somersaulting into the new year
Stephanie Gibbs
The holiday edition 2015-2016 -- somersaulting into the new year!
Earlier this autumn I discovered the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Archive, a trove of indexed and searchable images which extends to the early twentieth century.
As I was planning the holiday edition, I was especially charmed by previous celebrations of Christmas on the beach and in the desert:
Then I discovered the French National Library online archive, which, while having the disadvantage of being indexed and described in French, has the great benefit of containing antique comic books, with build-it-yourself flip-books!
(note that I am quite aware it is my own fault that I studied Italian and not French)
Therefore, combining an Ansel Adams Christmas Show / Santa's Circus print from the Los Angeles Photo Archives, with a somersaulting acrobat from the French National Library, and closing it all with decorated palm trees, only made sense.
The flip-book was edited and typeset in Photoshop and InDesign, and laid out over two 11x17 pages. The pages were cut into strips, then into panes; collated; drilled for sewing; the covers folded and stamped in bright red foil; and the booklets sewn with matching red thread into the wrappers.
This was the largest holiday edition to date, encompassing recipients from both sides of the Atlantic and stretching across to the Pacific, so more industrial techniques were used than in prior editions -- a Challenge paper cutter, a drill press, commercial printing (well, I've always used commercial printing, but there was more of it this year). The entirety was shipped off using USPS circus posters stamps, which were still in print, and perfectly suited to sending happy new year greetings.
With all best wishes for the year ahead!