Introducing… Reprints
A new section of Rue Noelle’s shop. I’m so excited about these. And it all starts with my first reprint, A Little Bookworm.
This new category of art brings together multiple passions of mine into one unique product. How, you ask? I’ll tell you the story.
I love antique shops. There can be a lot of junk, but sometimes you stumble upon that one thing that gives you a moment of joy and speaks to you. While this sounds like regular shopping too (I’m looking at you, Target, but love ya!), with antique shops, you get to imagine the places this item has lived, the stories it has been a part of, who made it, and when.
A few years ago I picked up a framed antique print called A Little Bookworm. The print was tattered, damaged, and the frame full of dents, but the print spoke to me right away. I knew it was destined to be a part of our home.
Maybe it was the darkness mixed with childhood innocence, maybe the owl, maybe the cheeky little bum peeking through the child’s onesie, maybe just the fact that it’s someone reading; likely, it’s all of these factors, plus the fact that the kid reminds me of my son Gus. Actually, a few of the reprints I’m working on remind me of Gus.
I re-framed the print and it has lived on our playroom wall. My kids love it, giggling of course at that cheeky little bum. There is something so charming about the scene.
After I started Rue Noelle and began making lists and lists of different types of art to work on outside of custom prints, a new category of art dawned on me: Reprints.
In the U.S., generally speaking, works of art published before 1929 are in the “public domain”. This is why, for example, you can legally buy copies of prints by masters of art (think Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Cassatt, Picasso) pretty much anywhere.
So… what does this have to do with Rue Noelle?
I had another one of those useful “aha!” moments: I can restore antique (pre-1929) art, design and draw a background around it, and print it. Voila: a reprint!
Antiques + photography + restoration + designing + art…. so many things I love all wrapped up into one product.
While I have several in the works, I am very eager to get my very first one on my site: A Little Bookworm.
Here’s what I know about the print itself:
A Little Bookworm was produced in 1906 by the Ullman Manufacturing Group. There’s a little stamp with the name in date in the bottom left corner of the print. From the late 1800s through the early 1900s, the Ullman Manufacturing Group produced prints, postcards, puzzles, and more. The artist of this particular print was most likely Katherine Greenaway.
I took this print to a local print shop in Annapolis that specializes in restorations. Typically, I am able to photograph and restore prints on my own, but for this very first one I wanted a specialist to carefully repair and restore. After they did the restoration, I designed and drew a border to surround the print. A few actually—different design options.
You can choose your design and print size when purchasing. My goal is to also upload framed versions for purchase.
I hope that this print will speak to people out there the way it spoke to me. For me, it’s dark and moody but also full of innocence and cheekiness. It’s perfect for a library or reading nook, playroom or nursery. A great gift for someone who loves to read and maybe even has a little one of their own on the way. Maybe it’ll remind you of one of your kids. Maybe it will charm you the way it charmed me.
Stay tuned for more reprints across an array of subjects. These are a lot of fun; I hope they spread a little joy and bring something unique to a spot in your home!
xo,
Shannon
