Slightly Foxed

I had hoped to visit Michael O'Brian's book bindery in historic Oamaru while travelling in the South Island. Unfortunately Michael was away tramping Stewart Island in a kilt. Fortunately his brother-in-law runs the second hand bookshop next door (Slightly Foxed) and let me look around the bindery on my own for a while. I saw much lovely antique equipment including numerous wooden presses. Michael's blank books were on display with a number of old style bindings including leather and many of the book blocks of recycled paper. Quite lovely.

Back at Slightly Foxed, Al bought a book and we enjoyed watching the sale being recorded in fountain pen in a huge marbled ledger, and the purchase was expertly wrapped in brown paper tied with string. The artisans and retailers of Oamaru's historic district take their anachronisms very seriously- including dressing in a variety of early 20th century and late 19th century clothes (spot the fob looped across the tweed suit in the photo above).