The Arctic Binding

The cold winters of Canada are well known for being brutal, and I’ve heard that we are predictable in our begrudging attitude about those frozen months. To those who live in warmer climates, all I can say is that there is a particular kind of horror to feeling your body freezing and losing function. 

When I was 12 years old, a friend and I decided to paddle out on a partially frozen lake in November. Unbeknownst to us, the old wooden boat had a slow leak, and by the time we were far from shore, the icy water poured in and the boat sank into the darkness below our feet. Within minutes we could not feel our legs, and a frightening form of fatigue overcame our faculties. Our lungs in shock, reduced our screams for help to faint whispers. 

We were fortunate that a passing fisherman saw my brightly coloured hat, and rescued us. 

Unfortunately for many of the brave early navigators of the Arctic realms, there was no one coming to the rescue. The feeling of despair must have been awful, as each attempt to survive failed. For the front cover design, I wanted to depict the H.M.S. Terror trapped in a prison of solid ice. The northern elements have reduced the exploration vessel to a skeleton on the landscape, and the remnants of attempted survival for the crew is being swallowed up by heavy snow pushed by blistering winds.

On the back cover, a robust walrus is juxtaposed with the arctic tragedy of the front cover. The powerful animal is perfectly at home in this climate, relaxed and thriving in the frigid habitat, while another walrus surfaces from the water to take in the view. 

While I am eternally grateful that my binding designs have been sought after by collectors, libraries, universities and institutions all over the world, it is a unique and special honour to have this creation added to the University of Toronto as the FIRST tattoo binding to be acquired by a Canadian University. 

To have this binding as part of the Fisher Library’s towering collection is truly a delight!

The binding of the clamshell case was assembled at Felton Bookbinding by the much sought-after craftsmanship of Bookbinding Master, Keith Felton. 

Design by A. von Hemmersbach