| Title | Family Tree |
| Artist / Creator | Leslie Marsh |
| Place of Publication | West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Publication Date | 2015 |
| Process / Technique | Eco-dyed pages |
| Structure / Binding | Metal book with button hole stitch binding |
| Medium / Materials | Brass sheeting, lead-free solder, vintage finding, goat parchment, brass rivets, waxed linen thread |
| Paper Stock | Canson BFK Rives and parchment |
| Number of Pages | 20 pages |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 4 x 6 x 2 inches closed |
| Edition Size | Unique |
| Box / Wrapper | An eco-dyed, hand-stitched wool felt bag |
| Signed & Numbered | Signed by the Artist |
My family tree holds fruit from several European countries as well as the wild American plains. I like to imagine my ancestors as vikings drinking from skulls and wielding intricately crafted swords. Or possibly weaving feathers into their hair and beading buckskin by an open fire. Guided by my most creative Norse and Cherokee ancestors, I forged the covers of Family Tree shaping the metal to hold a vintage frame and hand crafted clasps. I stretched goat parchment over the wrapper and riveted it into place. Leaves collected from our property were bundled with paper and boiled over an open fire, coaxing their pigment onto the pages. This book was created as evidence that we were here. It is the framework that will hold the proof. I am the family archivist. The keeper of our family tree.
Artist Bio
Leslie Marsh is an artist and book binder whose work incorporates forged metal, found and collected elements, and vintage findings. She often uses old photographs, text and stones in her pieces. Using centuries-old binding techniques, Leslie forges the elements into book covers that hold nature-dyed papers. Leslie has studied under Dan Essig and Australian textile and natural dye artist India Flint. Her books are held in private collections across the US, Europe and Australia.