Image source: The New York Public Library
Bookplates are still among those curiosities that are highly sought after by collectors, and as items of visual art, they are in a class all their own. One of the main reasons people enjoy collecting bookplates is that they were often owned by prominent historical figures, which can add considerable value. [Source: Wikipedia] Bookplates were first used by monks in 16th century Europe, and they would later be used in America in the 1600s, when some of the first colonies were established. At this time, books were very valuable because they were not as widely available as they are today, so their (wealthy) owners inserted bookplates to identify themselves as such. This made them less likely to get lost, but it also added an element of prestige and vanity, considering the highly personalized nature of the artwork. [Source: The Art of Manliness] In this entry, we will not only show you some of the best bookplates we could find, but we will also discuss some of the famous people who had their names affixed to these beautiful and elegant works of graphic art.
Image source: The New York Public Library
Since today happens to be the birthday of Rockwell Kent, one of the most well-known bookplate artists, we'll do him the special honor of showcasing a few of his bookplates first. This one was commissioned by John Hay Whitney (1904-1982), who was the U. S. Ambassador to the U. K., publisher of The New York Herald Tribune, and president of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Whitney's appreciation for art isn't just limited to bookplates. He also had an impressive art collection, which included such artists as Degas, Pissarro, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, and many others. [Source: Wikipedia]
Rockwell Kent (1882-1971) was a well-known American illustrator, artist, and printmaker, possibly best known for Moby Dick (1930), Candide (1928), and The Seven Ages of Man (1918). Although he did other things besides, his real claim to fame was as a book illustrator, as evidenced by his obituary in the New York Times, which described him as having made an "imperishable contribution to the art of bookmaking in the United States." [Source: Wikipedia]
Image source: The New York Public Library
This bookplate, also by Rockwell Kent, was commissioned by Margaret Sanger (1879-1966), an American birth control activist, sex educator, author, and nurse. She founded The American Birth Control League in 1921, which would later become Planned Parenthood. She would later serve as president of Planned Parenthood between 1952 and 1959.
I had a careful look at the handwriting on this bookplate, comparing it against handwritten letters by Margaret Sanger, and although I personally can't say for sure whether or not this is actually her handwriting, it looks like it very well might be. What do you think?
Image source: Ordinary Philosophy
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
This next bookplate was designed for American designer William A. Kittredge (1891-1945). He was Director of Design and Typography for Lakeside Press between 1922 and 1945, where he oversaw the design of books that were published by the company, including Rockwell Kent's 1930 edition of Moby Dick. [Source: Wikipedia]
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
For the rest of us, we have to commission bookplates if we want them, but one of the advantages of being an illustrator is that you get to design your own bookplate. Here's one that was designed by American poster and magazine illustrator Edward Penfield (1866-1925). He was very popular as a poster artist, having elevated poster art to a respected art form in America, in much the same way as Alphonse Mucha, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and other such artists would accomplish in France. [Source: Wikipedia]
Penfield is one of our personal favorites, and we are very pleased to announce that we have plans to make some of his artwork available for purchase in our upcoming online store.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Another great example of an artist designing his own bookplate is this one by Dutch political cartoonist and poster artist Albert Hahn (1877-1918). He was known for his socialist and anti-war sentiment, and he contributed regularly to such political publications as De Notenkraker and socialist periodical Het Volk. After the outbreak of WWI, nearly everything he published heavily criticized the war's needless death and waste. [Source: Wikipedia]
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
This bookplate is interesting for its artwork, and although we couldn't find any information on Tina von Pflügl, we couldn't resist mentioning the artist. Maximilian Liebenwein (1869-1926) was an Austrian-German illustrator, painter, and graphic artist. He was heavily involved with the Vienna Secession (not a political movement, but rather, an artistic movement. It was a group of artists who broke apart from the Association of Austrian Artists.) [Source: Wikipedia] The inscription at the top roughly translates as "children and fools tell the truth."
Thanks for reading our blog entry about the art of bookplates. Do you personalize your books? What interesting bookplate art have you come across? Let us know in the comments.
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If you liked this post, please visit our website, where you can receive $20 towards the purchase of any print in our upcoming art store.
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