Foxing is the name given to the reddish-brown or yellowish spots that can appear on paper over time (see image above). The spots are thought to be caused by a variety of factors, including oxidation of iron or other metallic impurities in the paper, fungal growth, or chemical reactions.
The images below (4 out of a total of 16) have been created by inverting scanned images of foxed pages found in old books and adjusting the exposure and contrast.
I was surprised by how much the adjusted images looked like photographs of galaxies and star clusters.
Stephen Emmerson.
2026.
eightox.org 