ISSN 1833-766X SOCIETY BOOKPLATE AUSTRALIAN oe n apnns 5 Editorial Notesandhappenings April2013 BookplatesinCanberra, 4 bookplate,reconsidered Thefirst American bookplate...? Thefirst American Queensland projectinMaryborough, Bookplateandbookmark bookplate Theearliest known Australian CONTENTS [email protected] DulwichHill NSW2203 POBox 555 Keep Mary Designer [email protected] EnmoreNSW2042 59Gladstone St, Bronwyn Vost Secretary [email protected] 029428 2863 RiverviewNSW2066 Sofala4 Ave FersonDrMark Editor/President
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collectors,bibliophiles, andothersdedicated artists topromoting bookplates
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reproducedwith kind permission ofNicholas Ingleton, Sydney MatthewFishburn, Hordern House, Sydney; Theearliest known Australianbookplate advertisements appeared over the ensuing ensuing the over appeared advertisements Sydney the in advertisement an is work his of notice recorded first The portraitist. and teacher art a have to engraver, silversmith, a on as careerdistinguished went he Sydney In forgery. for reputedly 1816, in NSW to transported personalcommission ofChinese porcelain. hiscentrepiece onthe as copiedbookplatewas Manigaultwrotetohis family, As him. for bookplate to a produce Clayton commissioned Carolina, South Charleston, from collector, antiquarian and book and merchant, American an Manigault, 1818, in voyage trading a on Sydney visiting While (1795-1874). Manigault Izard Charles merchant American visiting the for Clayton Samuel artist convict by engraved bookplate, Australian known earliest the perhaps is This questionearlyAustralianof bookplates more in whetherhemade any other bookplates. early Sydney printing. It is not known, however, ofrecord a preeminentimportanceas of being as recognised are cards trade and notes bank his of some and 1817, April in WalesSouth Newof Bank the bynotes of issue first the for plates the engraving for famous most perhaps isdiverseabilities. reflectedHewhichhisyears Clayton (1783-1853) was a Dubliner Dubliner a was (1783-1853) Clayton engraved Manigault’s Canton, in Later, bookplates. severalhundred CoatmyofArms,of nowmy did also He perfectly, .... it engraved and it with its usual flourish in his hand, he signatureimitated my placing by Wales, South New of Clayton S. convicts, talented those of one engravedby cardsvisiting my of some had I t ol b itrsig o netgt the investigate to interesting be would It Gazette for 4 Januaryfor4 1817, andfurther www.bookplatesociety.org.au/ www.bookplatesociety.org.au/
Sydney,for Charles Manigault,I 1818 Engravedbookplate bySamuel Clayton, Manigault pre-dates Clint’s for Clayton’s designwork 1849. by possibly in two died and 1835 Sydneybusinessaroundinstarted a whoClint Raphael by engraved bookplates some shows engravers’, he ‘Early chapter, following the In owners.theirwithmigrated here have to seem andEllis Bent –however, Barnett argues that all Blaxland John Grimes, Palmer,Wales: John C SouthNewColonyof the ofyearsearly the in prominent figures Australia by used designs lists (1950) to interest of book-plates and plates Nevilledetail.hisBarnettP in documentedbookplate of Australian origin. earliest currently the is and more) (ordecades NewsletterNo. 31, December 2013 Australianbook-
Further reading studio became a reality after the generous homes and commercial buildings. Eight John Houstone, Richard Neville. ‘Samuel donation of printmaking equipment to printmakers designed and printed 100 Clayton’. Design and Art Australia Online, see: the community by Sue Flavel, widow of bookplates or bookmarks each, based http://www.daao.org.au/bio/samuel-clayton/ local artist and printmaker Merv Flavel. on some of the beautiful buildings and biography/? Situated in an old warehouse close to monuments in the town and these were ‘Raphael Clint’. Design and Art Australia the gallery, built in the 1880s to service made available to visitors on Open Online, see: http://www.daao.org.au/bio/ the booming Mary River port, Gataker’s House, 26 October 2013. Prior to Open raphael-clint/biography/? Printspace has become a focus for House, several of the bookplates were also Maurie D McInnis. In pursuit of refinement: printmakers of the region and a centre for presented as souvenirs to a visiting Chinese Charlestonians abroad, 1740-1860. Columbia, workshop participation. delegation here on a Sister Cities exchange SC : University of South Carolina Press, 1998 A little while ago, the printmakers were visit – Council was looking for suitable invited to participate in the popular Gatakers gifts for the group and jumped at this by Night event – a monthly music, food opportunity to push the Printspace and Bookplate and bookmark project and art event in the gallery courtyard on a the printmakers. in Maryborough, Queensland Saturday night – when the gallery hosted The bookplates have been very popular Jenny Rogers, Pt Vernon, and a flood fundraising concert; among other and the project has been a wonderful start Susan Rogers, Maryborough, Qld things, the printmakers decided to design to the printmakers’ participation in town and sell (for a gold coin) some generic events – Council is looking at involving the Throughout 2013, a group of enthusiastic bookplates to show just how easily prints printmakers again in Open House in 2014, printmakers, staff of Gatakers Artspace could be produced. with a different series of images each year (Maryborough’s city art gallery) and the After this, the group was invited to with the bookplates becoming collectors’ Fraser Coast Regional Council have been design bookplates and bookmarks for the items – and who knows, even providing an working to develop a community access Fraser Coast Regional Council’s Open introduction to the gentle art of bookplate print studio in the historic city. The House, showcasing Maryborough’s historic collecting.
Printmakers at Gatakers. (l-r) Carol Seeger, Jennifer Rogers, Ann Brown, Kaye Doeke and Sophia Holm (not in photo, Val Macintosh, Helen Pinchen and Coralie Gunn.)
2 Linocut universal bookplate ‘Customs House’ by Linocut universal bookplate ‘Foresters Hall’ by Coralie Gunn, 2013 Val Macintosh, 2013
The first American bookplate ...? By Rebecca Rego Barry, Editor, Fine Books & Collections, USA
This week I am at the University of Virginia’s Rare Book School taking a week-long course called ‘Provenance: Tracing Owners and Collections’, taught by David Pearson. Topics include ‘inscriptions, paleography, bookplates, heraldry, bindings as provenance evidence, sale catalogues, tracing owners, and the recording of provenance data in catalogues’ – in other words, absolutely fascinating stuff, and a lot of it. I intend to write up a better report once the rigorous week comes to a close, but for now, perhaps an answer to a question posed today during a discussion of bookplates. What was the first American bookplate? Sources report that the 1642 bookplate of Massachusetts printer Stephen Daye (printer of the Bay psalm book) was the first. Finding an image, however, proved more than a quick Typographic label by Stephen Day for himself, 1642 Google search away. So classmates – and 3 interested readers – is this the first American The question is simple enough but the claim that Steven Day’s printed book label bookplate? answer is more complicated ... Once bearing his own name is not, in fact, the According to The Bookplate Annual for you start delving into early 18th century earliest American book label. He reveals 1921, which is where I pulled this image American bookplates you are probably several reasons why he believes this to be the from, ‘The general consensus of opinion dealing with Anglo-American plates from case; mainly, it seems, because the fleur-de- is that it is indeed the bookplate of the the libraries of royal governors and large lis type ornament used was ‘not found until Cambridge printer.’ (No matter the spelling land holders like Lord Baltimore. Most of 1693 in America, but prevalent in England difference; as we are learning this week, that the bookplates were not dated so I suspect at the time of his label’. Instead, Naumberg was very fluid in the 17th c.) However, is it your quest is a major research project. writes, ‘the earliest authentic dated American not truly a book label since it was printed book-label, printed by Samuel Green on David Szewczyk of Philadelphia Rare and not engraved or etched as bookplates Steven Day’s press at Cambridge’ is that of Books & Manuscripts Co gently chastised generally are? Samuel Phillips May 31 1652 (twelve years me for the Anglo-centric use of the word after the Bay psalm book). It looks like this. Reprinted with permission from: ‘American’. He wrote, Thanks to those above for contributing to http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine_ Libraries, both institutional and private, this conversation. Further comments and books_blog/2013/07/the-first-american- existed in Spanish America more than additions welcomed! bookplate.phtml 100 years before they did in the English Reprinted with permission from: colonies. The earliest bookplates for http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine_ Mexico, as far as we know (but much The first American bookplate, books_blog/2013/08/the-first-american- research is still needed) are in books that reconsidered bookplate-reconsidered.phtml belonged to the Jesuit establishments and By Rebecca Rego Barry, Editor, were a woodcut stamp on pieces of paper Fine Books & Collections, USA that were affixed to pastedowns and other Bookplates in Canberra, blank areas. Other times the stamp was Prompted by a question raised at Rare April 2013 simply used as a stamp. These date from Book School a couple of weeks ago, I By Jürgen Wegner, Sydney as early as the 1580s. blogged about what might be the first American bookplate. Since then, some And, Steve Ferguson, the curator of rare Encountered on a recent visit to the Lifeline further ideas and opinions give reason for books at Princeton, sent me a PDF of a Book Fair in Canberra, a number of reconsideration. 1949 article in The New Colophon called ‘A footnotes on Australian bookplates. Mark Lew Jaffe, who runs the ‘Confessions of a seventeenth century book-label problem’, Ferson beat me with his report on the Jessie bookplate junkie’ blog, commented: in which Edward Naumburg Jr makes the Traill exhibition in the last issue; [March 2013] however, there are a few additional points of interest worth mentioning. The National Gallery of Australia’s exhibition Stars in the river : the prints of Jessie Traill is a major one of the work of Australian artist Jessie Traill. Traill was
one of Australia’s most important printmakers of the early twentieth century ... Embracing the medium of etching in the early 1900s, Traill forged a radical path for printmaking in Australia. From sublime aquatints of the natural landscape to her major series documenting the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Traill’s prints combine poetic sensitivity with an unerring eye for line and form. (Art Events, Autumn 2013).
The Harbour Bridge series will be familiar to many. And where there is art – and Typographic label by Samuel Green for Samuel Phillips, 1652 especially printmaking – there are often 4 also bookplates. The National Gallery as you drive in, 100% Books by Canberra emailed a list of Miss Traill’s collection of of Australia holds a most comprehensive Artists, includes one work called Ex libris 43 bookplates (found at Box 811, part 1) collection of her work with over one for the unknown (‘lino, stamp, 2007’). This of Australian, NZ, American and English hundred from their collection being on is not a bookplate but art with an allusion owners including those of correspondents display in this exhibition. Included are two to bookplates. Two illustrations Unknown Gibson and Osburn. Any reader interested bookplates executed by her. and Missing can be viewed online on Caren in seeing this list should contact the Editor. Florance’s Ampersand Duck website: MF There is a major catalogue to accompany http://ampersandduck.com/art/100-books/ this exhibition: fogwell-exlibris-unknown-4/ Notes and happenings Roger Butler, ed. Stars in the river: the prints Postscript of Jessie Traill. With essays by Tim Bonyhady, Further to my note on Jessie Traill in Recent publications Rebecca Edwards, Sarina Noordhuis- Newsletter no. 30 and to Jürgen’s query Fairfax and Macushla Robinson. Canberra: about this artist’s bookplate collection, MARK J FERSON. Some items related to the National Gallery of Australia, 2013. 176 some further research was undertaken development of the linocut as an art form, pp. A$29.95 in your Editor’s personal library, where and to a well known Australian ballad that In the thumbnails reproduced at the rear reference to the publications of the various crossed the Pacific nearly a century ago. there is one additional bookplate, ie a third. bookplate societies revealed that Miss Biblionews and Australian Notes & Queries, The catalogue also very briefly mentions her Traill was a member of the Australian Ex no. 379, Sep. 2013; pp. 107-11 in the context of bookplates in two places. Libris Society from 1929 until its demise Shows the author’s 1985 linocut bookplate for It mentions her collection of bookplates on the outbreak of the Second World himself (p. 108) by other artists (p. 23) and that, in 1934, War, and was a foundation member of she commenced an exchange project with the Melbourne-based Australian Bookplate NILAVAN ADAMS. Artist profile: Nilavan other artists for bookplates (p. 146). I Club (established 1942) but had ceased Adams. Botanical Art Society of Australia wonder what the extent of her collection her association by the time its last list of Newsletter, no. 51, Summer 2013; pp. 1-2 was? Surely she must have created more members was published in 1944. than these three. And what happened to the In searching for evidence of Miss Traill’s Shows the original painted design for the bookplates in her collection? bookplate collecting, contact with the bookplate for M J Ferson (2013). National Gallery of Australia led to referral Further Reading to the Australian Manuscripts Team at the Exhibition website: http://nga.gov.au/Traill/ State Library of Victoria. With the assistance Traill biography: http://adb.anu.edu.au/ of librarian Lucy Shedden, a small cache of biography/traill-jessie-constance- letters was unearthed, located at MS 7975, alicia-8840 Box 811, part 2. These included a form Traill bookplates available online: letter dated May 1934 in which Miss Traill http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/Detail. thanks the recipient for bookplates and cfm?IRN=175208 offers to send her etched design in return, http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/Detail. once she has had time to print copies. And cfm?IRN=78512 there are three letters from correspondents http://cs.nga.gov.au/Detail. who have offered Miss Traill copies of their cfm?IRN=226675 own bookplates in expectation of exchange: Rosa Gibson of Chatswood (Sydney) Just a few minutes down the road is the dated April 1935 with designs by G D National Library of Australia. Its Bookplate Perrottet and Pixie O’Harris; B Osburn of coffee shop makes what must be the largest Millersville (Pennsylvania) dated November cappuccino in Australia. The coffee shop 1935; and Nell Adie of Manilla (New South in honour of its name is decorated with Wales) dated October 1936, enclosing her a three framed selection of bookplates. own bookplate, possibly by L Roy Davies. Reproductions only – presumably from one Those with an interest in the technique of of the collections of bookplates held by the etching may be interested to know that this Library. set of papers included some six pages of The exhibition of artists’ books on show at handwritten notes for a talk on etching. Original painted design by Nilavan the Watson Arts Centre just off the highway Ms Shedden kindly typed up and Adams for Mark Ferson, 2013
5 NOTICES
Bookplates: the art of this century, by James P Keenan
A new annual directory of the world’s top artists, engravers, and printmakers. The bookplate or ‘ex libris’ is a personal mark of ownership that has been used John Holmes by individuals and libraries for over five and a half centuries. The bookplate is letterpress printer a label that shows pride in a collection of books. can design and hand print This new e-book serves as an introduction to contemporary international Bookplates bookplate art and is published by the American Society of Bookplate Collectors incorporating traditional & Designers (ASBC&D, est. 1922). Included are works by 130 artists, printers flowers representing 31 countries with over 300 bookplate images; brief biographies and a range of and artists’ quotations, along with opinions from collectors and artists regarding typefaces. the future of this graphic art form. With the birth of e-books, will there really be an end to printed books and Contact [email protected] bookplates? This does not seem likely with graphic artists around the world for further details, or mail exploring new frontiers in printmaking. New concepts for ex libris design through computer technology are being created, as well as traditional engraved, Dr John Holmes hand printed designs. The ASBC&D will help you to make contact with these PO Box 5315 artists for your personal bookplate. Moray Place The ASBC&D is a non-profit organization, and proceeds from this e-book DUNEDIN 9058 will be used for advancing interest in international bookplate art. This includes New Zealand marketing, our popular traveling exhibitions, and the limited print edition of this book.
For further information, please email James Keenan at [email protected]
In this edition: ◆ There are 300 bookplate images by 130 artists, representing 31 countries. ◆ Opinions from collectors and artists regarding the future of bookplates. Editorial ◆ Foreword by Cliff Parfit (UK), a highly regarded expert in this field. ◆ Introduction by James P. Keenan, Director ASBC&D (USA) It is my pleasure to wish all readers a ◆ Front Cover art by Nurgül Arikan (Turkey) Happy New Year, concurrently with my duty, as Editor, to take responsibility for the lateness of this nominally December issue, the production of which is being finalised in is, the image and story of the verifiably Jürgen Wegner for his article on last year’s late January 2014. The past year has been a first bookplate executed in Australia; I bookplate-related finds in Canberra. big one for the Society, as we can, I believe, thank both its owner Nicholas Ingleton and Readers might wonder what the boast of a successful bookplate exhibition, finder/documenter Matthew Fishburn for ‘masthead’ bookplate on the front page is of our first and very enjoyable ‘Show and this important contribution. As a foil to the about, but in checking the articles on the tell’, the Annual General Meeting much feature article, we reprint two short articles first American bookplate, I stumbled across enhanced by a fascinating talk from an – kindly drawn to my attention by Messrs the early twentieth century design for the ethusiastic and talented guest speaker – Ingleton and Feain – on possibly the first Yenching University, Peking, where library whom I had been chasing to address us American bookplate, dated 1652, taken users were admonished to ‘Read much! for well over a year – and continuing from the Fine Books & Collections blog. In Think more! Talk less!’ compliments on the Newsletter, due to addition I am grateful to Jennifer Rogers Thanks again to all who contribute to a range of interesting contributions and (with assistance of Susan Rogers, who is the Newsletter and to those who support it beautiful design. not related) for an article on bookplate in other ways; the next issue, March 2014, And I do trust that you will – or have, activities in the historic Queensland town will mark the completion of our eighth depending on when you read the ‘back page’ of Maryborough, and we should thank year of publication, so keep those articles – enjoy the current issue, which features a Jennifer for making the activities happen rolling in! significant piece of bookplate history, that as well as writing about them; and to MF
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