If he can afford a large library, or is a collector of the works of one or two authors, there’s a way out of the difficulty for the coy person, by having the book-plate represent the characteristic of the author and have his name as an addition. That may be taking a liberty—but authors are accustomed to that; and, besides, you are appreciating them, and that should exorcise the spirit of an indignant “classic” from the four walls of your library. Have the original of the design framed on the wall; it may save you a lot of explanation should the spook even get “mad.” You can always lay the blame on the artist. Of course, this means a book-plate for each author; but as book-plates are not, after all, such very expensive luxuries, this consideration need be a matter of but small moment.
Yet another idea is to have an artistic treatment of a representation of your library, your “den.” That sounds very inviting and certainly can hurt no one’s feelings. If you don’t happen to possess a special apartment, give an apartment such as you would like to possess. Or show your favorite chair, or nook, or greenwood tree, or running brook, or garden plot. There are thousands of ways in which to fashion a book-plate, and an artistic book-plate, too. We thus can see what an advance the modern artistic book-plate is on the old style article—so formal, so characterless, so inchoate and so amorphous.
Indeed the artistic book-plate is a genuine inspiration, or it may be made so. How charming, or delight-giving, or valuable, or intoxicating it is, depends largely on the artist. But it also depends on the individual who desires it. It should be planned with care and executed with feeling. It should be like no other book-plate in the sense that it possesses some flavor that is private and personal. It should be as much an indication of the owner’s taste as is his library—and no man can hide his nature from the friend who has had access to that. There are many things a book-plate should not be—but these may be summed up in the advice—it should not be a mask. You may order your books by the hundredweight from your bookseller, but that won’t stand you in any stead when your friend handles them and turns to you for a criticism, or an opinion. You may also commission your artist for a book-plate; but you are in a worse plight if you fail in the more direct explanation you will be required to make to the insistent inquiries as to its meaning or appositeness. No! Be it ever so humble, let it be yours. It may be a poor thing, but it is your own; but it may be also a very rich thing, and your own also.
By J. W. Simpson
BOOK-PLATES OF TO-DAY
TONNELÉ & COMPANY
NEW YORK
