Key to terms used in physical descriptions
The project is contained in a purple, bound (woven fabric effect) A4, cardboard ring binder. It is very slightly scuffed at the corners; also, there are a few marks, possibly grease stains, on the back cover and top left of front. The bar code sticker is still attached at the back. In general, the binder is in pretty good condition and appears to be fairly new.
Inside the binder, the pages consist mainly of sheets of thin, lined, A4 filepaper (this can be assumed unless otherwise indicated in the page notes). There are also a few sheets of extremely thin, plain white paper, and some photocopied sheets. Coloured card dividers are used between the different sections. Most of the pages, except for those consisting of imported materials, have rings around the holes punched in the side, to strengthen them, but there is no other form of protection. The work has been done on only one side of each sheet and is visible from the other side, but the pages are generally smooth and clean, giving the impression that they have been carefully handled.
The writing on one page has been wordprocessed and printed; the rest is in a range of materials: biro (purple, blue, turquoise and pink), fountain or cartridge pen (using blue/blue black and black ink and possibly pens with different size nibs), fine black fibretip, and medium thickness felt tip in various colours. The direction of the child’s writing tends to shift regularly, within lines, and the varying thicknesses of the marks indicates that the pressure of the stroke sometimes varies between words. Mistakes are dealt with in several ways: some are crossed or scribbled out and corrected using the same writing tool; others are lightly circled or underlined in pencil, but not necessarily corrected (this suggests that the pencil marks could have been added by someone else involved in checking the child’s work). On the card dividers, section titles are written vertically, on the narrow tab on the right side (this may not be visible in the scan). The page numbers are written in purple biro, top right (after page 4, each page has been given two numbers; it is not clear which is finally intended, as neither has been crossed out).
In charts, and for underlining, a ruler is used. Some numbers are written in pencil. Drawings and charts are generally carefully outlined in pencil (often using an extremely light, delicate stroke); erased lines are visible in some places, providing evidence of alteration to earlier drafts. Felt tip is used for colouring; in the various drawings of hedgehogs, throughout the project, only two shades of brown are used, but in different ways, producing strokes which create slightly different effects.
The project contains some imported material: black and white photocopies. A few sheets are inserted directly into the back of the binder, through holes punched in the sides, and a picture has been cut out of a photocopy and stuck with sellotape to the front cover.
cover page [ next page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (Cover)
This page contains imported material: a cutting from a photocopy. Both words and picture have been cut out and stuck onto the cover of the binder, using short strips of sellotape. The picture of the hedgehog has been cut out following lines down each side, which appears to have been ruled in turquoise biro. The words have been written on lined paper, outlined in blue biro (using a very short, backwards and forwards stroke, to create a zig zag effect), and coloured in with felt tip. The zig-zag edging of the cuttings appears to be very slighty perforated; it is difficult to tell exactly how they were cut out or what kind of tool was used. The strips of sellotape are beginning to curl up at the corners; a few strips extend very slightly around the edge of the binder, onto the inside cover. The cuttings are slightly raised at each end, as a result of being attached initially with folded up pieces of sellotape placed behind the cutting (these are slightly visible beneath the cutting which contains the surname).
page 1 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (contents page)
Writing is in purple biro
page 2 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (contents ctd)
Writing is in purple biro
page 3 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This is a yellow card divider. writing on tab is in purple biro. There are no rings around the holes on this page. The page is a bit grubby around the outer edges; it appears to have been in contact with reddish brown pastel crayon; also, something (maybe food?) is stuck to the surface, bottom right..
page 4 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 1)
The writing is in turquoise biro (top) and turquoise felt tip (below).
page 5 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 2)
The writing is in blue ink; it looks like fountain/cartridge pen. Fine pencil lines through the second ‘b’ in ‘habbits’, indicate correction of final draft, possibly by someone else. It is not clear how the ‘slip of the pen’ in the bottom section occurred. Three different shades of brown felt tip used to depict body and features of hedgehog.
page 6 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 3)
Different sections of writing are in red, brown, green, blue and purple felt tip. Marks in pencil suggest alterations to wording and spelling (possibly made by someone else checking final draft).
page 7 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 4)
Writing is in felt tip: green (left) and purple (right plus title) but there is a correction in pencil (spelling, top left, possibly made by someone else) and another in biro (word ‘million’ inserted, right side), indicating checking of final draft.
page 8 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This is an orange card divider. Writing on tab appears to be in blue biro.
page 9 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 5/7)
This page has been wordprocessed on plain white paper, using a large bold font. It is slightly crumpled (top and bottom left side), suggesting that it may have been handled more than the other pages.
page 10 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 6/8)
The writing is in blue ink; looks like fountain/cartridge pen. Several unconventional spellings have been marked in pencil (possibly by someone else involved in checking final draft). The ink has been smudged in the last line. The hedgehog has been roughly shaded using strokes going in different directions, creating a criss/cross network (this is quite different from the later drawings).
page 11 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This is a yellow card divider; writing on tab is in blue biro.
page 12 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 7/9)
Writing is in blue ink; looks like fountain/cartridge pen (top, plus most of words in map) and biro (bottom, plus word ‘farm’ in map). There is quite a lot of smudging of ink on this page. In most parts of the map, pencil lines are visible directly under the fibretip, indicating careful drafting. Colours in key (and map) are: light brown, green, grey, blue, dark brown.
page 13 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 8/10)
The writing is in black ink; looks like fountain/cartridge pen, but could be fine felt tip. Several unconventional spellings marked in pencil, here (possibly by someone else, checking final draft). The hedgehog has been firmly outlined here (in dark brown felt tip) unlike previous pages.
page 14 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’a page 9/11)
The writing is in blue ink; looks like fountain/cartridge pen. There are several different types of corrections. Besides crossings out and pencil marks (possibly by someone else, checking final draft), there are watery marks and loss of ink colour which indicate places where drops of some kind of colourless liquid (eg water) have come into contact with the page; very faint marks of letters, visible beneath the final version, suggest deliberate use of ink remover for correction. In the drawing, the darker brown felt tip is used in different ways, partly, using a firm, continuous stroke, to provide a smooth outline to the underbody of the hedgehog, and partly, using loose, flecky strokes, to provide an impression of the spikes. The body is shaded using diagonal strokes which mirror the direction of the spikes. This is quite different from the earlier drawings. A similar technique is used on the following pages.
page 15 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 10/12)
The writing is in blue biro (notice variation in handwriting here). The reverse side of this page has come into contact with a yellowy-brownish, sticky substance (looks like bits of soggy biscuits or cornflakes!)
page 16 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 11/13)
The writing is in blue ink; looks like fountain/cartridge pen. The variation in tone in different parts of the writing suggest that it may have been completed in stages, at different times. There are different types of corrections: besides crossings out and pencil marks (possibly by someone else, checking final draft), there are watery marks and loss of pigment which indicate places where drops of some kind of colourless liquid (eg water) have come into contact with the page; very faint marks of letters, visible beneath the final version, suggest deliberate use of ink remover for correction. In this drawing the hedgehog has been completely outlined in felt tip; a very faint pencil line indicates alteration to the shape of the body.
page 17 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This is a pale green card divider; writing on tab is in blue biro.
page 18 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 12/14)
The writing is in blue ink, probably fountain/cartridge pen (this may be a different pen from previous pages –looks like a different shade of ink and a slightly thicker nib). There are several alterations, made using different tools, here: pen, pencil (possibly by someone else, checking final draft) and ink remover. In the drawing, a different kind of stroke (lighter, softer, more wavy) is used to depict the spikes; also they don’t all go in the same direction; the drawing gives the impression of a different kind of ‘texture’ than the previous ones.
page 19 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 13/15)
The writing is in black ink (looks like fountain/cartridge pen or fine felt tip). An erased pencil line is visible below the key, indicating where a line was ruled for guidance. The map has been drawn on very thin, white paper, using quite a firm pencil stroke (visible beneath the felt tip); this suggests that it may have been traced. The sheet has been cut to size down the left side, which isn’t very straight. Very slight perforations along the edge suggest that it has been cut using the same tool as the cuttings on the front cover. New holes have been punched in the side, to replace the old ones which have been almost completely cut off; the remains of the old holes are visible at the edge. An erased pencil line is visible below the key, indicating where a line was ruled for guidance.
page 20 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This is a pale blue card divider; writing on tab is in blue felt tip.
page 21 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 10/14)
The writing is in black ink; looks like fine felt tip. Unconventional spellings are underlined very lightly in pencil –evidence of final checking. In the drawings, the spines have been very carefully outlined in pencil and shaded in felt tip; partly erased lines in the first drawing indicate alteration to the earlier draft. Different techniques seem to have been used for shading in the two drawings: long continuous strokes in the first drawing, shorter, overlapping strokes in the second. There is a tiny spot indicating a slip of the pen (felt tip) in the second drawing.
page 22 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 15/17)
The writing is in blue biro and blueish grey felt tip. This is the first page on which felt tip and biro are used together in this way. The drawing also stands out as different from the previous ones: the two felt tips are used for the two distinct sections of the hedgehog, and the strokes go in a range of directions. The felt tip has been very carefully applied, leaving a gap around the eye and ear. Erased pencil lines indicate alteration to the hedgehog’s right foot (on the reader’s left).
page 23 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This is a pink card divider; writing is in blue ink (looks like cartridge/fountain pen, unlike other dividers, where biro is used). There are no rings around the holes on this page.
page 24 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 16/18)
This is a plain white sheet of very thin paper; the edge is torn, bottom left, probably the result of being torn out of a pad. Writing is in felt tip, each line in a different colour. Pencil lines have been ruled for guidance here, but not erased.
page 25 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 17/19)
This is a plain white sheet of very thin paper. The writing is in blue ink; looks like fountain/cartridge pen; below the writing at the top of the page, pencil lines have been ruled for guidance, but only the lower line has been erased. The numbers and outline of graph are in pencil; the blocks have been very carefully shaded, so that the felt tip is contained within the outline. One of the protective rings (over the holes on the left) slightly overlaps the last letter of the word ‘children’, indicating that it was stuck on after the writing had been completed. The crossed out number 18 (top right) points to decisions relating to the page number.
page 26 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 17/18)
This is a plain white sheet of very thin paper; the edge is torn in different places along the edge, probably the result of being torn out of a pad. Below the writing at the top of the page, pencil lines have been ruled for guidance; two more fine lines indicate three attempts to get the lower line at a satisfactory angle. The blocks have been very carefully shaded, so that the felt tip is, for the most part, contained within the boundary.
page 27 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 19/20)
The thicker quality of this page, and the rough edge along the left side indicate that it was not torn from the same pad as the other lined sheets. The writing (including ticks) appears to be in fine felt tip. Lines of chart, and initials within it, are in pencil. The lines have been erased at the top; they previously extended right up to the top of the page.
page 28 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This is an orange card divider. The writing on the tab is in purple biro, and there are no rings around the holes in the side; these features make it very like the contents page, suggesting that the work may have been done at the same time.
page 29 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (child’s page 20/21)
The writing is in pink biro; it may not show up very well on the scan!
page 30 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This is a pink card divider. The writing here is in blue ink; looks like fountain/cartridge pen, unlike most of the other dividers, where it is in biro.
page 31 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
The writing is in blue biro, except for the letters down the side, which are in different coloured felt tips. Notice the smudged letter ‘N’ (four lines up from bottom) which may indicate an attempt at alteration. The line down the right side is ruled in blue biro.
page 32 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
Same materials as for previous page.
page 33 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This page consists of imported material: a photocopy. It was A4 size, but has been cut down the left side (the cut line looks serated, and slightly torn; unclear what kind of tool was used –possibly a knife).
page 34 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This page consists of imported material: an A4 photocopy (unlike page 33, this sheet has not been cut down the side).
page 35 [ next page ] [ previous page ] [ top ] [ AK51 index ] (not numbered by child)
This page consists of imported material: an A4 photocopy (unlike page 33, this sheet has not been cut down the side).