Comments on: Ex libris.

Ex libris.

languagehat — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 15:40:27 -0800

EXLIBRIS MUSEUM. We've done ex-libris bookplates before, but trust me, this site far surpasses anything you've ever seen. Just go to the Gallery and click on any of the names. Vereshchagin, for instance. Or Karol Felix. Or... hell, just dive in, you can't go wrong. Warning: many bookplates contain female nudes. (Via dirty.ru; thanks, misteraitch!)

By: DigDugDag

DigDugDag — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 15:49:39 -0800

Stunning!

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 15:51:46 -0800

Now that's what I'm talking about.

By: Justinian

Justinian — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:02:59 -0800

Beautiful plates. That said, for god's sake don't stick ex libris stickers in your books! It's narcissistic and once you are dead, somebody who doesn't give a crap is going to be stuck with your name all over their books.

By: casu marzu

casu marzu — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:04:17 -0800

this is good.

By: taz

taz — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:06:40 -0800

Okay, definitely one of my favorite post e v e r. I am finding amazing things in here (just look at this page, for example). All my 5,000 points go to you, languagehat... And, thanks, dirty.ru — I gratefully hoist a vodka in your direction. (misteraitch, you already know I love you!)

By: carter

carter — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:09:35 -0800

Absolutely wonderful, thanks, languagehat!

By: purephase

purephase — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:10:16 -0800

The Karol Felix bookplates are absolutely amazing. I have a feeling I'm going to spend a lot of time on that site. Thanks!

By: mr.marx

mr.marx — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:11:31 -0800

(just look at this page, for example). Large buttocks are pleasing to me, nor am I able to lie concerning this matter .

By: taz

taz — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:30:37 -0800

Ex Libris: Sir Mix-A-Lot

By: _sirmissalot_

_sirmissalot_ — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:44:21 -0800

word

By: fake

fake — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 16:49:20 -0800

Wikipedia on Ex Libris.

By: mendel

mendel — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 18:28:23 -0800

It's narcissistic and once you are dead, somebody who doesn't give a crap is going to be stuck with your name all over their books. Because fans of used books hate finding out that those books have a history.

By: Justinian

Justinian — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 19:03:29 -0800

By: Justinian

Justinian — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 19:05:06 -0800

In the interest of fairness, strike the word "greatly". Perhaps a bit of hyperbole. Reduces the value? Yes. Greatly? Depends.

By: taz

taz — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 19:06:34 -0800

So, check out this page: Some of these were obviously created for specific books; Don Quixote, Alice in Wonderland, The Iliad... Does anybody recognize anything else here? Could the last one be Arthurian? (Merlin was imprisoned in a tree, right? Which is sort of suggested here, as well as "witchy" accoutrements... and could the castle be Camelot, and the sword... well, you get it.) ps: it would be terribly cool to see a bookplate for "The Metamorphosis" by this artist.

By: svidrigailov23

svidrigailov23 — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 22:11:39 -0800

word to burger!

By: jokeefe

jokeefe — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 23:02:48 -0800

As a matter of fact, we generally do. With a few exceptions (books belonging to very famous and important people *and* relevant to them) finding a bookplate attached to a book greatly reduces its value. Removing bookplates is a tricky business because of the adhesive. I've been known to buy books specifically because they have marginalia and annotations by hands long dead. I bought a book of essays by Addison once because at some point around WWI two schoolgirls used it pass notes back and forth in class, discussing the patterns for dresses they were making for a dance, what happened at home the previous night, and so on. It's still one of my treasures; I used it in a website I did on text and illustration for my grad school coursework.

By: jokeefe

jokeefe — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 23:03:30 -0800

Oh, and many thanks, LH. [this rocks]

By: matteo

matteo — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 08:28:06 -0800

now I'm going to spend the next few weeks browsing the ENTIRE the site. *shakes fist* oh, and I second mr.marx on the buttocks issue

By: Savannah

Savannah — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 10:56:47 -0800

I don't mind Ex Libris in used books I buy. I like the sense of a connection with someone else who held the book in their hands, entered its dreaming lands.

By: hattifattener

hattifattener — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 12:20:23 -0800

With very few exceptions, I don't care how much value some random collector is going to place on one of my books after I'm gone. A bookplate doesn't injure the book and doesn't reduce its value as a book. And like others, if a book has a history, I like to be able to see that.

By: melissa may

melissa may — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 12:23:18 -0800

My favorites, although count me as a fan of the fat-bottomed girls; it's nice to see others are similarly unable to prevaricate. dirty.ru is cool beans. Thanks to languagehat and the stylish Russians. (I also don't collect books, except to read, and I personally love finding 1920s and 30s-era Ex Libris plates. I also love long heartfelt inscriptions.)

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 12:58:57 -0800

Thanks languagehat! I've always been a fan of the racy bookplate, especially after seeing an exhibit of bookplates at the SF Public Library a few years back. I took some pix of the finest ones [self link, incl a few male nudes as well!].

By: languagehat

languagehat — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 14:20:55 -0800

Nice! Naked couple embraces as owl looks on: the owl looks supremely bored. He's seen it all. And Woman looks at cherry blossoms from soaking tub is beautiful.