Books with Fore-edge Paintings
Bruce Peel Special Collections holds a unique collection of nearly two dozen fore-edge paintings, a concealed form of book art where detailed watercolour illustrations are painted onto the block edges of a volume’s pages. Hidden beneath gilding or marbling when closed, these secret artworks reveal themselves only when the leaves are gently fanned open. Prized for their rarity and craft, they have long attracted bibliophiles and collectors, offering valuable perspectives on the traditions and evolution of fore-edge ornamentation. Highlights from the collection span centuries of the craft, ranging from Paul Kane’s Wanderings of an Artist Among the Indians of North America (a volume from the A.C. Rutherford Collection featuring H. Lory's fore-edge painting of historic Fort Edmonton, copied from an 1846 Kane original) to a 20th anniversary edition of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, featuring a fore-edge painting by renowned English artist Martin Frost that depicts Harry raising his wand before Albus Dumbledore.
Getting started: Search “fore-edge painting” in the University of Alberta Library catalogue in order to find those that are housed in the Peel library and to find reference materials about this art form. For more information about research in the Peel library, see Finding and Requesting Peel Library Materials.
Additional resources: See "Hidden in Plain Sight: The Magic of Fore-edge Paintings" by Adrianna MacPherson (The Quad, 20 Aug 2026).
Collection Formats: Art Work, Books -- click to see other collections with this format