe Finlay

I thought I’d share with you this classic example of the damage that some framers can do. This was a very valuable print by a well-known contemporary artist, however, the poor workmanship by the framer had caused distortions and creases … Continue reading →

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Beowulf…the Anglo Saxon poem, brought to life

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Zoe Finlay

I’ve recently booked a short holiday to West Stow Anglo-Saxon village  in Suffolk where I’m looking forward to watching a re-enactment of the magnificent mediaeval poem, ‘Beowulf’. Beowulf, written by several anonymous scribes between the 8th and the early 11th … Continue reading →

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Temporary Studio Closure

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Zoe Finlay

The studio will be closed for a short while from Thursday 30th May, re-opening on Wednesday 05th June. Thank you.

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Interesting Guardian article regarding archive research

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Zoe Finlay

I’ve just come across this recent Guardian article which highlights the astonishing variability of costs for UK researchers who want to photograph documents within archives:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2013/may/23/history-research-costs-archive-fees While some of the fees quoted may sound unreasonable, it’s true that we must … Continue reading →

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Conservation of a marriage document by the Library of Congress

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Zoe Finlay

I’ve just come across this really good article by the Library of Congress, which describes the conservation treatment of a marriage document. It describes really well some of the thought processes that must be applied to even the most simple … Continue reading →

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What do the Queen, goats and local elections have in common?

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Zoe Finlay

Well apparently, the Queen’s annual speech delivered today which sets out the priorities for Parliament for the coming year is traditionally written on goat skin parchment. However, due to cutbacks, the speech is now written on goatskin parchment paper. Paper … Continue reading →

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