Inspiration

The beauty of forgotten books

Old maps, botanical guides and the second-hand books that fill my reference shelf.

My favourite reference library cost almost nothing. It is a shelf of second-hand books bought for a few coins each in London and Lisbon.

What I look for

Botanical guides, old travel maps and children’s encyclopaedias. Their printing is often imperfect, with colours slightly out of register, which gives them a warmth that digital images lack.

A good illustration says something words can’t.

Maya Rosa