Suzanne Karr Schmidt
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drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Suzanne Karr Schmidt
@drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
7.3K followers 4.2K following 2.7K posts
Curator of (very old) curious books, prints on fabric, functional ephemera (newberry.org), Director of a pop-up book society (movablebooksociety.org). History of art, science, decorative food, pirates. Where's your WHIMSY? Mostly Chicago. She/her
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drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Look Out for Insane Foliage!

Hand-painted incunable borders and a little bit of book guts for a treat at #NewberryLibrary. (Inc. 1286; 109.5; 7250)

#Illuminated #BindingWaste
Front gutter with manuscript binding waste and a very green plant border. Initial B with a gold background and bulbous plants, some pink. Initial S with gold dotted flowers on left.
November 25, 2025 at 3:13 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Amazing!

(Especially once I learned the Passementerie Mill often makes all the components for more complicated corded design from the bottom up! Even with machines, a stunning amount of effort goes into this trim!)
A black crate slowly filling with gorgeous openwork corded ribbon trim prediminantly in red and gold.
November 24, 2025 at 10:19 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
👀👀👀👀👀
Red, silver, and gold ribbon emerging from the loom, oddly looking a little insect-like.
November 24, 2025 at 10:16 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
What have we here? 🧐
Other side of a loom, making a thin openwork ribbon...
November 24, 2025 at 10:12 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Calm down, Mr. Wavy Loom!
The cords continue! And are wavy!
November 24, 2025 at 9:11 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Okay, maybe just one more machine...
Colored spools of cord, slightly wavy, attached to a loom out of sight.
November 24, 2025 at 9:10 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
FIVE SHUTTLES!?
Fin.
November 24, 2025 at 4:19 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Here are the ribbons... Having trouble posting the last video though!
Inside-out Made in Chicago ribbons pooling in a wire basket below.
November 24, 2025 at 4:18 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
ONE Shuttle... (Making a MADE IN CHICAGO ribbon)
November 24, 2025 at 3:37 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
PLEASE KEEP YOUR ARMS AND LEGS INSIDE THE RIDE AT ALL TIMES

Laces maker with a central cord at the Passementerie Mill, Chicago!
November 24, 2025 at 3:03 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Saw some amazing things at the Passementerie Mill and the Weaving Mill this Open House Weekend!

#Textiles #FiberArts
Weaving Mill Loom, making pink green and yellow striped cloth on massive setup. Passamenterie Mill setup with bespoke, wavy cords feeding into a loom. Gorgeous openwork trim, red and gold. My foot with a red sneaker and purple laces next to the machine that made them!
November 24, 2025 at 2:58 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Good Boy!

19th c. bookplate of Carlo Bologna-Canossa in a 1488 Apuleius translation of Hermes Trismegistus. Dogs with bones were on the family crest all the way back! #exlibris
#BravoBuonoRagazzo

#NewberryLibrary (Inc. 7172) i-share-nby.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01...
Wooden book board with a small, round bookplate of the head of a dog with a bone in his mouth. Black and white, with a thin black border.
November 22, 2025 at 4:36 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Plenarium with Plenty of Pizzazz!

Book with prayers and woodcuts of Christ's Passion, from Augsburg, 1474.
#NewberryLibrary (Inc. 1607.4)
i-share-nby.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01...
Red printing discussing prayers on the verso of the JC woodcut opposite the first page of the text, in black.
November 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Excuse Me, Do You Have A Moment To Talk About Our Lord and Me?
Woodcut of a blessing Jesus with a text border in German describing the accuracy of the depiction, and a reddish hand-colored robe.
November 21, 2025 at 1:45 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Oooh, I think I have one of those! Best Taschen purchase ever! (German Weltchronik inside.) 😁
Fuzzy cover with French translation of World Chronicle with proto-Dürer sun and moon.
November 20, 2025 at 11:44 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Closeup Clasp

#NewberryLibrary (Inc. 1028)
Closeup of clasp on early limp vellum binding. Very geometrical.
November 20, 2025 at 10:13 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Clasp
Limp vellum bonding with nifty clasp.
November 20, 2025 at 10:08 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Irresistible! Resist-Dyed Linen?
#plainweave #floral

#NewberryLibrary (Case MS 5457) i-share-nby.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01...
Two red and brown swatches inna binding.
November 19, 2025 at 5:15 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Book Guts AND Fabric Swatches?! 🥰

#ThingsInBooks #Textiles
1/2
Book spine reading (inside down) Ancient Common Place Book. Interior of spine showing bands of floral fabric, red and brown.
November 19, 2025 at 4:55 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Did you know the Newberry cooked up a beer with Sketchbook Brewing and the Brewseum for an exhibition in 2020? It was delicious AND experimental!
www.sketchbookbrewing.com/collaboratio...
Nova Reperta beer cans.
November 19, 2025 at 2:47 AM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Full page!
Book open, showing the full, floral border decoration.
November 18, 2025 at 5:07 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Musical Chairs?

Looks like the crest on the front page was originally feline when it was copied via pinprick to the next page, but it was then covered up with that gold at some point, possibly by a later owner!
#NewberryLibrary (Inc. 7250) at least the flower at the bottom still matches?
Wreath added to base of printed page with crest, but no cat in sight. Back of the page, pounced.
November 18, 2025 at 4:41 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
On Pins and Needles?

This Cat's about to ... Pounce!
15th c. book, with pricked or "pounced" details that go through the previous page. What's going on here?
Hand drawn shield with flower, stripes, and pounced rampant cat. Back of previous page with pricked pattern.
November 18, 2025 at 3:37 PM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Wait, I DO own half zee pyramid!
1/2 Pyramid certificate from ofmd craft fair 2025, in shiny metal card case with my name on it.
November 18, 2025 at 3:48 AM
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Knife Turtle vs Crab and
"Yummy" lavender soap? Must be #OFMD S1E8!
November 18, 2025 at 2:34 AM