Bookplates

June 2, 2003 2:16 PM

Heraldic Bookplates While everybody knows about book collecting, bookplate (ex libris) collecting has a somewhat lower profile. But those seemingly utilitarian bookplates can be a source of endless fascination, whether for the aesthetics or the owner association. For images, see Early American Fiction (U. of Virginia), Estonian Bookplates, the Murray Collection (U. of British Columbia), and the Bookplate Directory (Notre Dame). Joseph Manzano has proposed ex Webis (some female nudes, possibly NSFW). For more information, visit the American Society of Bookplate Collectors and Designers, which among other things links to a site devoted to Beethoven bookplates (warning: prepare to hear the Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major). Or go ahead and read some articles.
posted by thomas j wise (3 comments total)

Rock. I've been wanting to make myself some bookplates for a while, and have been looking at some old books I've run across. Nice to have repositories like this.
posted by Su at 2:24 PM on June 2, 2003

Oh, I loved this. Thanks!
posted by astruc at 5:22 PM on June 2, 2003

Here's an old article about a bookplate exhibition sponsored by Night Rally, a small literary journal. Alas, the journal is no more, a shame because Issue #2 carried a lovely collection of bookplates.
posted by blevin at 7:57 AM on June 3, 2003