Ex libris.

February 25, 2005 3:40 PM

EXLIBRIS MUSEUM. We've done ex-libris bookplates before, but trust me, this site far surpasses anything you've ever seen. Just go to the Gallery and click on any of the names. Vereshchagin, for instance. Or Karol Felix. Or... hell, just dive in, you can't go wrong. Warning: many bookplates contain female nudes. (Via dirty.ru; thanks, misteraitch!)
posted by languagehat (24 comments total)

Stunning!
posted by DigDugDag at 3:49 PM on February 25, 2005

Now that's what I'm talking about.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:51 PM on February 25, 2005

Beautiful plates.

That said, for god's sake don't stick ex libris stickers in your books! It's narcissistic and once you are dead, somebody who doesn't give a crap is going to be stuck with your name all over their books.
posted by Justinian at 4:02 PM on February 25, 2005

this is good.
posted by casu marzu at 4:04 PM on February 25, 2005

Okay, definitely one of my favorite post  e v e r. I am finding amazing things in here (just look at this page, for example).

All my 5,000 points go to you, languagehat... And, thanks, dirty.ru — I gratefully hoist a vodka in your direction. (misteraitch, you already know I love you!)
posted by taz at 4:06 PM on February 25, 2005

Absolutely wonderful, thanks, languagehat!
posted by carter at 4:09 PM on February 25, 2005

The Karol Felix bookplates are absolutely amazing. I have a feeling I'm going to spend a lot of time on that site. Thanks!
posted by purephase at 4:10 PM on February 25, 2005

(just look at this page, for example).

Large buttocks are pleasing to me, nor am I able to lie concerning this matter .
posted by mr.marx at 4:11 PM on February 25, 2005

Ex Libris: Sir Mix-A-Lot
posted by taz at 4:30 PM on February 25, 2005

word
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 4:44 PM on February 25, 2005

Wikipedia on Ex Libris.
posted by fake at 4:49 PM on February 25, 2005

It's narcissistic and once you are dead, somebody who doesn't give a crap is going to be stuck with your name all over their books.

Because fans of used books hate finding out that those books have a history.
posted by mendel at 6:28 PM on February 25, 2005

As a matter of fact, we generally do. With a few exceptions (books belonging to very famous and important people *and* relevant to them) finding a bookplate attached to a book greatly reduces its value. Removing bookplates is a tricky business because of the adhesive.
posted by Justinian at 7:03 PM on February 25, 2005

In the interest of fairness, strike the word "greatly". Perhaps a bit of hyperbole. Reduces the value? Yes. Greatly? Depends.
posted by Justinian at 7:05 PM on February 25, 2005

So, check out this page: Some of these were obviously created for specific books; Don Quixote, Alice in Wonderland, The Iliad... Does anybody recognize anything else here? Could the last one be Arthurian? (Merlin was imprisoned in a tree, right? Which is sort of suggested here, as well as "witchy" accoutrements... and could the castle be Camelot, and the sword... well, you get it.)

ps: it would be terribly cool to see a bookplate for "The Metamorphosis" by this artist.
posted by taz at 7:06 PM on February 25, 2005

word to burger!
posted by svidrigailov23 at 10:11 PM on February 25, 2005

As a matter of fact, we generally do. With a few exceptions (books belonging to very famous and important people *and* relevant to them) finding a bookplate attached to a book greatly reduces its value. Removing bookplates is a tricky business because of the adhesive.

I've been known to buy books specifically because they have marginalia and annotations by hands long dead. I bought a book of essays by Addison once because at some point around WWI two schoolgirls used it pass notes back and forth in class, discussing the patterns for dresses they were making for a dance, what happened at home the previous night, and so on. It's still one of my treasures; I used it in a website I did on text and illustration for my grad school coursework.
posted by jokeefe at 11:02 PM on February 25, 2005

Oh, and many thanks, LH. [this rocks]
posted by jokeefe at 11:03 PM on February 25, 2005

now I'm going to spend the next few weeks browsing the ENTIRE the site.
*shakes fist*

oh, and I second mr.marx on the buttocks issue
posted by matteo at 8:28 AM on February 26, 2005

I don't mind Ex Libris in used books I buy. I like the sense of a connection with someone else who held the book in their hands, entered its dreaming lands.
posted by Savannah at 10:56 AM on February 26, 2005

With very few exceptions, I don't care how much value some random collector is going to place on one of my books after I'm gone. A bookplate doesn't injure the book and doesn't reduce its value as a book. And like others, if a book has a history, I like to be able to see that.
posted by hattifattener at 12:20 PM on February 26, 2005

My favorites, although count me as a fan of the fat-bottomed girls; it's nice to see others are similarly unable to prevaricate.

dirty.ru is cool beans. Thanks to languagehat and the stylish Russians.

(I also don't collect books, except to read, and I personally love finding 1920s and 30s-era Ex Libris plates. I also love long heartfelt inscriptions.)
posted by melissa may at 12:23 PM on February 26, 2005

Thanks languagehat! I've always been a fan of the racy bookplate, especially after seeing an exhibit of bookplates at the SF Public Library a few years back. I took some pix of the finest ones [self link, incl a few male nudes as well!].
posted by jessamyn at 12:58 PM on February 26, 2005

Nice! Naked couple embraces as owl looks on: the owl looks supremely bored. He's seen it all. And Woman looks at cherry blossoms from soaking tub is beautiful.
posted by languagehat at 2:20 PM on February 26, 2005