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What are bookplates? -

Bookplates or Ex Libris are decorative labels that were placed on books to indicate ownership.

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What are bookplates? -

Bookplates were usually pasted into the front endpaper of a book (fixed to the inside cover). They often consisted of an image, the name of the book owner, and the words Ex Libris.

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What does Ex Libris mean? -

Bookplates often include the words Ex Libris, which are derived from Latin and essentially mean “from the books (or library).”

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Bookplate art -

These works of art were a reflection of the owner’s personal style and sometimes included coats of arms, crests, badges, and/or mottos.

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The earliest known bookplates -

One of the earliest uses of bookplates can be traced back to circa 1480 in the Carthusian monastery of Buxheim in Bavaria (modern-day Germany).

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The earliest known bookplates -

A Carthusian monk named Hildebrand Brandenburg of Biberach donated more than 450 volumes to the Carthusian Charterhouse. Each book contained his woodcut bookplates.

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Books were valuable commodities -

Books were indeed something special. So much so that chains would be attached to books in monasteries so they wouldn’t be taken from the libraries. Bookplates offered an added layer of protection.

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Middle Ages -

Several examples of bookplates from the medieval period can be found across Europe.

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The earliest example in the US -

The earliest known example from America is a plain printed label of Massachusetts printer Stephen Daye on the ‘Bay Psalm Book.’

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17th and 18th centuries -

Bookplates continued to be used throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, mostly by wealthy people, nobility, and members of the clergy. The personalized bookplate was a symbol of status.

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George Washington -

An example is this bookplate from the library of George Washington. The Latin inscription means “The ends justify the means.”

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19th century -

In the 19th century, bookplates were often commissioned by prominent members of the middle class who would own book collections. These included scholars and other highly-educated individuals.

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20th century -

Bookplates became more personalized at the beginning of the 20th century. People started collecting them, too. However, around the 1950s, their popularity started to decline, but they have not died out completely. Now, let’s take a look at some more examples of bookplates.

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William Gilpin -

A bookplate of English artist and Church of England cleric Reverend William Gilpin, featuring a boar. Circa 1745-1748.

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Heneage Finch -

An Ex Libris of Heneage Finch, the Earl of Aylesford, from the 18th century.

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Edgar Rice Burroughs -

Bookplate of adventure and sci-fi author Edgar Rice Burroughs, published between 1914 and 1922. The Ex Libris shows Tarzan holding planet Mars, surrounded by other characters and symbols from Edgar Rice Burroughs' books.

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John Aubrey -

Bookplate of the 17th-century English antiquary, natural philosopher, and writer John Aubrey.

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L.F. Bolaffio -

An Italian bookplate by artist Remo Wolf from the 20th century.

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Willibald Pirckheimer -

A 1529 bookplate belonging to German lawyer, humanist, and scholar Willibald Pirckheimer, titled 'The Forge of the Heart.'

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Mrs G. Linnaeus Banks -

Bookplate of English author Isabella Banks, also known as Mrs G. Linnaeus Banks, from 1876. The Ex Libris shows Banks' book 'The Manchester Man' opened on a table.

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Fritz Waerndorfer -

Bookplate of Austrian entrepreneur and patron of the arts Fritz Waerndorfer, from 1903.

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Pope Urban VIII -

An Ex Libris from the library of Pope Urban VIII.

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William Gladstone -

A bookplate from the library of the former UK Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone.

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Dukai S. Károly -

Bookplate of Dukai S. Károly depicting a 16th-century bookstore, circa 1909.

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William P. Smith -

Bookplate of William P. Smith by American artist Thomas Johnston, circa 1708-1767.

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Adolf Glüenstein -

Bookplate of Adolf Glüenstein, depicting a woman with flowers, circa 1905.

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Count of Paraty -

Bookplate of the Portuguese Count of Paraty in Brazil. 

Sources: (Literary Hub) (Book Riot) (The Art of Manliness) 

See also: 30 books that influenced the world

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