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By Michele Jennings

Ordinarily in archives, writing instruments like pens, crayons and markers aren’t permitted. In order to maintain these rare and unique items, we must satisfy ourselves with pencils in the reading room. As we celebrate Archives Month this October, we encourage you to break all the archives rules with some coloring pages made from a newly acquired portfolio of Maurice Pillard Verneuil book illustrations. Just keep your markers away from the originals, please!

As soon as the collection arrived at the Marian Library, we knew the drawings would make perfect coloring pages. Almost all of the 27 ink illustrations are line drawings, though a few have some coloring added using watercolor, colored pencil, and some white gouache. Not only are these begging to be colored in, Verneuil’s designs are a riot of densely symbolic, whimsical borders that include flowers of all kinds, dogs, unicorns, sea creatures and more. Verneuil’s book and poster designs reflect his training in the art nouveau style, popular in the 19th century. Influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement and Japanese printmaking styles like ukiyo-e, art nouveau is rich in organic shapes, sinuous curving lines, and intricate patterns.

The designs were completed between 1894 and 1896, and the uncolored versions frame the text of the 1897 book Petites méditations sur les litanies de la Vierge (Little Meditations on the Litanies of the Virgin). In the designs, invocations to Mary pair with natural elements that symbolize the qualities of the Virgin being called upon — faith, wisdom, maternal love and so on. The text of the book is absent from the original drawings in the archival collection, leaving room for your own writing.

As you celebrate Archives Month, markers and crayons in hand, we encourage you to reflect on all that archives can do — traditional research and discovery, creative inspiration, and even stress relief!

— Michele Jennings is an assistant professor and special collections instruction librarian in the Marian Library.