In the plate of the Library of the New York State Agricultural Society, which was incorporated in 1832, Ceres is seen in the field; behind her the sheaves of wheat extend in rows; one arm clasps a cornucopia, and with the hand of the other she extends a wreath.
In a great many instances the plates of libraries had no pictorial features, or indeed anything at all ornamental, being but the printed rules governing the users of the books. Two examples of this kind of plate are given below.
This VOLUME
belongs to
PRICHARD’S
Circulating Library,
Containing nearly Two Thousand Volumes,
In Market Street, Baltimore,
where
LADIES OR GENTLEMEN
may become
READERS
By subscribing for one Month, three Months or by
Agreement for a single Book. Said Prichard has also a
very great Variety of NEW and OLD BOOKS for Sale.
He, likewise,
Gives Ready Money for New and Old Books.
———
Union Circulating Library,
201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.
Subscribers to pay in advance, six dollars for a year: three dollars and fifty cents for six months: two dollars for three months: one dollar for one month: each subscriber to have three Duodecimo volumes, or one Octavo and one Duodecimo at a time. A subscriber detaining an Octavo longer than four weeks or a Duodecimo longer than two weeks to pay as a non-subscriber. For each Octavo one eighth of a dollar per week until the end of the fourth week when the rate was doubled. For a Duodecimo one sixteenth of a dollar per week until the end of the second week.
Constant attendance at the Library from Sunrise till 8 o’clock in the evening.
In mentioning a few examples of the plates recently made for societies and libraries, no attempt is made to furnish a complete list, nor even to mention all the attractive plates, but to speak of a few which seem of especial interest.
