March–July 2026

Philateliana

A collection of hand-folded miniature books made of vintage canceled stamps and reclaimed security envelopes.

Medium and materials

In Philateliana, I present a collection of tiny books made from typically discarded materials—security envelopes, antique sheet music, and canceled stamps. Each book follows the same pattern, but no two are alike.

Philately (n): The collection and study of postage stamps, postmarks, and related materials; stamp collecting.

Inspiration and process

The idea arose when I was studying forms of bookmaking and paper folding. I liked these simple origami-like forms of folding a cover from a single sheet and sliding in an interior accordion fold for the pages.

Each book requires minimal glue—only enough to hold the overlapping interior pages together, cut from 3–5 envelopes.

When I decided to make this a project, I was surprised to realize that out of all the junk mail I get each week, very few of them use the security envelopes I was now interested in. So, I enlisted the help of some friends to save the envelopes they receive.

Reflection

This project turns the materials and subjects upside down. Ordinarily, a stamp is only useful for the transaction to send a letter through the postal service. Once cancelled, it has lost its original value.

But in these books, I place the used stamps at the center of attention.

A security envelope is intended to protect the contents inside it. By itself, it is of no interest, especially after the letter has been delivered.

I rescued these envelopes from the recycle bin and turned them inside out to make them a critical component of the books.

Lastly, I deliberately placed stamps on only one side of the pages, to leave room for the viewer to contribute to the book. I invite the viewer to add their own thoughts, stamps, or other ephemera to make each book their own.