Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeleine Wiering.
Hi Madeleine, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Back in 2017, when I was still a full-time college student, my dad, Vernon reached out to me and said he’d had an idea. We went out for lunch, and he told me about his new small business idea.
Vernon had been doing historical bookbinding and restoration for over 20 years, and over that time, he’s amassed a collection of patterned endpapers. During this lunch, he told me he had this dream of reimagining and resurrecting these designs. I told him I was in, and now, about 4 years later, we’re both doing Papillon Press full-time!
When we began, we had a few small book-presses in his Grand Rapids bookbinding studio and were printing all of our designs one by one, very slowly. Then, we became 50/50 partners in an official LLC. Now, the Grand Rapids studio has gained a letterpress and a few other presses, and I have a full studio here in Saint Louis, with a letterpress from 1920 of my own!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The first few years were quite slow. I was a full-time student, and Vernon was bookbinding full-time. This left us with little time for Papillon. Once I graduated, I got a job at a restaurant which gave me the flexibility to work in the studio more frequently. When COVID happened, I lost that job, and that’s when I took on Papillon full-time.
Working together and also being family members can be a bit tricky as well, but we’ve managed to work together quite smoothly!
Now, our largest challenge is working long-distance. We have weekly meetings, almost daily phone calls, and have a lot of fun organizational tools to try to keep both of us on the same page.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We focus on historical designs and methods. This means that almost all of our items are letterpress or block printed on presses and machines from the early 1900s, and our patterns which you see on our notebooks and prints are almost all from the 1880s to 1910s.
We also create our own original patterns which are historically influenced. This emphasis on, and love of, history sets us apart from other letterpress printers and stationery designers, as we attempt to stay true to those methods and tools.
I’m also really proud of our more recent journeys into custom work, including wedding invitations, business cards, and the like. I love working with people, and these projects allow me to work closely with clients, not just produce goods for sale.
At the end of the day, my favorite parts of Papillon Press are operating the letterpress and hand-carving new designs. Thankfully, I get to do both of those things fairly regularly!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I have fond memories of sitting under my dad’s bookbinding workbench, listening to his work, hearing good music, and playing with bits of leather and paper. All this time spent in the workshop was very formational for me, and definitely set me up well for working with Vernon in the future!
Contact Info:
- Email: info@papillon-press.com
- Website: www.papillon-press.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/papillon_press
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/papillonpressusa
