Most people remember leafing through the pages of an Encyclopedia with nostalgia, associating the experience of discovery with the physical act of turning a book page. The Encyclopedia was a source of information, and a catalyst for curiosity and discovery.
In 2012 I found a complete leather-bound set of the Encyclopedia Brittanica in mint condition in the landfill outside Aspen, CO. Unable to store 30 volumes, I rescued one book: #15, from P to R.
I photographed each page of the 1183 pages with a 35mm camera and printed the negatives in the darkroom. Each 35mm frame was bound into a miniature book yielding 35 continuous books. The text in each page is readable from beginning to end.
The books were randomly distributed, the last known location documented in a photograph. To find the books and read the text requires effort. The finder must be aware of their environment and curious about what is inside to discover a small world of knowledge. The books reward curiosity and exploration – a surprise gift for the wondrous.
Last Known Book Locations
#22: Rocky Mountains entry
