There is nothing quite like weathered paper. The real thing. Aged to perfection, they have a smell and patina which cannot be gotten through any shortcut. These pieces are works of art, antique, priceless and bring visuals of a hundred years and countless hours of someone burning the midnight oil in silent study.

Da Vinci's 1st appearance on this blog :) The legendary vitruvian man.

A page from Da Vinci's much saught after studies of the human anatomy

A printers mark

"During the Renaissance keeping diaries and notebooks became a widespread practice, not only amongst artists and scientists but also amongst the wealthy upper classes and the aristocracy, as did the sending back and forth of notes and letters. As a consequence the art of calligraphy as well as of page layout and lettering aquired special importance. Calligraphy masters travelled from mansions to palaces teaching the new educated elite these new fine crafts."

"King Louis XIV, in 1692, directed that a typeface be designed at any necessary expense for the exclusive use of the Royal printer. The design was carried out by Grandjean together with a group of mathematicians, philosophers, and others."

"Calligraphy masters travelled from mansions to palaces teaching the new educated elite these new fine crafts. However, it is the scholarly notebooks and texts, often embellished with illustrations, that are the most noteworthy of the genré. "

Just look at the balance & agelessness of this gorgeous layout.