Miniature Monuments
Miniature Monuments traces the evolution of the postage stamp as a cultural artefact. Stamps act as small markers of time, place and identity — collected, circulated and held in the everyday. This ISTD Merit-awarded series of 3×4cm books, accompanied by a supporting publication, brings together my interest in collecting, ephemera and the role of printed matter in documenting history. The following section documents the six-month process of research, prototyping and material experimentation that shaped the final work.
Awarded a Merit by the ISTD
2025
Categories
Book design
Typography
Bookbinding
Special thanks to
Dinah Johnson, founder of
The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society
Design Process
1. Discover: What’s a milestone?
2. Define: All about stamps
3. Develop: Big & tiny prototypes
4. Deliver: Specifications
What’s a milestone?
I explored the theme of Milestones through research into inventions and cultural artefacts, eventually returning to a nostalgic interest in postage stamp collecting - this became the foundation of the project. I researched the cultural, historical and economic significance of stamps, including a visit to the Postal Museum, to understand their evolution as communication tools and define the direction for the project.
All about stamps
This stage focused on understanding the cultural and communicative role of stamps. I sketched early layouts and tested design directions while gathering primary references from museums and archives. I also reached out to The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society for personal reflections on letter writing today, which helped ground the project in both historical context and lived experience.
Big & tiny prototypes
With the concept established, I moved into prototyping, producing both large-scale and 3×4 cm mockups. I experimented with screenprinting, letterpress and hand binding to understand how material and process could communicate the evolution of written communication. The final books were drumleaf bound — 800 pages cut and glued by hand — and the accompanying publication was finished with a whip stitch bind.
Specifications
In this final phase, I focused on perfecting the physical outcomes. I learned how to write specification sheets to ensure the design was executed with precision, and completed the final binding, printing, and crafting of the miniature books and accompanying publication, paying attention to every detail to ensure a high level of craftsmanship.
