The Forgotten Library

Continuing with our designers and makers month I am pleased to share a little interview I had with the creator of Forgotten Library, Charlotte White. Charlotte's fantastic collection of books, cards and keyrings are carefully considered and make fantastic and unusual gifts. Using vintage train tickets and old adverts for her cards alongside re- fashioning classic books into quirky clocks, she breathes life back into old and forgotten objects. Read on to see some examples and hear all about how she started her creative journey!

     
What is the story behind 'The Forgotten Library,' where did the name come from?
 All the books and papers I use to make things from come from charity shops, second hand bookshops, car boot sales and the like and so have been abandoned by one or more previous owners on their path to me. The shelving that I started to gather these dusty tomes on soon looked like a disused library that could have stood untouched for many years and so The Forgotten Library seemed an appropriate name.    

What is your own personal dream for 'The Forgotten Library?'
 I would love to make it my full time work one day but for now it is enough to know that the Library has been open a year and books are finding new homes, whether they have been repurposed or simply rediscovered by their new owners.

How long have you been a designer/ maker? Whilst I’ve enjoyed creative pursuits all my life I suppose I could say designer/maker when I started putting the ideas I had for repurposing old books into practice in 2011 and creating a body of related work
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What is your all time favourite book?
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Do you ever feel too attached to books to sell them on or make them into clocks? (If so which books have you felt this with and why)
Yes, all the time.  I’m a natural hoarder and also find cutting a book is still difficult.  There is a natural resistance to damaging a book no matter how far the cover may already be hanging off!  Books that find their way onto my personal bookshelves usually have attractive illustrations, covers or something unusual about them such as a previous owners notes inside to make me feel I have to preserve them.  This month I bought a set of three books on British Myths & Legends with an image of Excalibur on the front that I thought would make lovely clocks. The books themselves didn’t appear to have ever been read and as I looked through the pages and spotted some myths I’m less familiar with I soon realised these weren’t going to make it to the clock stage and I have them sat on the shelf waiting for a time when I can sit down and read them.

What advice would you offer to budding designers and makers?
Keep creating and believe in yourself.  I have always felt I couldn’t do this because I didn’t study for a fine art degree or have formal training for a craft technique, but starting The Forgotten Library has been one of the best things I’ve ever done.

We are lucky to have a great collection of Charlotte's creations in store at Hopkinson, please visit her etsy shop to buy online or to see sources of her inspiration, including found materials and ephemera, visit her blog. Thanks for reading!