"Learning has gained most by those books by which the printers have lost"

[anteros_lmc]

One of the things I love about old books is that they sometimes come with old book plates attached. Last week I got a new addition to the collection courtesy of nodbear who tracked down a copy of Vivian Stuart and George T. Eggleston's His Majesty's Sloop of War Diamond Rock for me, which originally came from the Seafarer's Education Society and is inset with this fabulous book plate. How's that for a fierce old sea dog?!



Another of my favourites is my second edition of Edward Osler's Life of Admiral Lord Exmouth which came from the library of author John Fowles and still has his own bookplate.


I also rather like the legend on this bookplate in Edward Fraser's Napoleon the Gaoler. I'm tempted to try and remove the library card holder but I think it would just tear the plate underneath.


"Learning has gained most by those books by which the printers have lost."

Comments

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

I sometimes buy old books just for the beauty of their covers/plates.

[amaraal.livejournal.com]

Beautiful fierce sea dog. Is this a fluke for a tail?

Librabarians. How could they?

I once made a practical course at a book binding company. OMG!!! The owner replaced a 300 year old leather cover simply with a new one and called that 'restoration'... I gathered it, of course, just for the fact that someone noted '1835' in it.
A few weeks later I found the perfect quote: 'Don't be afraid of books. Unread they are completely harmless.' :) :) :)

The card: hot steam, maybe? Very, very carefully??? I tried it from here, but it didn't work. LOL

How many books do you have, btw? (2840)

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Can you make a screen-cap of the sea-dog plate? It is so pretty.

[vespican.livejournal.com]

Most of the copies of Forester's Hornblower books that I have are newer editions, so called "trade paper" versions. However, the copies I have of the three first stories written (Beat to Quarters, Ship of the Line, and Flying Colours) are early edition hard covers. I think they may have been library books at one time, as they have what appears to be some sort of cataloging information written in them.

A nice thing about owning one's own books... you are free to make notes within them, and not worry about a librarian complaining about it.

At a writer's group meeting a few days ago, someone mentioned that those who seriously collect autographed books only want the writers signature and no dedication or personalization. Supposedly including more that a signature lessens the value.
Dave