A95. Paradise
(Front) A92. Peter and Donna Thomas. Four Views of Kealakekua Bay. Santa Cruz, California: Peter & Donna Thomas, 1998.
72 x 46 mm (2 7/8”x 1 ¾”), scroll 56 cm (22"), 75 copies.
Binding: Scroll; case-bound in patterned paper, handmade by Peter Thomas, over boards. Illustration on label on cover. The scroll is wound onto a dowel set in a handmade koa wood rack. The other end of the scroll is attached to a brass rod that acts as a handle for unwinding the scroll. Inside cover paper grey. Paper: Duplex sheet; cream, handmade by Peter Thomas, with a Hawaiian tapa design stenciled in the pulp on reverse. Printing: Letterpress. Some text printed from polymer plates. Typography: Hand set Canterbury and Centaur; digital, typeface unknown. Illustration: One linocut done by Donna Thomas. Notes: Cover paper same as text paper. Koa trees are native to Hawaii. Miniature Book Society Distinguished Book Award, 1999.
“This is our homage to Hokusai’s 36 Views of Mt. Fuji. Many readers will remember the old song, ‘I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii...’ Those lyrics are printed across the bottom of the scroll. Two additional texts are printed at the center of the scroll; on the left is a description of ‘Karakakooa Bay,’ as it was called by Captain James Cook in 1779 and on the right, Mark Twains' impression of the bay as he saw it in 1866. The scroll is also printed with a panoramic view of the bay, which Donna cut in linoleum while in Hawaii. The illustrations portray boats in the harbor, a sandy beach, the grass shack, and coconut trees. They were printed using a split fountain so that the lower portion, depicting the sea and beach, is printed in deep blue ink, while the trees and the outline of distant mountains in the upper portion are green. These are the ‘Four Views’ referred to in the title: one is pictorial and three are literary."
(Rear Right) A93. Queen Liliuokalani. Aloha Oe. Santa Cruz, California: Peter & Donna Thomas, 1998.
70 x 38 mm (2¾” x 1½”), 16-page accordion, 50 copies.
Binding: Case-bound fold out accordion; full-bound in printed cloth over boards. End panel of accordion not attached to a board. Title and illustration on label on cover. Pages are cut in the shape of a hula dancer. Paper: Cranes 100% cotton. Printing: Digital. Typography: Reproduction of text handwritten by Donna Thomas. Illustration: Reproductions of sixteen watercolor paintings by Donna Thomas. Notes: Text and illustrations reproduced from a shaped one-of-a-kind book made by Donna Thomas [B155]. Notes: Miniature Book Society Distinguished Book of the Year, 1999.
“With Peter’s interest in all things ukulele, I became interested in hula dancing. This book takes one of the most iconic of Hawaiian songs and pairs it with the iconic dancers. The song is 'hapa haole' which means it has both Hawaiian and English words mixed together, and so my text is in both Hawaiian and English. The cloth used to bind this book came from a vintage Hawaiian wedding dress. I trimmed off the long train and was still able to wear the dress to ukulele events for years after.” – Donna Thomas
(Rear Left) A95. Dante Allegheri. Paradise. Santa Cruz, California: Peter & Donna Thomas 1999.
70 x 51 mm (2 ¾” x 2”), 10 pages, 42 copies.
Binding: Flap book; case-bound in printed paper over boards. Pages are attached to five rotating wooden dowels and set in a frame made of painted wood and paper over boards. Frame attached to inside spine of binding. Printed end sheets over boards attached at front and back inside covers. Paper: Cream, handmade by Peter Thomas. Printing: Letterpress. Typography: Hand set, typefaces unknown. Illustration: Two multi-color linocuts by Donna Thomas over boards on inside covers. Notes: Made for the occasion of Donna’s 42nd birthday. Cover paper is printed with the word “Paradise” in multiple colors and fonts.
"This was the second edition book we made using the flap book structure. The concept is that the words on the flaps would act like the titled divider in an index card box, each representing a different idea of paradise. It is left up to the reader to imagine what items would be placed behind the dividers. When rotated, the back of each flap reveals part of a quote by Dante about paradise. As this was a birthday surprise book, I could not ask Donna to make new illustrations, so both of the cuts were repurposed from previous projects. I used two different images on the panels mounted inside of the covers. Some copies have a mountain scene, (Donna’s paradise), others a tropical scene (Peter’s paradise)."