Confessions of a Bookplate Junkie

This Week In Bookplates 5/23/2013

2013-05-23T04:43:00.001-04:00

This very unusual bit of bookplate ephemera arrived recently and I am just starting to do some research.

The framed group of five leather bookplates was used by Charles J. Sawyer Ltd , booksellers and fine art dealers.

The Red bookplate is for R.Esmerian who I suspect might be the collector Raphael Esmerian,

The next bookplate is nameless.

The small brown bookplate in the center is for Marten

The blue bookplate is nameless.

The larger brown bookplate is for Alfred B. Koch

The prices on the back are difficult to read from the scan.

“Cost of blocks from £20 to£40 according to design

Bookplates 1 S/6 d each for quantities”of not less than 50”*

*Note received from Anthony Pincott about this pricing-

“in other words at a pre-decimalisation (pre-1971) price of 1 shilling and sixpence each "

One Thing Leads To Another #1

While I was trying to find out if the names on the leather bookplates were for actual owners I started to search the name R.Esmerian and stumbled upon a 2009 interview with the noted bookseller John Windle.

Here is a link to the article .It is well written and fascinating. . I wish I had the movie rights to his life story.

http://www.johnwindle.com/windle/images/pdfs/born-again-in-the-usa.pdf

One Thing Leads To Another#2

Several weeks ago I posted the Gandy image shown above. It was and still is a mystery bookplate about which I would like to learn more.The image inspired Shaun in England and he sent me the following Email

"Hi,

I started to learn hand engraving within the last year,and am always looking for suitable images to engrave. Bookplates are ideal as a reference to learn how to achieve an effect,and came across your site.

There is an art from called a 'Love Token'. A coin is filed flat on one side,and an image engraved. The link is a pic of a Silver 1944 Walking Liberty silver 1/2 dollar. I used a bookplate image that had the Eagle and the words 'Gandy' from your site.

It's not exactly how I would have liked it to come out,but my ability improves with each coin I engrave and it went for $62 dollars on Ebay,but probably took 10 hours to engrave :) If I ever do something similar,it might take just as long,but look much better.

The pics on your site are really good quality,thanks for taking the time and effort.
Cheers Shaun "

http://shaun750.deviantart.com/art/Love-Token-1944-Walking-Liberty-1-2-Dollar-Bulino-363695152?q=gallery%3Ashaun750%2F26248297&qo=20

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New Book about Paul Revere Written by Fellow Collector/Dealer Tom Boss

www.bossbooks.com

Paul Revere's Bookplate for John Gardiner of Gardiner's Island
By Thomas G. Boss

Printed letterpress in an edition of 50 copies by John Kristensen of
the Firefly Press in Boston. All copies have tipped in reproductions
of the John Gardiner bookplate and other Revere plates, including the
John Butler plate which is only known in two copies and which has
hitherto not been reproduced in print. The first fifteen deluxe copies
are printed on Zerkall handmade paper and are accompanied by an
original print of the Gardiner Revere plate, mounted in a gilt frame
but easily removable for placement elsewhere in a collection. All
copies of the work are hand bound in red wrappers. The thirty-five
regular copies are printed on Neenah Laid paper.

The text of the book comprises a short history of the Gardiner's and
Revere bookplates followed by a list of holdings of Revere plates and
a ranking of rarity of each one, ranging from no known copies to
thousands of examples!

Regular edition......$150

Deluxe Edition.......$3,500

www.bossbooks.com

The Bookplate Society's Summer Auction

2013-05-18T08:42:00.000-04:00

I am very pleased to announce a special event from The Bookplate Society.

Send Bids or Questions to

Members@Bookplatesociety.org

Good luck with your bidding.
Lew

THE BOOKPLATE SOCIETY'S SUMMER AUCTION

The Bookplate Society’s members’ auctions, three each year, offer a wide range of material, mostly British 18th and 19th century exlibris, but there are also Continental European and North American items. These sales are not open to non-members. Members either attend in person or bid in advance by email or post. However, the Society is doing something different this summer by holding an entirely web- and email-based auction, which on this occasion is open to non-members.

Given that this is a manual system, lacking the software resources of eBay, the auction is being drawn out over ten weekly cycles of bidding, and participants can only submit one set of bids per week. Bidders are encouraged to bid for as many items as possible on the first occasion, because in subsequent weeks there is a restriction on the number of additional bids that can be placed. There is a further bias helping people who bid early, because in the event of equal bids the earlier bidder wins the day. The deadline for the first round of bids is Sunday, 2 June (6pm BST) and this auction ends on Sunday 4 August 2013 (6pm BST).

To view the listings, go to www.bookplatesociety.org/WebAuction1.htm , and if you wish to join in the auction you will need to read the notes and write to the auction address. Non-members of the Society must register their details prior to emailing bids.

This is an auction in slow-motion (!), but it will nevertheless be interesting to see how it works out. As the notes point out, this is not a commercial venture, but designed to offer bookplate collectors some summertime fun.

Lot84

This bookplate of Morton and Helena Stephenson probably dates from about 1920. It is the work of Henry Justice Ford (1860–1941), portrait and landscape painter, also book illustrator. He has a short write-up in Wikipedia. Recourse to www.freebmd.org.uk soon established that the owners of this bookplate were Morton F G Stephenson (born Kensington, London, 1884) and Marion Helena née Deverell (born in 1885, also in Kensington), and they were married in 1916 in Central London.

Lot # 59

Matilda Constance Ismay (1877, New York -1963, England) was the sister-in-law of Bruce Ismay (1862-1939), chairman and managing director of the White Star Line. He attracted severe moral opprobrium and was ostracised after the Titanic disaster. Not only was he in no small part responsible for the lack of provision of lifeboats, but he was among the survivors, notwithstanding the loss of many women and children. Daughters of George Richard Schieffelin and Julia Matilda née Delaplaine, the two Schieffelin sisters, Matilda Constance Schieffelin and Julia Florence Schieffelin, married two Ismay brothers, Charles Bower Ismay (1874 - 1924) and Joseph Bruce Ismay. Matilda married Charles in New York in 1900. She is buried at Haselbech, near Kettering, Northamptonshire

Lot 44

Signed PB, the bookplate of Margaret Brudenell Bruce is the work of Pleasance Bruce, depicting St Margaret Virgin & Martyr, whose feast day is July 20. Margaret Renshaw m.1873 Lord Charles Frederick Brudenell-Bruce (1849-1936), brother to the Marquess of Ailesbury. Daughter of James Renshaw of Broughton, Lancashire, she d.1913.

Send Bids or Questions to

Members@Bookplatesociety.org

The Bookplate Art of Joe Dragunas

2013-05-15T19:36:00.000-04:00

I am always pleased to promote young artists .Joe Dragunas sent me some information about his bookplate designs. I sent him a few questions which he promptly answered.

"Hello Lew!
Thank you so much for doing this. I love bookplates, and am on a fierce campaign to bring them back into the mainstream. "

Joe Dragunas in his studio

At what age did you decide to become an illustrator ?

I have been drawing since I was able to hold a crayon, and have illustrated my entire life, but it wasn't until my early thirty's until I decided to do it professionally.

Do you have any formal art training ?

I have no art training whatsoever, I am a firm believer in self teaching. As an artist you should explore every technique and style before you choose a medium you want to dedicate yourself to. I believe you should observe and learn, make the mistakes on your own, and emerge on the other side with your own personal style.

What technique do you use for bookplates ?

All the illustrations and bookplates on my website are all done with a brush and ink. I use a very fine, size 00 brush, and speedball ink. Unless there is a straight border, then I use a rapidograph technical pen, but as I said that's only for the borders.

Can you send me some jpeg examples of your favorites ?

As requested , here are some of my favorites. Many more examples can be seen at my website.

The website is set up so that you can actually order samples to touch feel and evaluate.

http://jmdragunas.bigcartel.com

The samples are all printed on high quality acid free card stock, . I use a creamy color, to give an aged illusion.

.Here are some of my favorites:

Click on Images to Enlarge

The website has prices for individual bookplates .Do you have pricing for larger quantities ?

Unfortunately, the website does not allow for ordering multiple copies, My email address is on the site and I would be pleased to discuss pricing for multiple copies with anyone who contacts me.

Have you designed any custom bookplates?

I would be absolutely ecstatic to design a custom bookplate. All my current designs are for my own amusement.

Have you designed any bookplates for yourself , friends or family?

I just finished one for My sisters wedding. She and her husband wanted an image with both a dragon, and a goat. to represent their last names. . They are both architects, so I worked a few appropriate tools into the design as well.

Heraldic designs are my all time favorite, so I decided to do a knight's crest with a goat head as the crest, and a dragon sprawled through the mantling. On the shield, I included the words "from the library of the Kosikowski's, est 2013" .

The whole image is 2.75 inches by 3.75 inches.

See you again on Sunday.

A Bookplate Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson

2013-05-12T12:42:00.000-04:00

Under normal circumstances the Lloyd Osbourne bookplate would not merit very much attention.
It is unique because of a collaboration between Robert Louis Stevenson and his stepson Lloyd Osbourne
As adults they collaborated on three novels.Their collaboration really started when RLS purchased a do it yourself printing press for Lloyd when he was about thirteen years old. .RLS wrote poems and did wood cuts for Lloyd's Davos Press.The woodcut in Lloyd's bookplate was done by R.L.S.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Lloyd Osbourne and Robert Louis Stevenson

Do it yourself printing presses were very popular boy's toys in the mid 19th and early 20th centuries.
President Grant purchased one for his son Jessie, H. L. Mencken was given one at age eight in 1888 and
Lloyd Osbourne was given one at age thirteen,.
A picture of the Davos press can be seen by following this link to Textualities by Elaine Greig

http://textualities.net/elaine-greig/unfinished-business/

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I received the following inquiry from David Kesterson this week.

A friend sent photos of a book, "Crown of Wild Olive" by John Ruskin that was owned by his father. It is probably from a set published by Merriam, but what interests us is the metal cover. The design is quite precise, making me think it was stamped. But why? Was this a short-lived fad? Or some devoted arts & crafts artisan. Please feel free to publish if you find it interesting. I would really like to know more.

David Kesterson
Cameron Park Books
Raleigh, NC

Davidk@camparkbooks.com

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in·con·gru·ous

Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something; not in place.

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This one puzzles me. Perhaps a bookseller had some very fine reference books which customers kept trying to buy so he inserted this label in them..What do you think?
See you next week.

Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com
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Some Links & Some Impulse Purchases

2013-05-06T11:11:00.000-04:00

This link has nothing to do with books or bookplates apart from the fact that it came from Lee Kirk , a very competent book and ephemera dealer in Eugene Oregon.

I think you will be be amazed .

http://www.youtube.com/embed/MKikHxKeodA?feature=player_embedded

Here is a link to Lee Kirk's website:

http://www.printsandthepaper.com/

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J J Lankes Bookplates , Prints and Ephemera

This link was sent to me by Mary Helen Miskuly

https://www.burchfieldpenney.org/collection/?q=Lankes

Robert Day, Cartoonist

This four page theatre program appealed to me because of the cover illustration.

The artist Robert Day (1900-1985) was on the New Yorker staff and contributed cartoons to that magazine for over 40 years
http://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/12/nyregion/robert-day-84-dead-new-yorker-cartoonist.html

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The $80.35 Funeral

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I grew up in Brooklyn.

How could I not purchase these calling cards?

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World War Two Ephemera

Matchbook Cover

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Mystery Ephemera Artist

Does anyone out there recognize the artist's cypher ? It appears to be FK .

See you again Next Week.

Special Edition-The Last Bookshop

2013-05-03T12:07:00.000-04:00

I did not want to clutter this posting with anything else. This is The Last Bookshop

Follow the link below the picture

click here

See you again on Sunday

Bookplate Bonanza

2013-04-28T08:39:00.000-04:00

There are quite a few bookplate buying opportunities occurring simultaneously so I will list them all for you

Anthony Tufts at Exeter Rare Books is having a 60% discount sale on his Ebay Store

http://stores.ebay.com/Exeter-Rare-Books/Bookplates-/_i.html?_fsub=2739578017&_sid=435217&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

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Dr Wolfgang Reiger has an impressive assortment of German bookplates for sale.

www.antiquariat-rieger.de/neueexlibris.htm

Antiquariat Dr. Wolfgang Rieger
Gruberhof 8 * 79110 Freiburg
tel: 0761 - 892350 * fax: 807496
mobil: 0173 3078983
email: info@antiquariat-rieger.de
UID: DE 222545656
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Tom Boss

Tgboss@gmail.com

Tel 617 3085062
New Address 129 Braintree St. #317 Boston Ma. 02134

Tom purchased the Stephen Caplin collection .. It was one of the last of the early 20th century collections still in private hands.
It is rich in many areas including E.D. French and 18th century American exlibris.
For established customers Tom will send bookplates on approval.
These are four of the items I purchased from him.earlier in the week.

The plate shown below was printed in Italy for the Newark New Jersey Free Public Library.

I call it my fire the typesetter bookplate.

This plate for Stewart Henry Hartshorn is illustrated on page 83 in The Art Of The Bookplate by James Keenan..Does anyone out there know who the artist is?
His (Her) initials are CLH

I already have a copy of the plate for the American publisher Ralph Pulitzer and his first wife Frederica
It is so finely engraved I purchased this copy for possible exchange.

Last but not least Jacques Laget has an fine selection of bookplates on his website

http://www.ex-libris-jacques-laget.fr/?page_annonce=156

If you still have any money left after going through all the dealer sites you can always contact me to see what bookplates I have for sale or trade.

Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

See you next Sunday.

Bookplates of Notable People for Sale or Trade

2013-04-21T18:31:00.003-04:00

One of the things I enjoy about this hobby is exchanging duplicates with other collectors.

From time to time I list duplicates on Ebay but this time around I thought the blog might be a good platform for possible exchanges. All the images have been enlarged for clarity.

.If you have any comparable duplicates for exchange please send me a scan or a description.

Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

See you next week

James Doyle Jr. Baltimore Bookplate Designer

2013-04-18T12:50:00.000-04:00

There are many competent bookplate designers about whom little or no published material is available.
James Doyle Jr. is such an artist . His daughter Sister Madeleine Doyle wrote about her father in the fall 1990 issue of Maryland Historical Magazine .Beyond that I have found very little. He worked at
The Baltimore Morning Herald in the early 1900's and in 1908 he became a member of the Baltimore News art staff where he learned about etching. Many of his bookplates were designed for friends family and newspaper colleagues.

His most famous bookplate was designed for H. L. Mencken.
It is printed in three sizes.

Warren Wilmer Brown (1884-1946) was on the staff of The Baltimore News

George A. Colston (1876-1935) was a Baltimore banker and investment broker

W.S. G. Galloway(N.D.-1948) was a purchasing agent for The B& O Railroad and an ardent yachtsman.

John Martin Hammond(1886-1935) was the author of Colonial Mansions of Maryland and Delaware.

No Biographical information has been found.

No Biographical information has been found .

In his book he was cited as a friend and contributor by John Martin Hammond

"Richard D. Steuart (1880–1951) was a journalist in Baltimore, Maryland known as Carroll Dulaney, the name he used for his Day by Day column in the Baltimore News-Post. Steuart was also an historian focusing mainly on Maryland history and the role that Maryland played during the American Civil War. He maintained a vast collection of Civil war era firearms and assorted artifacts, many collected personally from the battlefields he visited. Most of his collection was donated to the Virginia Historical Society. His donation earned him and honorary membership in the society. His is the only non-Virginian to earn such a distinction"

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If anyone reading this blog has bookplates by James Doyle Jr. which are not shown please send scans to

Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

With your help a comprehensive checklist can be developed.

Bookplates , Bookish Ephemera and Watch Papers

2013-04-10T11:07:00.000-04:00

This weekend there will be two excellent book shows in New York City.

The ABAA Show

http://nyantiquarianbookfair.com/The_New_York_Book_Fair/ABAA__53rd_Annual.html

The Shadow Show
http://www.flamingoeventz.com/

If you are planning to be at either show and have some bookplates for sale or trade please let me know

bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

Watchpapers ( they are circular jewelers advertisements, dust protectors, and written records of when a pocket watch was last oiled and cleaned )

Here is a link from Bibliodyssey about watch papers in England.

http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2009/05/watch-paper-prints.html

This is an atypical English watch paper

http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2009/05/watch-paper-prints.html

Richard Newman focuses on 18th century American pocket watches and watch papers.
Here is a link to his new website

http://www.colonialwatches.com/

Richard also sent me the following information:

"Lew, three of my favorites, all right around the turn of the century.

Perhaps the most sought after American paper is for the eminent maker Aaron Willard who worked in Boston in 1792 and his watch paper is purported to have been engraved & printed by Paul Revere. It features intricate engravings around the circumference.

Aime Brandt emigrated from Switzerland to Philadelphia in about 1795. Seafaring themes were popular on early papers. The anchor is a symbol of hope and together with a goddess holding a watch is perhaps an appeal for sailors to return safely and quickly.

Joshua Wilder from Hingham, Massachusetts is another eminent clock maker from the turn of the century and his paper pictures a wide selection of watches that one could see in his shop, along with a new and popular shelf clock design that was providing an alternative to expensive and cumbersome grandfather clocks. This example is a wonderful reminder to readers that the primary purpose of watch papers was for advertising."

http://www.colonialwatches.com/

I collect watch papers also, but there are not enough dollars or hours to pursue the hobby aggressively.
. Here are three examples of folk art , homemade watch papers from my collection::

Fragile Paper cut on felt

Bookish Ephemera
Bookseller's labels are usually discrete and small. John Lindmark was an antiquarian bookseller in Poughkeepsie, New York . He was a gifted self promoter and his book label which is six inches wide by 5 inches high is the largest one I have ever seen.
It was pasted on the inside front cover of a 1930's Bookman's Yearbook. .At first I thought it was a shipping label.but there is no return address and the blank space is very small..

More Lindmark ephemera

Mystery Bookplate
I believe this bookplate is from France. Does anyone out there know who GB was ?
It was originally in an 1847 copy of Revue Archéologique

See You Again on Sunday.

Bookplates Of Ancient Studies Scholars

2013-04-06T19:14:00.000-04:00

Charles Elwood Jones is the Head Librarian at the Institute For The Study Of The Ancient World.

I was so impressed with his April 4th blog about the bookplates of Ancient Studies Scholars that I asked his permission to cut and paste the entire blog .He most graciously consented. The devil is in the details
.I was unable to properly paste the contents of his blog so I will revert to plan B

Here is a link to his blog:

http://ancientworldbloggers.blogspot.nl/2008/08/bookplates-of-scholars-in-ancient.html

If you want to send scans of bookplates Mr Jones can add to his blog here is his address:

cellwoodjones@gmail.com

I will be back with a regular blog posting on Tuesday or Wednesday.

See you soon.

Bookplate Odds And Ends

2013-03-30T18:37:00.001-04:00

I am interested in all sorts of ephemera and was delighted to find Princeton's graphic arts blog . There are many visual delights I selected just one of them (English tobacco wrapping paper) to whet your appetite
http://blogs.princeton.edu/graphicarts/ephemera/

I have several tobacco related bookplates in my own collection. Here are two examples:

4/3/2013 Thank you Richard Schimmelpfeng for the following information:

Lew, were you aware that Arents had an enormous tobacco collection? His collection is at the New York Public and there is a sumptuous three volume folio catalogue of it.

The Bookplate of John Butler by Paul Revere was unrecorded in Clarence Brigham's Paul Revere's Engravings. It is in the collection of The American Antiquarian Society( the gift of George T. Goodspeed.) If you are wondering about the value of this plate should another one become available my guess is that at auction the starting bid would be around $10,000.00

East Coast Book & Paper Shows - April 2013

John Renjilian Sent me the Email shown below.

Thank you John.

The month will be welcomed by the LI Vintage Book and Ephemera Fair, 6-7 April, bouncing back to its location at the Garden City Field House, 295 Stewart Ave, 11530. Saturday 11-6, Sunday 11-4, $6 admission. I haven't been in some years, but my guess would be perhaps around 40 dealers. When at this venue earlier, the fair was held in conjunction with an antiques show, but no mention of that is made so I presume this will be all books/paper. It has often been a strong fair. www.libookfair.com, www.flamingoeventz.com, or 603-509-2639 will get you more information.

The next week will see a doubleheader in NYC. Starting first will be the ABAA show at the Park Ave Armory, 643 Park Ave at 67th St, opening with a preview Thursday evening, 5-9, and continuing Friday, 12-8, Saturday 12-7, and Sunday 12-5. Admission to the preview is $40, $35 for the next three days, or $20 per day. There will be about 200 dealers from 11 countries to browse among, bringing many treasures with them; as your eyes get bigger, so will your pocketbook need to. Free approximate valuations will be offered Sunday, up to three items; bring something good, by Sunday the dealers will need a boost. Additional information is at www.sanfordsmith.com, www.abaa.org or 212-777-5218.

The Manhattan Vintage Book and Ephemera Fair, the Shadow Show, will take place the same weekend at the Altman Building, 135 West 18th St, 10011, 12-13 April. Two days only, Friday 5-9, Saturday 8-4, admission $12. Smaller in size, and no doubt a tad less on the price tags, this is still the place where the ABAA dealers will come to replenish they're stocks; you can beat them to it and find the bargains first. Flamingo runs the show, www.flamingoeventz.com, or 603-509-2639.

The Allentown Paper Show will take over the last weekend of the month, at the Agriculture Hall in the Fair Grounds, 1929 Chew St, in Allentown, PA, 27-28 April. Saturday 9-5, Sunday 9-3, admission $7 ($6 with card at the website), 170 dealers. This one is well worth your effort, lots of books, paper, just about anything imaginable. Scott Klutinoty, Allentown Paper Show, is in charge, www.allentownpapershow.com, allentownpapershow@gmail.com, or, 610-573-4969 for more information.

I have a clipping announcing the second annual Antiquarian Book, Ephemera and Postcard Show to be held 28 April, at the Brookline Event Center, 32 Proctor Hill Rd (rt 130), Brookline, NH 03033. 9-2, about 25 dealers; however, there is nothing on the website calendar for that date, and I would definitely contact the organizers, Ron or Kathy Pelletier, before traveling. www.brooklineeventcenter.com, info@brooklineeventcenter.com, or 603-673-4474.

See You next Sunday

Helpful Hints for New bookplate Collectors

2013-03-25T06:06:00.000-04:00

If you are a new bookplate collector the following article which I wrote for Collectors Weekly five years ago distills thirty plus years of experience into a few paragraphs.

WWW.Collectorsweekly.com

Bookplate (Exlibris) Collecting Basics

By Lew Jaffe — March 19th, 2008

Lew Jaffe’s Bookplate Junkie blog is a member of our Collectors Weekly Hall of Fame. For more information on collecting bookplates and an incredible array of beautiful bookplates, visit Bookplate Junkie.

Bookplate mania in America and England peaked from 1890 to about 1920. That’s when the really great collections were formed. Most of them were either dispersed or absorbed into other collections. These collections are like old friends because they all came from the same gene pool. Perhaps there were 100 collectors who actively exchanged duplicates and many of the same core plates are to be found in all the collections. They were often mounted on 6 inch by 9 inch card stock.

Today, if there are two hundred bookplate collectors in the United States I would be very surprised. What could be more boring then being subjected to watching a neighbor’s home video of a trip to Disneyland with their grandchildren? My assumption is that most people, after five minutes, have similar reactions listening to me go on about bookplates. That’s why it’s so pleasurable to meet with fellow collectors who share your enthusiasm.

Finding Bookplates

People often ask me where to find bookplates so I thought it might a good time to write about building a collection.

EBay: When I started this adventure about 35 years ago there was no Ebay so I built a collection without it. Today Ebay is certainly an excellent way to find bookplates from around the world. It takes time and discipline because there is so much clutter but it is still worth the effort.

Bookplate Societies: When I first got interested in bookplates I joined both The American (www.bookplate.org) and English (www.bookplatesociety.org) bookplate societies .That gave me an opportunity to meet with and obtain bookplates from other collectors. It still makes good sense to join these organizations. I am always interested in exchanging bookplates with other collectors and was very pleased to receive the January, 2008 Directory Of Members from the Bookplate Society. There are about 200+ individual members in the group and about 159 have indicated a willingness to trade. One of the easiest ways to build a collection is to exchange duplicates.

Bookplate engravers and designers are often willing to send you a bookplate in exchange for one of yours. It’s a simple way for them to meet potential customers. Of course, you need a decent bookplate to begin with.

Booksellers: Antiquarian and used booksellers will go out of their way to help you if you make your interest known to them. It gets harder each year as the number of open shops decreases, and the number of pre-1920′s books on the shelves is decreasing. Nevertheless, it is often productive. Start looking in either the poetry or foreign language sections as owners of such books seem to have used bookplates more frequently and there is often less turnover of inventory. Ask the bookseller if he keeps a box of detached boards. I have found some excellent 18th century plates in such boxes.

Bookbinders: In most large communities there is at least one hand bookbinder. Check the Yellow Pages, Google, or ask a book dealer. More often than not they, being pack rats, hold onto old bookplates, and in some instances are more than willing to sell you a cigar box full.
I also buy a number of bookplates from dealers.

Book and Paper Shows: I have always enjoyed going to shows. After a while, dealers will save things for you. It pays to stop at every booth and ask.

Angel of Death letters: I am almost (not quite) embarrassed to admit to the fact that I used to look up the ages of bookplate collectors and wrote to all those over eighty to inquire if they knew of any collections for sale. The point is that it was very productive and I bought two major collections that way. For the record, I am 70, so do not bother me until 2018!

Letters to Famous People: I’ve occasionally gotten some remarkable bookplates by writing to celebrities, but I have not had too much luck in recent years. Too much mail is filtered by clerks and more often than not you get a signed photo or an auto-pened label.

Themes in Bookplate Collecting

Many collectors have specialized topics and themes that they focus on. I tend to spend my time and energy searching for 18th century American exlibris, bookplates from the libraries of famous people from any country and bookplates with Jewish signs or symbols. The list keeps growing. Rabbits are a good case in point. I started with two Rabbit plates and in the dark of night between the covers of their snug album pages they reproduced so now I have a litter of eight. Five are domestic and three came from England.

I know there are collectors out there who focus on dogs, cats, owls, stamps, chess and even chickens.

Dated Bookplates: I have always been partial to dated bookplates. Somehow, knowing precisely when a bookplate was engraved is very orderly and comforting. A strange choice of words perhaps, but that is my gut feeling. Two excellent reference books about dated bookplates are:

Dated Bookplates, A Treatise On Their Origin And Development by Walter Hamilton. There are three volumes. Volume two covers the eighteenth century.

Early Printed Book Labels by Brian North Lee: Anything written by Brian North Lee is carefully and lovingly researched.

How to Remove a Bookplate

Let us assume you purchased a book with significant historical significance, an association copy from the library of a president. It would be a crime against future generations to remove the bookplate. On the other hand, if you went to a library book sale and got a Reader’s Digest Condensed Book with a bookplate you wanted, the removal would be completely acceptable.

It’s all very subjective. Over the years I have in fact removed many bookplates. Sometimes the books are donated to a charity, sometimes they are resold on eBay. Here’s how I remove the bookplates without damaging the book. I would suggest that you start by practicing on distressed items. These instructions should not be used for leather bookplates and those with red dye should be tested first with a moistened Q-Tip, as red tends to bleed:

1) Boil Water

2) Fold a paper towel in quarters and cut it slightly larger than the bookplate

3) Using tongs, immerse the folded towel into the boiling water.

4) Place the steaming towel on top of the bookplate. If the bookplate is on the inside front
cover be sure it is level. You may have to place a saucer under it to keep it level.

5) Wait two minutes and place the point of a knife under a corner of the bookplate. Lift gently
and try to pull off.If you encounter resistance continue to soak another minute.

6) To avoid curling, after removal , place the bookplate betweeen some paper towels ,
place a book on top and let it sit for a day.

Let me know how well this worked for you. From time to time you may be surprised to find a second bookplate under the one you removed.

Leather bookplates were used by many of the wealthiest American bibliophiles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are without question elegant but as a practical matter the oils in the leather tend to damage the pages they touch. Removal of leather bookplates when required can be done by inserting the tip of an X-acto blade under a corner and gently prying the plate upward. Most glue did not bond well and the plates usually can be removed intact.

For more information about bookplates (and more great bookplate images) visit Lew’s Bookplate Junkie blog.

Note from Lew 3/25/2013 After rereading the article I realized that one very productive resource for acquiring bookplates is worth restating and that library book sales were never mentioned.
Library Book Sales
This link below is a must if you want to find library booksales in America
If you know of comparable sites for other countries please contact me and it will be added to this posting.

http://www.booksalefinder.com/

BookFairs in the U.K.

http://www.inprint.co.uk/thebookguide/fairs/index.php

Hand Bookbinders.-Find one in or near your community. They are often pacrats and hold onto bookplates which they might sell or give to an enthusiastic new collector. Make the effort and you may be rewarded. Good Luck in your quest.

See you next Sunday.

Bookish Ephemera

2013-03-17T14:06:00.000-04:00

My Ebay listings ended successfully and over fifty percent of the sales were from outside the U.S.
Buyers from China and Saudi Arabia were particularly active.
I have thousands of duplicates from around the world for possible Exchange or Sale so send me your want lists
Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

Here are a two duplicates for possible exchange.
The first is from the library of a lawyer interested in fox hunting and music and the second one is by Mark Severin

Issue # 10 of Counter Print arrived last week and much of it is devoted to bookish ephemera.

Each of the articles is well illustrated.
.
There is a six page article by Tim Sumner about book bags

A four page article by Keld Bech about Frederikshavn Kunstmuseum

A four page article about ephemera found in books by Michael Popek

A four page article I wrote about bookplates

Last but not least a four page article by Greg Kindall about bookseller and book binder's trade labels

You can order a copy at
www.counter-print.co.uk

Here is something I picked up recently for my bookish ephemera collection

Here are some aluminum advertising book marks from my bookish ephemera collection.
I assume they were used in the early 20th century.

More Bookish ephemera

If you send me scans of bookish ephemera from your own collection I will add them to this blog posting.

See you again next Sunday

Bookplates On Ebay

2013-03-10T09:44:00.000-04:00

From time to time I list duplicate bookplates on Ebay.

My selections are eclectric and hopefully you will be pleased with some of them.

Three of the 25 listed items are shown below.

To see all of them just follow this link and search by seller name bookplatemaven

www.ebay.com

The frog was designed by K. Kawasaki for Shoji Kozuka the president of The Japanese Bookplate Society (circa 1933) It was printed from six blocks.

The airplane bookplate was designed by the owner F.A.Willwerth

The woodcut polo player was done by TF for Caryle Baer , a Washington attorney who for many years directed the American Society of Bookplate Collectors and Designers.

I 'll be back next Sunday with a regular blog posting..If you look at my Ebay listings and do not see bookplates that fit into your collection please send me an email and let me know what you are looking for..I have many other bookplates for sale or exchange.

Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

Bookplate Artists From Around The World, Roy Cooney

2013-03-03T10:58:00.000-05:00

"Roy has lived most of his life in the West Country, starting an apprenticeship in engraving at the age of sixteen. He eventually left the British Admiralty's Hydrographic Office (the department responsible for producing charts for navigation) four years ago, after a career in engraving and cartographic duties, and as training officer responsible for teaching draftsmanship to naval and HO staff. He now concentrates on producing a wide range of pictorial subjects and botanical studies as limited editions, by the ancient and now relatively rare medium of line engraving. With a growing reputation for engraving based on heraldic designs, commissions for armorial bookplates are awarded in increasing numbers.

Other work varies considerably, and includes the restoration of historic engravings and etchings, re-strike printing of earlier engravings, giving demonstrations and delivering lectures and participating in the activities and organization of the Hilliard Society, the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen and the Bookplate Society. He was asked by the British Broadcasting Corporation for advice on how James McNeill Whistler would have produced his hydrographic scenes while employed by the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, and was then invited to recreate the process for the camera as "Whistler's Hands" - engraving and printing - in a program about Whistler's life in the BBC "Omnibus" series.

Participation in international bookplate and small graphics exhibitions and art exhibitions has been rewarded by a number of awards and commissions.

Roy exhibits in Holland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Ukraine, where prints of bookplates and limited editions are also held in art galleries, museums, universities, libraries and private collections. He is producing limited editions of pictorial line engravings which are sold through exhibitions and galleries throughout the UK and parts of Europe and the USA."

Source http://www.art-in-miniature.org/gall01.htm

In 1995 I visited the late Brian North Lee and he gave me the newest of his many personal bookplates.It was engraved by Roy Cooney.

At the time I was searching for someone to design my first bookplate and I contacted Mr. Cooney. The theme I choose was a waterwheel that had been engraved by Henry Dawkins.
I like all my bookplates but this is still my favorite.

Here are a few of the Roy Cooney bookplates and engravings from my own collection:

Roy sent the following note along with the wasp engraving shown below:
"One of my limited editions for your retention!This Queen Wasp died on my window-sill.I drew the image straight on the copper and then engraved it"

Follow this link for many more images and a checklist of Roy Coooney's bookplates.

www.bookplatesociety.org/images/CooneyFramedBookplates.pdf

See you again nexr week.

Three Links Worth Viewing

2013-02-24T12:11:00.000-05:00

I've been saving a few links that might interest you .This one from the colossal.com blog is about book arts and it fascinated me. Here is their description:

"This blog has seen it’s fair share of pop-up books, and animation using paper, but this might be the first where everything comes together in a single piece. Revolution is an animated short by photographer Chris Turner, paper engineer Helen Friel and animator Jess Deacon that explores the life cycle of a single drop of water through the pages of an elaborate pop-up book. The book contains nine scenes that were animated using 1,000 photographic stills shot over the course of a year. (via faith is torment)"

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/02/revolution-the-lifecycle-of-water-told-in-a-stop-motion-pop-up-book

Over at Princeton University Stephen Ferguson is doing an excellent job of researching bookplates in their book collections.

"An in-progress registry of provenance, bindings, annotations, and other evidence for book history from the rare book collections at Princeton

http://blogs.princeton.edu/notabilia/2013/02/12/bookplate-luton-library/

Over at Shared Shelf Commons institutional collections from around the world have been digitized .
This is a very useful reference tool.The site is overwhelming and should probably be bookmarked.
That's what I did several weeks ago and I have not looked at it since then. Shame on me.

http://goo.gl/bKCBC

I figure there are about 200 bookplate collectors in the U.S. .Within that group perhaps ten people at most are interested in 18th century American bookplates.With that thought in mind I have digitized about 30 18th century and early 19th century bookplates currently for sale. They range in price from $40.00 to $150.00 .
If you send me an email I will be glad to send scans and prices.

Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

And The Winner Is

2013-02-17T12:38:00.002-05:00

I want to thank everyone who participated in the humorous bookplate contest. There were many fine entries and the selection was not easy.
The winner is Muriel Frega.

This was the third contest I've had in seven years..The first in 2007 was a bizarre bookplate contest .The winner was Nina Allen and this was her entry.

The second contest in 2009 was about a bookplate tattoo .
Contestants were asked to insert a caption for the blank line shown below.

The winner was Keith Sheid and his entry was The College of Arms.
I would like to have another contest in about six months but I could use some help.If you have any suggestiosn for a bookplate contest please send me an email

Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

This is a brief posting so I will be back again on Tuesday or Wednesday .
See you soon.

Bookplate Artists From Around The World ,John Watson

2013-02-10T15:54:00.000-05:00

I have hardly been involved at all in making bookplates until recently, though I’ve long been fascinated by them. Since my own work has always gravitated towards small graphic forms, exlibris do seem a natural extension of this.

Most of the bookplates I’ve done to date have been as gifts for family and friends.

Ex Libris Rebecca Watson

For my daughter - obsessed with reading practically from birth!

Ex Libris Josephine and Raymond Morgan

A bookplate created for old and dear friends. Somewhere in the night sky are the constellations of their respective star signs.

'Ex Libris Solstizio D’Estate

A bookplate entered for a competition in Italy – one of the first I entered. There is an annual calendar of competitions worldwide for all types of small graphic forms, many open to artists anywhere.'

Ex Libris Pascal Belin

This one a commission, for my daughter’s PhD supervisor on completion of her doctorate. Professor Belin’s area of research is the perception of sound in the brain.

Ex Libris Gabriella Stewart

A gift for a friend’s daughter. A pair, celebrating her twin enthusiasms for basketball and climbing.

Note From Lew.

Here is a link to John's website where you can see the full range of his portfolio.

http://www.jawatson.co.uk/

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The Humorous Bookplate Contest Ends February 13th

Entry #9

Please find attached my entry for the competition. Much like your correspondent Evan Sullivan, not sure if this comes across as directly humorous, though the intent was to amuse. Also strictly speaking not from my collection, but was designed by me for a friend. An avid reader and tea fiend, she also has a ‘thing’ about pigs (which I can understand – there’s more to pigs than meets the eye).

Kind regards

John Watson

Entry#10

From Richard Schimmelpfeng

Roughly: Translated -You steal my book, see what happens to you.

Artist is Heinrich Nernst

Bookplate Artists From Around The World, Muriel Frega

2013-02-03T05:46:00.000-05:00

Muriel Frega sent me this information about the bookplates she recently designed.

If you wish to contact Muriel Frega here is her email address.

MurielFrega (at)yahoo.com.ar

Last year ( and the year before) I worked very little in making bookplates. I dedicated most of my time to finishing some comic projects. Anyway, bookplate production didn't completely stop .

Opus 118 was made for Andrew Peake. When I was coloring that work, I realized that I´ve made very few bookplates for women. When I decided to finish the ones previously started I realized that many of them were gifts for friends.

Opus 111, was made for Juana´s birthday. Luckily we have birthdays every year so the bookplate could accomplish it´s role as a gift on 2012, ( I promised it for 2010) Guess what´s Juana´s favorite food and drink...

Opus 115, Lourdes Pertierra looking for the right man. When doing this one I planned to make it with rubber stamps, or mix techniques and add a printing detail. But so far, special papers that work well with both inks are still in the testing process

Opus 116, Martha, whose words, written and spoken sometimes are hard as a bomb. It´s different when you get to know her.

Opus 117, Nat Alias, a nickname for Natalia. Again depicting the relationship between women and men.

And Opus 119, Marisa, a friend who cooks great! She really loves doing that and puts all her love in making food. I worked without textures in this one.

I usually order the opus numbers as the final sketch is done or when the work is halfway through. It´s messy sometimes because sometimes I finish first the last works and some remain unfinished for months... maybe years. That happened in this series of bookplates: Andrew´s bookplate was finished in three months time, and Juana´s took 2 years ( looks simpler but reaching a synthesis sometimes is not that easy)

Notes From Lew-

If you want to contact Muriel Frega here is her Email address

MurielFrega (at)yahoo.com.ar

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The Clock is ticking.

If you want to enter the Humorous Bookplate Contest, stop procrastinating.

The contest ends February 13th

At the end of the contest the judges ( Mary & Lew Jaffe) will select the winner. .

The winner will receive an inscribed hardbound copy of all blog postings for 2012.

See you next Sunday.

February 3rd Events

2013-02-02T07:31:00.001-05:00

On Sunday February 3rd millions of Americans will be watching The Super Bowl.
.
I prefer watching Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl.

Here is a preview film clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW1WEcirxl8

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On Sunday February 3rd there will be a book show in Philadelphia.

Location: The Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel, 201 North 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Hours: 10am-4pm.
Admission: Adults: $6, Youths 12-21: $3, Under 12: free w/Adult, plenty of parking both on-site and across street.
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On Sunday February 3rd I will be back with my regular posting.

See you then.

Bookplate Artists From Around The World , Daniel Mitsui

2013-01-27T10:53:00.001-05:00

I have asked several bookplate artists to send me scans and general information about the bookplates they designed in 2012..The first to respond was Daniel Mitsui.

www.Danielmitsui.com

In 2012, I received six commissions for bookplate designs. The original drawings for these were done with black technical pens on white Bristol board. The drawings were scanned at a high resolution, and transferred via a photo chemical process to copper plates for letterpress printing.

Exlibris Corey B. French: The central subject in this bookplate is St. Jerome in his study, after the painting by Jan van Eyck. The saint wears a cardinal's garb, and is seated at his desk, which is covered in writing tools, a bookstand, an hourglass and various bottles and jars. More books and scrolls, an astrolabe and a paternoster can be seen in the background. St. Jerome's tame lion is sitting next to the desk.

My patron requested that I include images of the Virgin & Child, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Thomas of Canterbury and St. Thomas More. I placed these in the corners, and framed the central image in a pointed quatrefoil fitting snugly between them. The small triangular spaces filling out the square have fanciful creatures in them; clockwise, these are a unicorn, a heraldic dolphin, a pig, a monopod, a blemya, a mermaid, a barometz and a green man.

The Latin quote at the bottom is from St. Augustine: "Too late have I loved thee, O beauty ever ancient and ever new!"

Exlibris Barbara Teresa Shaw: The man who commissioned this commissioned the very first bookplate I ever designed. Over the past several years, he has had me create bookplates for the various members of his family as well as for his godchildren; each of them have featured the recipent's patron saint. Past designs have shown St. Lucy, St. Francis, St. Columba, St. Dorothy and St. Agnes. This one depicts St. Barbara, a 4th century martyr who was imprisoned in a tower and later beheaded. The bookplate shows her with her familiar attributes: she wears a martyr's crown, and holds a sword and a chalice with a host elevated above it. Her tower is drawn in the background

Exlibris Afsheen Majid: My patron commissioned this bookpalte for his baby daughter. Because the name Afsheen means "shine like a star", I drew a nocturnal lanscape lit by starlight. The Hand of Fatima symbol refers to the midle name Zahra, one of the titles of Mohammed's daughter Fatima. I was asked to include several things that the girl especially likes: trees, ducks and animals with tails.

The artwork was inspired by 16th century Perisan illuminated manuscripts, as well as by European millefleur tapestries.

Exlibris Kevin G. Rooney: In this one, the central image shows the Saced Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The coats of arms in the corners represent the Rooney family, the Priestly Fraterity of St. Peter, the Crowley family, and the Carmelite Order.

Exlibris James A. Vogel III: I liked the composition that I invented for the Corey B. French bookplate so much that I used it again for my next two commissions. This one has a central image of St. James the Greater, one of the 12 Apostles. It was based on an anonymous 15th century panel painting.

The bones of St. James were discovered in the 9th century by a miraculous starlight near the northwest coast of Spain. The shrine built to house these relics became one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in Europe. Pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela collected scallop shells from the nearby coast as souvenirs. The pilgrim hat and cloak that the Saint wears in this depiction; the staff and shell that he carries; and the stars, ocean waves and path in the background all refer to this tradition.

The square images in the corners depict the Virgin & Child in the style of a Russian icon; the coat of arms and motto of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre; a portrait of the French-English poet, essayist and economist Hilaire Belloc; and the coat of arms of the Order of Preachers with a torch-bearing dog, a symbol of St. Dominic.

Exlibris Andrew Lohrum: This bookplate depicts an incident from the life of St. Francis of Assisi, in which one of his novices asked to possess his own psalter:

Blessed Francis told him: After you have a psalter, you will desire and want to have a breviary; after you have a breviary, you will sit in a fancy chair, like a great prelate telling your brother: Bring me the breviary! And speaking in this way with great intensity of spirit, he took some ashes in his hand, put them on his head rubbing them around his head as though he were washing it, saying, I, a breviary! I, a breviary!
I thought that this was a particularly clever choice of subject, as it shows a man being rebuked for his pride about the prospect of owning a book.
I used millelfleur decorative patterns in many of my drawings last year. This is an ornamental fill composed of tiny plants and animals, inspired by 15th century tapestries. Frogs, rabbits, snails, rats, a snake and a genet can be seen in the border of this bookplate. It is formatted like a page in an illuminated manuscript, with wide borders on one side and on the bottom. The bas-de-page shows the famous story of St. Francis meeting the Wolf of Gubbio.

Note from Lew Jaffe- If you wish to contact Daniel Mitsui his email address is
Danmitsui (at) hotmail.com

See you next Sunday-

The clock is ticking. If you want to enter the Humorous bookplate contest stop procrastinating.

Only a few weeks left until the contest ends on February 13th

Please submit one bookplate from your own collection. I am not expecting many entries because humorous bookplates are atypical. That works in your favor if you have something to submit..

Send a scan of your entry to

Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

At the end of the contest the judges ( Mary & Lew Jaffe) will select the winner. .

The winner will receive an inscribed hardbound copy of all blog postings for 2012

1/28/2013 Entry # 6 for humorous bookplate contest , sent by Evan Sullivan

Hello Lewis,

I'm not sure if the attached fits into the humour category, but considering humour is pretty subjective . I will submit it for your delectation. This ex libris was made for me by an artist / collector in Israel. His name is Leonid Kuris. He knows I am from Australia. It's humorous, to me, because of the age old myth that kangaroos bound down Sydney streets (ie near the Opera House). Also hilarious/ironic is the fact that a kangaroo has a 'pocket' and in that pocket is a book. My pocket book is often empty because of ex libris collecting. One more bit of humour is the fact that I'm Australian, but living in Saudi Arabia and this ex libris was designed by an Israeli.

Regards,

Evan

1/29/2015 Entry # 7 received from Anthony Pincott

Dear Lew

Here is a small contribution if you would like it.

Rgds, A.

The design pictured here may not be the most beauteous exlibris ever conceived, but it was created both in tribute and pleasure, and deserves to rank high in the present selection of amusing bookplates. Its owner, Brian North Lee (1936-2007), gave a description in his booklet entitled “My Personal Bookplates” (2001) as follows:

“A bookplate just for fun was drawn for me in 1983 by Benoit Junod, showing a diminutive BNL, with pipe in mouth – customary in those days – hand in hand with a rather Amazon Minerva, a big, busty and smiling lass who is opening the door to lead me into “BOOKPLATE PARADISE”. I drag behind me an enormous Chippendale wagon, which is almost as much of an extravaganza as the Duke of Wellington’s funeral carriage, and soon the door’s height will surely deny it entry, but no matter. The Bookplate abounds in personal references, including the titles of my first books; I find it engaging; it needed a shape as exuberant with the strange creatures accompanying; and I fear that Minerva is going to take me on her knee and mother me as soon as we’re on the other side of the door” with admission reserved to only serious collectors.

It’s now six years since Brian, sadly missed, passed through that door, but his extensive contributions to bookplate literature live on. A few copies of this bookplate remain available and can be obtained, priced at £7.50 (UK addresses) or £8.50 (elsewhere), by sending payment to PayPal account

“members@bookplatesociety.org”.

1/29/2013 Entry #8 submitted by fellow bookplate enthusiast Leigh Rutledge

This Week In Bookplatess 1/20/2013

2013-01-20T09:07:00.000-05:00

The Humorous Bookplate contest got off to a good start and will continue until February 13th.

Please submit one bookplate from your own collection. I am not expecting many entries because humorous bookplates are atypical. That works in your favor if you have a humorous bookplate to submit..

Send a scan of your entry to

Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

At the end of the contest the judges ( Mary & Lew Jaffe) will select the winner. .

The winner will receive an inscribed hardbound copy of all blog postings for 2012

First Entry for the contest
Sent by Vladimir Vereschagin

1/14/2013-Entry #2 Submitted by Nina Allen

"What fun! Here is my submission to your humorous bookplate contest.
I'm doing this early so that I don't forget about it. I have no idea
who created this bookplate because I can't make out the signature.
However, it looks to be dated 1920 in the plate at the bottom"

Comment from Richard Schimmelpfeng
"Lew: the monogram is that of Willi Kadletz, b. 1895. One source says Austrian, another says German - take your Pick. I like it."

Entry #3 Submitted by John Blatchly 1/14/2013
James Cormick is an Iran scholar at Cambridge.

Entry # 4 Submitted by Muriel Frega

http://www.murielfrega.com.ar

http://www.murielfrega.blogspot.com

Entry # 5 Submitted by T.Wixon

Building A collection

I was recently contacted by a new enthusiast who was interested in starting a bookplate collection which focuses on the bookplates used by notable book collectors. I suggested that he begin the project by obtaining a copy of Dictionary of American Book Collectors by Donald C. Dickinson. Mr. Dickinson presents biographical information on 359 significant American book collectors who died before December 31, 1984,

Using the Dickinson book as a foundation I suggested and obtained the following bookplates for him:

Edward Hale Bierstadt

Cortlandt Field Bishop

Beverly Chew

E.D. Church

James William Ellsworth

Samuel W. Lambert

Paul Lemperly

J.P. Morgan

George Barr McCutcheon

Wilbur Macey Stone

Harry Bache Smith

A few of the collectors shown above had multiple bookplates .
Many of the plates were engraved by E.D. French.
Some of the most notable collectors used leather bookplates . They are without a doubt elegant but they eventually damage the pages they touch .

I look forward to assisting the client and will update this posting as more bookplates are obtained..

Two Mystery Bookplates

Can anyone out there assist me in identifying the owners who used or the artists who designed these bookplates ? The artist's cipher on the mystical plate on the right looks ZIA or ZIM

See you again next Sunday.

The Humorous Bookplate Contest Has Begun

2013-01-13T11:32:00.000-05:00

I have not had a contest for quite some time so I am delighted to announce that the humorous bookplate contest has begun and will continue until February 13th.

Please submit one bookplate from your own collection. I am not expecting many entries because humorous bookplates are atypical. That works in your favor if you have a humorous bookplate to submit..

Send a scan of your entry to

Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com

At the end of the contest the judges ( Mary & Lew Jaffe) will select the winner. .

The winner will receive an inscribed hardbound copy of all blog postings for 2012

Here are a few humorous bookplates from my own collection:

The owner Mr. Pacheco is a magician

First Entry for the contest just received.
Sent by Vladimir Vereschagin

1/14/2013-Entry #2 Submitted by Nina Allen

"What fun! Here is my submission to your humorous bookplate contest.
I'm doing this early so that I don't forget about it. I have no idea
who created this bookplate because I can't make out the signature.
However, it looks to be dated 1920 in the plate at the bottom"

Comment from Richard Schimmelpfeng
"Lew: the monogram is that of Willi Kadletz, b. 1895. One source says Austrian, another says German - take your Pick. I like it."

Entry #3 Submitted by John Blatchly 1/14/2013
James Cormick is an Iran scholar at Cambridge.

Entry # 4 Submitted by Muriel Frega

http://www.murielfrega.com.ar

http://www.murielfrega.blogspot.com

1/15/2013 Just Received the following note from Tom Boss.

Tgboss@gmail.com

"Dear Lew,

This is not an entry to your contest.

It is a very humorous pencil signed proof by Samuel Hollyer from my inventory.

The cost is $ 50.00 plus postage (subject to prior sale)

Best Regards,

Tom "

This Week in Bookplates 1/7 2013

2013-01-07T12:06:00.000-05:00

Breaking News, Hot off the Press.

Major collections available for sale to private collectors do not hit the marketplace very often. It is remarkable that individual bookplates from two different collections are currently being sold by two dealers at the same time.

The Caplin Collection:

Stephen Caplin lived in Brooklyn New York . He started his collection in the early 20th century and continued through the mid 1930's. During his lifetime he corresponded with the major bookplate dealers , collectors and designers.His letters are a treasure trove for bookplate historians.

His collection focuses on the following major areas;

18th and early 19th century American exlibris

.includes the rarest of the rare, George Washington, Paul Revere, etc.

well over 1,000 early American bookplates in all price ranges

Golden Age American Engravers

Includes E.D. French, S.L. Smith,, J.W. Spenceley, etc.

There are other significant smaller accumulations including

Angling,

18th century English.

For further information about the Caplin collection contact

Mr Thomas Boss

Tel +617 308 5063

Tgboss@gmail.com

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The Baron Collection

After retiring in the 1970's Howard Baron began a new career as a bookseller specializing in antiquarian books, maps and ephemera .His shop in Rye , New York is called High Ridge Books.

Howard Baron passed away about thirteen years ago . His son Fred has continued the business

Whenever I visited his booth at book shows he mentioned his collection which was not for sale.

Fred Baron has begun to sell individual items from his father's collection.

The collection is stored in five albums.

There is something for everyone in the collection including :

18th century American

18th Century English

European Ex Libris

One album of Yale Bookplates

The items in the collection are reasonably priced and are not organized very well so a personal visit would be

recommended

For further information about the Baron collection contact :

Mr. Fred Baron

info@highridgebooks.com

P.O. Box 286

Rye, NY 10580

(914) 967-3332

Fax: (914) 833-5159

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The most interesting item I purchased at Papermania was not a bookplate.

I hope to write about it next week.after doing some research. A scan was sent to fellow collector Richard Schimmelpfeng . He speculated that the coarse , dirty paper was made from whatever rags were available after the war of 1812 and that it might have been a notice or broadside posted around the city.

I will be back on Sunday. See you soon.