 |
BOOKPLATES THE WORLD OF EX-LIBRIS |
|
A historical retrospective 4 EX-LIBRIS: A THEMATIC APPROACH |
|
4a SOCIETIES AND INSTITUTIONS 1620-1980 |
1 / 1  |
 |
4a/14. ? (GB)  NATIONAL LIBERAL CLUB, X2, ø 60, c.1890.
F 34101.
Clubs have long had libraries for their members, but few were as interesting as the Gladstone Library of the National Liberal Club, which contained the statesman’s own library. When the Club was taken over by a Canadian businessman, the Gladstone Library was bought by Bristol University for £46.000. The Club only retained some 20.000 volumes... |
4a/15. Edwin Davis French (USA, 1851-1906)) LIBRARY OF
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, X2, 103 x 91, 1895.
French is considered one of the great masters of the Golden Age of American bookplates (1890-1940), and was very active in the field of ex-libris. He made this plate especially for books presented to the ‘Met’. |
 |
 |
4a/16. Sidney Lawton Smith (USA, 1845-1929) VAIL
LIBRARY, MIT, C2, 111 x 75, 1916.
A gift ex-libris by another great American engraver, to mark the books given by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company to the Massachussetts Institute of Technology. One presumes the portrait is of Vail (or Edison?), but stand to be corrected. |
4a/17. Georg Otto (D, 1868-?) GERMAN ENGRAVERS’
ASSOCIATION LIBRARY, L, 128 x 85, 1893.
Otto was one of the German artists who most contributed to the 19th century heraldic revival in that country. His work defined the style of the period. |
 |
 |
4a/18. G. A. Richard Visscher van Gaasbeck (CH, 1859-
1911) APPLIED ARTS MUSEUM OF BASEL, P7, 101 x 72, 1902.
Born in Java and settled in Basel, Visscher was a popular illustrator of the time. The Museum contains one of the best decorative arts collections in Europe, particularly in the field of posters. |
4a/19. Maximilian Liebenwein (A, 1869-1926) GERMAN
AND AUSTRIAN ALPINE ASSOCIATION, L, 141 x 73 , 1903.
The Viennese artist Liebenwein specialised in monochrome lithographies, and made this bookplate for the Burghausen section of the German and Austrian Alpine Association. He was also active in many other fields of graphic arts, especially advertisement. |
 |
 |
4a/20. Otto Hupp (D, 1859-1949) LIBRARY OF THE ST. PAULS
MUSEUM, Worms, L, 81 x 79, c.1910.
Nearly all Hupp’s many ex-libris are heraldic, and he shares Georg Otto’s fame in that field. This image was made for the books of a medical foundation, and the subject, obviously, is appropriate. |
4a/21. H.J.F. Badeley (GB, 1874-1951) PORT OF LONDON
AUTHORITY, C2, 111 x 84, 1929.
Lord Badeley was a prolific engraver of ex-libris, most often heraldic in subject. His interest in bookplates, however, went well beyond just making them and he was knowledgeable on the subject. His lecture to the Print Collectors’ Club in 1925 was pub-lished two years later. |
 |
 |
4a/22. John Farleigh (GB, 1900-1965) BANK OF ENGLAND
LIBRARY, X2, 96 x 66, c.1930.
Farleigh was a very competent artist and his wood engravings are fine examples of the 20th century revival of this discipline in Britain. His bookplate for the Library and Literary Association of the Bank of England shows his skill at balance of black and white. |
4a/23. Robert Gibbings (GB, 1889-1958) THE BOOK
SOCIETY, X2, 105 x 85, c. 1930.
An long-established book printing and distribution association, The Book Society had several universal ex-libris designed, amongst which one by Edmund Dulac and this one by another important British wood engraver, Robert Gibbings. |
 |
 |
4a/24. Jacques Hnizdovsky (UKR/USA, 1915-1984)
HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY, X1, 108 x 48, c.1970.
Hnizdovsky was of Ukrainian origin and a noted woodcut artist. He made the lettering on this bookplate in a style reminiscent of Cyrillic, very appropriate for the subject. |
4a/25. Leo Wyatt (GB, 1909-1981) LONDON LIBRARY, X2,
75 x 51, c.1980.
With Reynolds Stone, Wyatt was the greatest master of calligraphic engraved ex-libris in this century. This plate was made to mark books given to the library by the Knowler memorial bequest. |
End of 4a
| Ex-Libris | Art Prints | Kara Art Home |