Bookplate of Benjamin Henry Grierson and Lillian Atwood Grierson, 1911

Summary

Bookplates show ownership, but they can also tell us more. Often pasted on the inside of a book's front cover or endpaper, these printed labels contain the owner's name and sometimes the words "ex-libris" (Latin for "from the library of"). Coats of arms, crests, other decorative images, poems, mottoes, and even font type provide insight into the beliefs, passions, and interests of the book's owner.

Bookplates show ownership, but they can also tell us more. Often pasted on the inside of a book's front cover or endpaper, these printed labels contain the owner's name and sometimes the words "ex-libris" (Latin for "from the library of"). Coats of arms, crests, other decorative images, poems, mottoes, and even font type provide insight into the beliefs, passions, and interests of the book's owner.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Engraving (Printing process)

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)
Gray (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 3.625 in  (bookplate)

Width: 3 in  (bookplate)

Height: 8 in  (mount)

Width: 6.063 in  (mount)

Inscriptions

printed on front: Benjamin Henry Grierson / Lillian Atwood Greirson / Their Book / U. S. ARMY / LAG CASTLE / HOC SECURIOR

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