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The Cyber Journal of Heraldic Bookplates©Edited by J. V. de Braganza (Portugal) & J. Stewart LeForte (Canada) |
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Bookplates or Ex Libris
meaning «from the books of», are an ancient and elegant form of
identifying the ownership of books. Among the most beautiful Bookplates
are the ones that have as their theme the Heraldic Bearings of its owner.
In modern times, however, some of the most artistic bookplates do not have
an heraldic theme accompanying the "democratization" of
ownership of books and its collection, once the privilege of the few
wealthy enough to acquire them. By the end of the XIX th century,
bookplates became a collectible piece by itself and the increasing numbers
of people interested in it gave rise to the creation of Societies of
Bookplate Collectors almost all over Western Europe, in the USA and in
some Latin American countries. The two World Wars that devastated Europe
interrupted the exchanges of bookplates and the activities of most
societies. But after the last World War interest grew again and Societies
and interchanges between collectors, normally by mail, rapidly increased.
Artists dedicated to this miniature art also increased in numbers
throughout Europe, mainly in Eastern Europe. These artists familiar with
the graphic arts or with the illustration of books increased the
experiences with various engraving techniques (woodcut and wood engraving,
steel or copper engraving, etching, mezzotint, etc.) instead of drawing
and having it reproduced by photo-mechanical means. So, when engraving is
used as the support of the bookplate design we can have a small work of
art. An overview has been prepared to serve as an
introduction. For an Ex Libris Bibliography see Bibliography.pdf |
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To the The Art of Ex Libris web site (pictorial ex libris). |
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Bookplates posted are from the collections of the Editors unless otherwise stated. (All bookplates are copyrighted by the owners of the Bookplates - please respect their legal rights.) |
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Visitors since March 14, 1998:
José Vicente de Bragança
(Portugal) & J. Stewart LeForte (Canada), editors Posted: 18 April 1998 - Last updated: 28-11-2006 |