_Henry B. Anthony_, the late senator from Rhode Island, which, without
even a motto, presents the arms of the family, with the crest, and the
name. Another plain armorial plate is that of _John H. Buck_, of the
Gorham Manufacturing Company, and the author of “Old Plate.” This, too,
is perfectly plain, with no motto. _Frank House Baer_ and _Charles W.
Burrows_, of Cleveland, both use the plain armorial style, relieved by
slight mantling or scroll work, and with the mottoes on ribbons beneath
the shield. _Mr. Appleton Morgan_ has a plain armorial plate, quartering
the Morgan and Appleton arms. _Mr. Daniel Ravenel_, of Charleston, also
uses a plain armorial shield, relieved with sprays of marigold (the
Huguenot emblem) and of wall-flower (the French name for which is
_Ravenelle_). A plain armorial plate, in colors, is used by the compiler
of “America Heraldica.” An imposing helmet with blue mantling surmounts
the shield, and the motto, _Moins faire mieux faire_, is given on a
ribbon which encloses the whole design. _Harry Allen Castle_, of
Hartford, uses a design borrowed from the plate of Mr. Thomas Bailey
Aldrich. The castle on its wreath is enclosed by a square frame in which
the name appears, with the words _His Mark_. In the corners of this
frame are the letters _I.H.S.V._, standing for the motto, _In hoc signo
vinces_. A punning friend, upon seeing this plate, remarked to Mr.
Castle, that the letters would seem to mean, “I have some volumes.” _Dr.
J. S. H. Fogg_, the late well-known collector of, and authority on,
autographs, used a plain armorial plate, with the motto, _Aut pax aut
bellum._ _Prof. J. Max Hark_, of the Moravian Seminary at Bethlehem,
Pa., has a plain heraldic plate, with thin mantling about the shield.
The motto occupies two lines above and below the shield, and is in
imitation of the ancient manner. _What mon a^{n} Honest^{e} Name^{n}
doth ow^{en}, To^{o} hy^{m} ry^{cht} gla^{ed}^{lie} my^{n} Bo^{ok}^{es}
i lo^{an}. But so to^{o} long^{en} y^{e} Bo^{ok}^{es} be kep^{it}, He
shal forso^{oth} be a Knav^{e} yclep^{it}._ This is printed with red
capitals, on very fine parchment paper with rough edges, and is a very
pretty plate. _Dr. Joseph Henry Dubbs_, professor in Franklin and
Marshall College, uses a plate which exhibits the arms on a shield which
is fastened to a spreading oak-tree.
[Illustration: Thomas Bailey Aldrich
His Mark]
[Illustration: MELVIN H. HAPGOOD.
HARTFORD, CONN., U.S.A.]
At either side, scrolls are drawn, which bear the motto, _Ex recto
decus_, and the following dates, which refer to the migrations of the
doctor’s ancestors: _Styria, 1446_; _Helvetia, 1531_; _America, 1732_. A
plate of unique history is that of _The Rawle Law Offices, Established
A.D. 1783, Philadelphia_. This inscription is given on a circular band
which encloses the shield of arms, and the motto, _Morte, Virtute_.
Below this, the name of the successive proprietors of the law-offices
are given, as follows: _William Rawle, 1783-1836_, _William Rawle,
1810-1858_, _William Henry Rawle, 1844-1889_, _William Brooke Rawle,
1867_. _Melvin H. Hapgood_, of Hartford, uses an oblong plate, which
exhibits the shield of arms at the left of the name space, and which is
surrounded by a fine running vine which bears both fruit and flowers,
and among the twistings of which the motto, _Inter folia fructus_, is
woven. The implements of the architect, and the secondary motto, _Penna
ferro potentior_, are also cleverly worked into the decorative frame.
_Monsignor Seton, D.D._, of Jersey City Heights, uses a
[Illustration: JOSEPH HENRY DUBBS D D]
small heraldic plate, in which the arms are given in colors, and are
surmounted by the clerical hat and tassels. A plain armorial plate is
used by _John F. Winslow_, a descendant of Governor Winslow, and one to
whose means and energy we owe the building of the first “Monitor.” Prof.
_Charles Eliot Norton_, of Harvard, uses an heraldic plate, in which the
crest only is given. Beneath this, a pile of books is covered by a
scroll, which bears upon it the motto, _Amici et amicis_. The _Rev.
Morgan Dix_, of Trinity Church, New York City, uses an heraldic plate,
in which also the crest only is given. This is surrounded by a circular
garter, on which the motto, _Quod dixi factum est_, is printed. This
ends our list of plain armorial plates.
Whatever sarcasm and disgust may be stirred up by the assumption of arms
by persons not entitled to them, no word can be said against the display
of authenticated arms upon the book-plate. Many coats-of-arms run back
for several centuries, and an honored ancestry has borne them. A
rightful pride in such memorials of past family history induces many who
are entitled to them to use their arms thus; and while the plain
armorial plate has had its day, and has passed the stage of wide
popularity, it is still in use.
Coming, now, to the Library Interior style of book-plates, we mention
first the finest example of recent work in this style,--the plate of
_Richard C. Lichtenstein_, of Boston. Mr. Lichtenstein is one of the old
collectors of plates, a member of the Council of the Ex Libris Society
of London, and a recognized authority upon American plates. As we would
expect, he has indicated his hobby in all details of his design. The
scene is laid in the corner of the owner’s den, in which are well-filled
shelves, framed prints, photographs, and the usual accessories. In the
immediate foreground, a Cupid is seated at a desk, and in his
outstretched hand holds a plate upon the globe which stands at hand,
while he reads, from an open book, the description, presumably, of the
treasure lately acquired. Two other Cupids are at his back: one bearing
the _Journal_ of the _Ex Libris Society_, and the other returning from a
successful quest for plates, if we may judge by the packet under his
arm. The presence of the globe indicates the cosmopolitan character of
the collection the Cupids are examining and adding to. A finely foliated
border surrounds the interior picture; and in a space at the right side
is a package of mounted plates; and on the left, a tied-up bunch of
book-covers, in which Mr. Lichtenstein keeps his plates. The name
appears in white letters upon a black scroll at the bottom, and behind
it is seen a castle of white stone,--a play on the name of the owner.
The plate is dated 1893, and is signed by the engraver, George Moore,
and the designer, L. Y. Van Tiffele.
The plate of _James Phinney Baxter_ reveals a most pleasing interior,
which is probably from the actual room. A tall clock is flanked by long
rows of books, a table and easy-chair are in the
[Illustration: James Phinney Baxter.]
foreground, and _bric-à-brac_ is disposed upon convenient shelving. At
the left of the picture, a portrait of the owner is given, with a
fac-simile of his autograph. The following motto, _Who learns and learns
but does not what he knows, Is one who plows and plows but never sows_,
is also given in fac-simile of handwriting.
The plate of _William Vanamee_ shows what is also an actual interior,
probably. The stairs enter the room at the left, and the space under
them is occupied by books. Pictures adorn the walls, and a cosey bench
before the shelves invites the visitor to recline and read. The motto,
_Carpe diem_, is given above the picture, and the name below, both in
fac-simile of handwriting.
Actual comfort and enjoyment are expressed in the plate of _Louis J.
Haber_, of New York City. In this interior, a fire is blazing on the
andirons; the drowsy dog lies asleep before it; the hanging lamp sheds a
brilliant light over the room, and furnishes the means of reading which
the owner is enjoying, as he sits in an easy chair, in lounging-coat and
slippers. The rows of books at the far end of the room add to the effect
of comfort, and the motto which envelopes the whole design--_My silent
but faithful friends are they_--discloses the attitude of the owner
towards his volumes.
The plate of _Albert C. Bates_, of the Connecticut Historical Society,
at Hartford, is a reproduction of an early woodcut which represents the
interior of an old library (University of Leyden, 1614), with long rows
of books chained to their desks. Globes are protected by brass covers,
the patrons salute each other in apparent silence, and over all there is
an air of repression and elevated learning. No seats are provided, and
light is admitted through long windows filled with small lozenge-shaped
panes of glass.
[Illustration]
The beautiful colored plate of _Gerald E. Hart_, of Montreal, represents
the interior of a cell in some mediæval monastery; for the tonsured monk
is sitting upon his stone bench, illuminating a large volume. The Gothic
window admits light through its highly colored design, and rows of
vellum lie beside the desk of the old monk.
The plate of _W. E. Baillie_, of Bridgeport, Conn., represents a corner
of a modern library, furnished in the Louis XV. style, having some
half-dozen frolicsome Cupids, rolling on the rugs, peeking out of the
window, reading in arm-chairs, or discussing the volumes taken from the
elaborately carved case. This plate is the second one to make use of
the half-tone process direct from the pencil sketch.
Continuing with the plates which come properly under the classification
“Literary,” we find them to be very numerous, very various in design,
and very unlike in shape and treatment. A plate which represents the
past is used by _Henry M. Brooks_, of Salem, Mass. In this the old
ink-pot and quill, the box of wafers, the wax and seal, and the sand for
blotting are disposed about the letter, which, being used before the
days of postage stamps and envelopes, bears the amount due and the
address upon the back of the sheet. The address seen is that of the
owner.
[Illustration:
George
Wharton
Edwards
]
Going still further back in history _E. Irenæus Stevenson_ has brought
the very serpent of the Garden of Eden, with the fatal apple of
Knowledge in his fangs, into his book-plate. Slipping down between the
open pages of a large book, we see this form of his Satanic Majesty, and
read upon the apple which he offers _Eritis sicut Deus_, _Ye shall be as
gods_. This, from the Vulgate, is in Latin. Upon the open page we read
in Greek, _Be ye wise as serpents_. The Shekinah blazes out all about
the book. A very interesting and striking plate.
A very simple but effective reminder of the approach of old age is found
in the plate of _George Alexander Macbeth_, of Pittsburgh, Pa. In this,
an open book of coarse print lies upon the table, accompanied by a large
pair of spectacles. The motto appears in the upper left corner,--_Give
me your favor: my dull brain was wrought with things forgotten_.
Very many plates have a shelf of books, or a pile of them, accompanied
with a favorite quotation, a bust of some author, the arms of the owner,
or possibly his portrait. In the plate of _Clifford Julius King_, we see
the row of books, the smoke from the waning cigar, as it rises across
the open pages of a book, and the bust of Thackeray, while the motto, _A
jollie goode booke, whereon to looke, is better to me than golde_, is
suggestive of long evenings by the fireside, with choice editions to
read and fondle.
The shelf of books in the plate of _Nathaniel Paine_, of Worcester,
Mass., is enclosed within a frame which has suggestions of the heraldic
shield. Behind it the palm branches are placed,
[Illustration: MARSHALL CLIFFORD LEFFERTS.]
and the motto is below, on a ribbon,--_Duce natura sequor_. The crest is
found in its place above.
“Wrenwood” is the name of the home of _George E. Leighton_, if we may
judge by the name which appears on the top of the shield, which rests
against his books just inside the library window. The window is open,
flowers peek around the mullions, and a wren has hopped upon the sill to
examine the surroundings which have borrowed his name for their own.
A pile of three books, labelled _Bacon_, _Lamb_, and “_Punch_,” is shown
in the plate of _David Murray_. The legend, _Some books are to be
tasted, some to be swallowed, and some to be chewed and digested_, is
given on the back of the books. Above the volumes, the scales carrying
the heavy pen on one side, and the lighter sword on the other, is
surmounted by a liberty-cap, behind which, in a blaze of glory, appears
the motto, _The pen mightier than the sword_.
In the plate of _George Imbrie Sill_, three shelves of books are
enclosed within a frame of scrolls which bear the name. A shield is
placed across one end of the case, with the arms and crest upon it.
Now we come to a plate which takes us below the surface. A wondrous
mermaid, at the very depths, flanked by huge dolphins, is receiving a
perfect shower of books, which come tumbling down through the water.
This is the plate of _H. W. Bryant_, of Portland, Me.
_Marshall C. Lefferts_, of New York City, uses small leather labels on
which an open book bearing his monogram is stamped in gold. Different
colors of leather are provided for different volumes. This is the only
instance of the use of leather for a book-plate in this country, if I
mistake not: a very handsome material, too, for the purpose, and
meriting wider use.
[Illustration: JOHN HERBERT CORNING]
In the plate of _John Herbert Corning_, of Washington, Atlas, with
strained muscles, supports the world of letters. _Litterae_ is inscribed
upon the immense globe which rests upon his shoulders.
Two children of the forest, a boy and a girl, with flowing hair and
meagre garments, come towards us in the plate of _A. L. Hollingsworth_,
of Boston, bearing between them a panel on which is carved the motto _Un
bon livre est un bon ami_. The dense forest is close behind them, and
were it not for the reader, one feels as if no person would pass their
way to see their lofty sentiment. So thick, indeed, is the tangle of
brush, that the loss of their clothes must be laid to their passage
through it.
[Illustration: D^{r}. G^{eo}. L. Parmele, Hartford.]
In the plate of _Dr. George L. Parmelee_, of Hartford, a herald in court
costume is proclaiming, through his long trumpet, the loss of a book.
The banner hanging from the horn shows the words he uses: _Verloren!
Verloren! ein Buch_.
We are again taken far down below the waves, in the plate of _William
Ashmead Courtenay_, of Charleston, S.C. Down indeed, to the very bottom
of the ocean, where the weeds grow, and the dolphin feeds. Above, the
waves are rolling, and a far stretch of water is seen. The view is
enclosed within a square frame which bears the name.
The _Rev. Wm. R. Huntington_, rector of Grace Church, New York City,
uses a design which is adapted from a frontispiece by Walter Crane for
the “Fairy Tales” of the Brothers Grimm, and which represents a youth,
with long curls falling from under his cap, opening the door of a house,
with a huge key. Upon the roof, two cupids, in imminent danger of
sliding off, are making music with lyre and voice. A few stars shine
against the night, and the light of the moon falls across the face of
the structure, revealing the huge orange-trees in fruit, which flank the
doorway. The motto, _In veritate victoria_, is carved upon the steps,
and the name _Huntington_ is given at the very top of the design.
Other plates whose principal features are “bookish” are those of _Henry
A. Morgan_, which has simply a large book, open, with blank leaves: on
one is inscribed _The page in waiting_; of _Edward Denham_, which has an
owl perched upon an open volume, upon whose pages are the following
names, _Bede_, _Camden_, _Bradford_, _Chaucer_, _Shakspere_, _Sandys_,
with the torch of knowledge and the wreath of victory behind it: the
wreath is tied with a ribbon which bears the
[Illustration: JOHN E. RUSSELL.]
motto--_Nulla dies sine linea:_ of _Charles F. Jilson_, Chicago, on
whose plate simply a closed book is seen, with a palette resting upon
it; the brush and the drawing tools reveal the art of the owner, while
the half-covered lyre upon the book-cover may be an indication of his
hobby;--of _Alfred Trumble_, of New York City, who displays a table
whereon the bust of Minerva, the student-lamp, the scroll, ink-stand and
quill, and the books jostle each other in delightful literary
confusion;--of the _Hon. John E. Russell_, of Boston, who shows the owl
of Minerva seated upon the books of the scholar: the globe, materials
for writing, and the lamp of knowledge are disposed about, and the whole
is encircled by an oval wreath of holly.
The plate of _Thomas J. McKee_, of New York City, represents a volume of
Shakespeare’s Works, open to the title-page, which is occupied
principally by a portrait of the famous author playwright. The arms and
name appear upon the fly-leaf of the book, other books are at hand, and
the following lines are given at the foot:--
_Tu mihi currarum requies, tu nocte rel atra_
_Lumen, et in solis tu mihi turba locis._
The plate of _Paul Lemperly_, of Cleveland, designed by Garrett, shows
the open book, with the serpent circled about it. The stars shine
beyond, and the design is enclosed within a rectangular border of holly
leaves.
Another class of plates which claim attention to-day is that which is
representative of either the hobby or the vocation of the owner. For
special collections, for certain kinds of books, plates are designed
which express the particular line of reading, or of collecting, which
they are to ornament. This style of plate is coming more and more into
use, and earnest pleas have been put forth for its wide adoption;
notably, one by _Henri Pene Du Bois_, in the “Book Lovers’ Almanac,” for
1894. In his worthy article on the “Art of the Book-plate,” this writer
argues forcibly for the expression of a genuine idea in the book-plate.
Not mere coats-of-arms, crests, pictorial designs or devices and
ornaments which look pretty, seem to him suitable for use as
book-plates, but an emphatic representation of an idea, a worthy idea,
clad in suitable form. He argues for special plates for special
collections, for a specific plate for a specific line of books; not an
ornamental label simply, to be placed in each book in one’s library, but
a different plate, with a reason for its existence, in each different
department. Very few, if any, in this country, carry the idea so far;
but many plates are now in use which convey at once an idea of the
pursuit of the owner, whether it be in literature, art, science, or
professional life. The plate of _George Edward Sears_, with its grinning
skull, is perhaps at first glance unpleasant in its effect, but when one
comes to unravel the plain meaning of the symbolism, the shudder dies
away, and we are prepared to regard the plate as one of the very highest
types, and most successful in its way. Mr. Sears has gathered a large
collection of books relating to the “Dance of Death,” and finding in
[Illustration: Paul Lemperly]
a 1754 edition of Matthew Merian’s work, this plate which seemed no part
of the series but an impromptu addition, he adopted it for his
book-plate. Mr. W. J. Linton engraved the block, reducing considerably
from the original. This plate is used only in the books relating to the
topic it suggests. In this plate the skull is placed upon an open book,
between a lighted candle and a few flowers in a vase. A wreath encircles
the smooth pate, and an hour-glass rests upon it, with the hovering
wings of Time, and the scales, just above. The lower half of the plate
has a very dark background, while the upper is filled with light.
_Henry Blackwell_, of New York City, uses a plate in his collection of
Welshiana which was designed for the purpose. In this plate we see the
sturdy oak raised in the centre of the scene. Upon the right side, the
bearded Druid is lopping off the branches of the mistletoe, which seem
to be growing with the oak. Opposite to him, the early Briton with his
harp makes wild music. A circular medallion upon the tree represents the
peak of Snowden, the highest mountain in Wales, and the motto, _Cared
doeth yr encilion_, is given upon the frame. This plate, like that of
Mr. Sears, was suggested by an illustration in an old book. A second
plate is used for the literature upon the famous voyage of Madoc to our
shores in A.D. 1170. In this plate we see the old-fashioned, high-sided
ship, with its bellying sails, plunging through the rolling waves, as it
passes out to sea with the hardy adventurer and his crew.
[Illustration: Dean Sage.]
[Illustration: EX LIBRIS--JOSEPH H WHEELER]
As examples of plates representative of the hobby of their owners, we
have the following: _Dean Sage_; an angling plate, very simple in design
and very fine in execution, with a large trout, and the rod and the
landing net crossed behind it: an enthusiastic fisherman, and the author
of a sumptuous volume on salmon-fishing in some of the Canadian rivers,
Mr. Sage uses this plate only in the books of his library which relate
to the gentle pursuit favored of Walton;--_Howland_; An angling plate of
very handsome design: the shield of arms is surrounded with the
implements of the fisherman, with evidences of his success and with the
weeds which grow by the water side: the motto _Piscator non solum
piscator_ floats on a ribbon above;--_Lucius Poole_; the masks of Comedy
and of Tragedy are brought together in this plate, as indicative of the
books collected by Mr. Poole;--_Arthur Robinson Stone_: a folio volume
of music is open to the Largo of the second part of the “Messiah,” by
Handel, and is copied from the original score preserved in the British
Museum:--in the plate of _Martin Hayden_ two Cupids bear a shield on
which the name is given: each little Cupid also manages to hold a mask:
the motto, _Upward, Onward_.
_Fred C. Schlaick_: in this we see the uppermost part of a column and
its Corinthian capital. A little Cupid flies away from the finished
piece of work, carrying the veil which had concealed it from view. This
design hardly needs the word _Architect_, which is added just after the
name, to express the profession of the owner.
_Edward Stratton Holloway_: in this design, the owl is perched upon a
limb, with the palette, brushes, sketch-book, and pencils of the
illustrator within his clutch.
A most happy plate is that of _Mr. Richard Hoe Lawrence_, which is
designed for use only in the library housed at his country seat,
“Oscaleta Lodge,” and which is mainly botanical. In this plate the
partridge-vine, _Mitchella repens_, is shown in its proper colors, and
is surrounded by a double border of red lines, within which the motto,
from
[Illustration: FRED. C. SCHLAICH.
ARCHITECT]
Rabelais, _Fay ce que vouldras_, is given in yellow. The plate was
designed by Miss Mary S. Lawrence.
For a Philatelical library, the plate of _Mr. John K. Tiffany_ is
exceedingly appropriate, the design being enlarged from the old and rare
St. Louis Postmaster’s stamp of 1845. The book-plate was cut on wood by
the same man who designed the original stamp. It is an exact fac-simile
of the old stamp, giving the two bears holding between them the circular
frame which encloses the arms.
A very good example of the Allegorical book-plate is that of _George H.
Ellwanger_, of Rochester. This is designed to illustrate the LXX sonnet
of the Amoretti, of Spenser. With all the charming freshness of the
early vernal season about her, we see Spring, in graceful drapery,
carrying buds and blossoms in her hands, and crowned with a wreath of
flowers, approaching us. The garlands, the numerous birds, the new
leaves upon the trees, and the sense of warmth in the scene, clearly
depict the meaning of the artist.
Turning, now, to the pictorial plates, we find their number rather
small. Decorative features, bits of landscape and of interiors are found
in many plates; but these little ornamentations do not constitute a real
pictorial plate. One of the finest examples is the plate of _E. G.
Asay_, of Chicago. In this we find ourselves intruding upon the councils
of the Muses; for we see Art seated upon a throne, with the palette and
brushes idle in her lap, while about her, in graceful manner, recline
History, Music, and Literature. The lyre of Music is quiet, as, with
her hand affectionately placed upon the shoulder of History, she listens
to the reading of the just-inscribed record. Art likewise gives
interested attention to the recital; and Literature, with her book
closed, leans upon the convenient globe, and listens.
[Illustration:
CHAUNCEY
LAWRENCE
WILLIAMS
]
Wholly different is the plate of _Allen Wallace_. In this, one of the
Naiadæ reclines upon the