As Light as Paper, as Firm as Stone: 500 Years of Printing and Building, curated by Maryluna Santos Giraldo, is now on view in the Special Collections gallery. 

A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Maryluna Santos Giraldo is a Ph.D. student in Art History and Latin American Studies at Tulane University. Her doctoral research focuses on  the contributions of Indigenous and Black artisans to colonial Spanish-Islamic "Mudéjar" style architecture. 

The exhibition begins with an idea: when movable type emerged in the fifteenth century, it didn't just speed up book production. It also created a shared style between printing and architecture. From that point on, books and buildings regularly influenced one another. 

Architectural ideas spread easily on paper, which carried designs across regions and international borders, reaching builders and patrons who would never see the original structures in person. The influence worked both ways—printed illustrations routinely picked up elements from local architecture. 

Santos Giraldo's exhibition traces how books and buildings developed alongside each other during the hand-press era, letting visitors explore how print and architecture influenced each other. 

Visiting the Exhibition 

As Light as Paper, as Firm as Stone will be on view through May 28, 2027, in the Special Collections 2nd Floor Gallery in Joseph Merrick Jones Hall (6801 Freret Street, Tulane Uptown campus). The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. 

For more information, contact Kevin Williams, Lead Coordinator for Exhibits & Outreach, at (504) 247-1836 or kevinw@tulane.edu.