The Watkinson Library of Hartford uses one of the very few portrait plates in the country; just why this style of plate should not be common is not easy to understand. They are used in Boston and Worcester, as mentioned below, but these instances are all that occur in public libraries. In this plate the portrait of David Watkinson, the founder of the library, is enclosed within an oval frame which bears the name and the date of incorporation, 1858. The plate is signed by the American Bank Note Company, New York, and is an excellent piece of steel engraving.
Almost all of the historical societies use plates in which the arms of the state or city in which they are located, are used. The Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Maine Historical Societies have plates of this kind. In the last-named plate an inescutcheon bears four important dates in the history of the state of Maine.
| 1605, | First voyage along the Coast by Waymouth. |
| 1649, | Election of Godfrey as Governor. |
| 1678, | Usurpation of Maine by Massachusetts. |
| 1820, | Separation from Massachusetts. |
The Rowfant Club of Cleveland uses a small plate representing the corner of a library; the open window admits the fading light of the sun, which is sinking into the sea; the lattice swings idly, and the pile of books on the table proclaim a busy day.
A very striking plate is used by the University Club of Washington. A wall of rough-faced stone is pierced by a small quatrefoil window in which
