Ex Libris (bookplate)

George Bancroft's bookplate and signature. "εἰς φάος" is Ancient Greek for "Toward the Light". The tablet is an ancient Roman tabula ansata

An Ex Libris from ex librīs (Latin for 'from the books (or library)'),[1][2] also known as a bookplate (or book-plate, as it was commonly styled until the early 20th century),[3] is a printed or decorative label pasted into a book, often on the front endpaper, to indicate ownership.[4] Simple typographical bookplates are termed "book labels".[5]

Bookplates often bear a motif relating to the book's owner, such as a coat-of-arms, crest, badge, motto, or a design commissioned from an artist or designer.[6][7][8] The name of the owner usually follows an inscription such as "from the books of..." or "from the library of...", or in Latin, "ex libris". Bookplates are important evidence for the provenance of books.

The most traditional technique used to make bookplates is burin engraving. The engraved copper matrix is then printed with an intaglio press on paper, and the resulting print can be pasted into the book to indicate ownership.

In the United States, bookplates replaced book rhymes (which replaced book curses) after the 19th century.[9]

  1. ^ "ex libris | Origin and meaning of phrase ex libris by Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
  2. ^ "The difference between ex-library & ex libris books | AbeBooks' Reading Copy". www.abebooks.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-20. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
  3. ^ "Google Ngrams Viewer: bookplate, book-plate". Retrieved 2017-10-24.
  4. ^ Greenfield, Jane (2002). ABC of bookbinding: a unique glossary with over 700 illustrations for collectors and librarians. New Castle (Del.) Nottingham (GB): Oak Knoll press; The Plough press. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-884718-41-0.
  5. ^ "Labels, stamps and typographical bookplates". University of Auckland Library Special Collections. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
  6. ^ Johnston, Alastair. "Bookplates in a Printer's Library, Part I". Booktryst. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  7. ^ Johnston, Alastair. "Bookplates in a Printer's Library, Part II". Booktryst. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  8. ^ The Modern world encyclopaedia: illustrated. Home Entertainment Library. 1935. OCLC 1091880941.
  9. ^ Meier, Allison (2014-11-18). "19th and 20th–Century Bookplates as Deeply Personal Brands of the Home Library". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2020-08-05.