| Title | The Corvid Benevolent Society Album |
| Artist / Creator | Lynn Skordal |
| Place of Publication | La Conner, WA |
| Publication Date | 2015 |
| Process / Technique | Collage on antique cabinet cards, inkjet photo backgrounds |
| Number of Images | 10 collage illustrations |
| Structure / Binding | Repurposed antique Victorian photo album |
| Medium / Materials | Antique Victorian photo album, cabinet cards, Lokta paper, Victorian calling cards |
| Paper Stock | Lokta paper scraps, inkjet images |
| Number of Pages | 10 pages |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 7 x 8.5 x 2.25 inches |
| Edition Size | Unique |
| Box / Wrapper | Repurposed Lokta-covered cardboard box |
| Signed & Numbered | Signed by the artist |
The Corvid Benevolent Society Album by Lynn Skordal -SOLD!
The Corvid Benevolent Society is a unique artist’s book created from an antique Victorian photo album. Its original celluloid covers remain intact but the endpapers and photo display pages have been repaired, replaced and altered. Mounted on the display pages are ten collaged antique cabinet cards,* depicting a few members of the venerable Corvid Benevolent Society, an imaginary organization created by Victorian bird lovers to honor and protect all species of corvidae – crows and ravens. Each member has poses with his or her favorite bird, gigantic wild bird eggs and/or nests of various proportions, and a vintage calling card is included for each. The Society’s motto:
Menti da Lucem, Manibus Corvus
(“Light in the Mind, Crow in the Hands”)
* Cabinet cards, generally 4x6 inches in size, were wildly popular in America from 1870 through 1900, typically with sepia photographs of unsmiling Victorians posed in their formal finery, often with elaborate backdrops and accessories.
Artist Bio
Lynn lives and works in the far Northwest, in a little town on the banks of the Swinomish Channel, near the beautiful Salish Sea. After retiring from the practice of law in 2008, she began making artist’s books and small works on paper. Old-style cut and paste collage has been and remains a favorite medium, and she frequently also incorporates sewing techniques, thread, fabric, metal, wood, and other materials into her pieces. She says: “For me, collage is about juxtaposition -- in materials, methods and content – and there’s always a story with a little bit of mystery to it. My pieces often mix historical images and popular culture, with a little dash of magical realism. The goal is always to startle, amuse or provoke." Lynn's work has appeared in collage and book arts exhibitions across the country, and her work appears in a number of public and private collections.