Kolya's Glove 2023
Bound by Lester Capon | 4.4 x 5.0 x 1.2 cm (book measurement (conservation)) | RCIN 1171609
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This book is part of the Modern-Day Miniature Library, a contemporary collection of miniature handwritten and hand-bound books which has been assembled to celebrate 100 years since Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House was completed in 1924.
Of the nearly 600 books placed on the shelves of the Dolls' House Library in the 1920s, over 170 are tiny manuscripts handwritten by the most notable authors of the time. Together, these create a time capsule of literary culture.
Echoing the process of a century ago, today's writers were again asked to write by hand in miniature format. Their little pages were bound by leading contemporary designer-binders. After being displayed in an exhibition at Windsor Castle during 2024, the new collection of doll-size books will be kept together in the Royal Library.
Tom Stoppard’s miniature manuscript is inspired by the tragic death at sea of Kolya, the young son of Alexander Herzen, the socialist Russian writer and a main character in Stoppard’s trilogy of plays, The Coast of Utopia. The tiny book has been bound by Lester Capon, a Fellow of Designer Bookbinders.Provenance
Book handwritten by Sir Tom Stoppard and sent to the Royal Library in June 2023. Binding hand-bound by Lester Capon and received by the Royal Library in November 2023. The manuscript and binding were given in celebration of the centenary of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House.
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Creator(s)
(illustrator)(binder)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Bound by Lester Capon
Measurements
4.4 x 5.0 x 1.2 cm (book measurement (conservation))
7.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 cm (historic measurement)
Category
Alternative title(s)
Kolya’s glove / by Tom Stoppard.