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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To do this to a vintage book?

43 replies

AwkwardMary · 21/03/2012 13:23

I have many vintage books...I love them; they are mostly childrens books and I bought them for my DDs when they were babies but I still buy them whenever I see them as DDs are only 7 and 4.

I know that none of them are rare as such...or valuable...I hae been looking for some nice prints for the DDs bedroom for ages and can't find ANY.

WIBU to cut three prints from a 1957 book of fairy tales? It has full colour, full page illustrations of some beautiful things...The Wild Swan in particular...is this wrong? I know I should preserve the book really...for future generations to enjojy...but the DDs never read this book and the pictures will be employed on the wall in frames...therefore more useful.

OP posts:
soverylucky · 21/03/2012 13:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BigHairyFlowers · 21/03/2012 13:24

Could you not scan them and print them instead?

GravityDefier · 21/03/2012 13:24

Could you not take photocopies of the prints?

BigHairyFlowers · 21/03/2012 13:25

Whoops, cross post! Grin

MrsBovary · 21/03/2012 13:25

If it's not a rare book I don't see why not.

PrisonerOfWaugh · 21/03/2012 13:25

I have considered doing this too. As long as you are sure they have no value.

Original poster
AwkwardMary · 21/03/2012 13:25

No. I have no coloured ink and no budget. Literally no budget.

OP posts:
TheSurgeonsMate · 21/03/2012 13:26

If not rare, I don't really see a problem. In fact I have done something similar in my time.

Original poster
AwkwardMary · 21/03/2012 13:26

The book in question has a broken spine and a dedcation written in the fly leaf...it's not well preserved but the prints are.

OP posts:
aldiwhore · 21/03/2012 13:29

I always think its such a shame to do this, but have done it. Are you arty?

Its actually quite hard to make them look like anything other than ripped out pages when on the wall (especially with no budget to mount them/frame them etc,) so I'd trace them, see if I could copy them by hand... ?

I actually cried at a craft workshop when one woman ripped apart old music scores to make crap wings for a crap bird mobile that looked crap... photocopying them would have taken 5 minutes.

YANBU though. Even if it is a shame Smile

TheLaminator · 21/03/2012 13:29

YANBU
Its your book, do what you like. I cut pictures out of books fairly often.
Valuable or rare is kind of a different matter, but I personally dont get how precious some people can be about books, you are not "desecrating" the words or intention of the author, you are cutting a piece of paper.

Original poster
AwkwardMary · 21/03/2012 13:32

Aldi I am arty yes but in no way capable of reproducing this...however I have many frames and mounts and can mount a picture well. They would look good.

laminator it's a kind of sentimentality I suppose...I think of the child who recieved it all those years ago.

OP posts:
tummytickler · 21/03/2012 13:35

I know why you want to do it, and have been tempted to do the same, but I just couldn't. I can't ruin books (or throw them in the bin/burn them/ruin them in other ways).
Up to you though!
YANBU, but I couldn't do it.

BertieBotts · 21/03/2012 13:37

I feel like doing this to my childhood books where the covers are wrecked fairly often. Have never had the balls to do it!

I probably would frame and mount them properly, though.

Could you not practice with a used copy of something contemporary from amazon? So if it looks rubbish or you find it's really hard to get the pages out without ripping them or whatever it's not an issue?

BupcakesandCunting · 21/03/2012 13:37

YABU :(

I did this to a beautiful illustrated book of Nursery Rhymes that my uncle bought for me when I was born for an A-Level art project. Blush I have always regretted it and I am soooo ashamed!

BertieBotts · 21/03/2012 13:37

(amazon/cheap charity shop)

aldiwhore · 21/03/2012 13:39

Do it then, loved art on a wall is just as valid as loved art in a book... but write on the back which books its from JUST in case someone else loves it in years to come and then they can trace the book.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 21/03/2012 13:40

No, no, no...

Books are important and should never be desecrated! Destroying a book and taking out the plates is a terrible, terrible thing to do!

Original poster
AwkwardMary · 21/03/2012 13:40

Bertie I dont need to practice..I am quite experienced with mounting art.

OP posts:
PomBearWithAnOFRS · 21/03/2012 13:40

Yes you would. It is just plain wrong.

Original poster
AwkwardMary · 21/03/2012 13:41

Oh ffs Itsallgoingtobefine keep your pants on. It's a common book...have googled and there are loads...not as if I'm taking my scissors to the Book of Kells or something!

OP posts:
MoreBeta · 21/03/2012 13:42

Book breaking to allow pictures to be sold individually as prints is pretty much an industry in the antiques world.

Its a shame but not a crime.

BupcakesandCunting · 21/03/2012 13:42

Well don't ask then! Hmm

Original poster
AwkwardMary · 21/03/2012 13:44

I will too Bupcakes I just thought ItsALL's reaction was slightly hysterical.

OP posts:
Original poster
AwkwardMary · 21/03/2012 13:46

Anyway....I'm doing it. So there.

[Brandishes scissors awkwardly...slashing and snipping at the precious pages in a random and dangerous fashion]

I have bloody hundreds of the things which I protect jealously...guard them from the DC who can only read them under supervision...this one...it's going.

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