From page 58 to page 60 some American ex libris are pourtrayed. Among these generally there is, as should be where books are thought of, a feeling of rest and refinement.
Between pages 61 and 68 are given a number of plates of modern German ex libris, thanks, as we are reminded, to the inspiriting influence of Warnecke, Leiningen-Westerburg, Doepler, and Hildebrandt. Germany, and to some extent Austria, too, have produced some very original and interesting bookplates within the last few years.
Illustrated on pages [61] and [65] are two plates which should surely come under the category of the error of associating books with incongruous surroundings. In the one, by Doepler for the Bibliothek des Koeniglichen Kunstgewerbe Museums, Berlin, the centre represents an open book—that would be well enough; but the leading feature of the plate is a great, rough, brawny hand holding a big hammer and pressing on the open volume.
In the plate on page [65], by Sattler, the design pictures a human skeleton bearing a pile of books.
Between pages 64 and 65 is a leaf bearing three pleasing plates, by Paul Voigt. One of the three is apparently for his own books. It depicts a room with, of course, some very old books, and the most prominent is in a position which would break the back of a modern book; but not much fault need be found. In those good times books were not bound in a day or for a day. The hides were well chosen, well seasoned, and good workmanship was put into the binding.
Facing Paul Voigt’s own plate is a good plate by him for W. L. Busse. This has a fine smell of the sea about it. Tossing in the frothy deep is an ancient ship, which but for masts and sails might be a nautilus shell. Below is a rugged anchor, and around all a stout cable serves to frame a pleasing picture.
On page [68] is a cleverly designed plate by Joseph Sattler. There is an altogether pleasing absence of misty, mystic, mythological allusions and complications. On the other hand, an hour-glass indicates the sands of time, and the simple word “Jetzt” (now) points a simple moral, irresistibly apt for the book-lover. There is no pursuit of which it can be more truly said—that he (the book-collector) who hesitates is lost.
CHAPTER X
VARIOUS BRITISH BOOKPLATES
The proper place for a bookplate is in a book—Gordon of Buthlaw—Spencer Perceval—William Wilberforce—A bookplate for a special purpose—George Ormerod—Robert Surtees—Cathedral plates.
In the pages here following are recorded many British bookplates, none of them very early; but they are referred to here, as, after all, this book must chiefly appeal to readers in our own tongue.