News and Events

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

DATES FOR 2008
Saturday, 27 September 2008    Second Auction
Saturday, 3 December 2008    Unusually, we plan a third Auction

These meetings will as usual be in the Wynter Room (top floor) at the Swedenborg Society, 20 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH (Entrance in Barter Street). Nearest underground stations are Holborn and Tottenham Court Road.

THE BOOKPLATE COLLECTION OF HENRY PECKITT (1801-1884)

This collection of approx. 4,500 bookplates, deaccessioned by York Public Library, was sold by auctioneers Bonhams on 18 March 2008. Adding premium to the hammer price of £7,800, the total cost of this quite early collection was £9,633. We understand that the purchaser hopes either to prepare a set of photocopies as a record of the collection or perhaps to scan the whole collection and make it available on CD-ROM. Once this is done, there will be a great number of duplicates to the new owner's collection, so these will be made available for purchase. Please contact Anthony Pincott for fuller details.

FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS

INDEX TO THE BOOKPLATE JOURNAL, SECOND SERIES
The first index to the New Series Bookplate Journal will cover the years 2003-2007.
Our intention is to issue it in 2008. It will automatically be sent to all subscribers.

THE MEMBERS' BOOK FOR 2007-2008 EAST ANGLIAN EX-LIBRIS, by John Blatchly
This sequel to the author's Some Suffolk and Norfolk Ex-Libris, 2000, is printed and is about to be issued to members with our June 2008 Newsletter. Those who are members for only one of the two years 2007-08 may purchase a copy by paying £10.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

BOOKPLATE JOURNAL, MARCH 2008
Peter Hoare writes at length about The Brownlowes and Custs of Belton House, Lincolnshire and their bookplates, and John Blatchly tells us all about Thomas Oughtibridge (c1702-56), engraver of Hatfield near Doncaster, and London. Included amongst a wealth of notes is information about: watercolour ex-libris by Bowdler; The Inspector General of Insane; bookplates for Daniel Beaumont, CJ Shoppee, TN Dick-Lauder, R Effinguer de Wildek, Ducarel, Richard Wilk(e)s; and work by engravers Nathaniel Kettle, Michael Burghers, Culleton, ED French, JAC Harrison.

BOOKPLATE JOURNAL, SEPTEMBER 2007
Paul Latcham has researched the work of 18c. engraver William Bowley of Shrewsbury; Alastair Cherry writes about the bookplate of the Scots College, Paris; Simon Brett tells us of his recent wood-engraved ex-libris; Edward Law studies bookplates in an Irish provincial library; and Georgia Barnhill describes the bookplate collection at the American Antiquarian Association. Other topics include a unique Charles I bible plate, bookplates in fiction, Frederick Rolfe Baron Corvo, and the bookplate of Cecil Rhodes. Several queries and a book review are followed by an obituary of Brian North Lee.

BOOKPLATE JOURNAL, MARCH 2007 This contains three main articles: (1) John Blatchly, Two London bookplate engravers c1730-60: Charles Gardner and John Clark (2) Edward Potten, The bookplates of the Winn family of Nostell Priory and the Strickland family of Boynton Hall (3) Brian North Lee: Five Irish woodcut Chippendale armorials. Various notes include details of the work of Culleton, heraldic stationer, and John Blatchly's address at the funeral of Brian North Lee (1936-2007). It was posted to members (rather late - our apologies) on 10 May 2007.

THE MEMBERS' ANNUAL BOOK FOR 2006 is a collaboration between the late Brian North Lee and Sir Ilay Campbell on Scottish Bookplates. The extensive introduction is followed by a selection of representative examples - these are all illustrated and their history described. 144 pages; 247 illustrations. Soft cover. It has now been mailed to all members (non-UK members will receive it with the March journal).

THE MEMBERS' ANNUAL BOOK FOR 2005 is a detailed review by our Journal editor, Paul Latcham, of bookplates in the trophy style. Details are given on our Publications page.

BOOKPLATE JOURNAL, MARCH 2006 As main articles we have Brian Lee discussing rare modern British exlibris, Brian Schofield writing about the Charles Hall Crouch collection bequeathed to the Society of Antiquaries, Sir Ilay Campbell investigating the lairds of Abercairney, John Blatchly on the stencilled exlibris, and Ed Potten reporting on the National Trust cataloguing project. A dozen notes in this issue range far and wide, including a gallows bookplate and the problem of gift or homage bookplates. Queries and answers are followed by a book review and an obituary of Audrey Arellanes.

BOOKPLATE JOURNAL, SEPTEMBER 2005 has Edward Potten's researches into the bookplates of the Egerton and Tatton families of Tatton Park and Wythenshawe Hall; details by Brian Smith of John Dougharty of Worcester; The Trafalgar bicentenary - some relevant bookplates by Peter Allpress; A much bookplated Irish earl, by John Blatchly; Miss Maria Jenkins - bibliophile of Clifton (1791-1858), by Anthony Pincott; and An early Scottish ex-libris - Alexander Mylne and the Cambuskenneth missal, by Alastair Cherry.

BOOKPLATE JOURNAL, MARCH 2005 contained as its leading article a comprehensive study by John Blatchly on the Cambridge engraver William Stephens. A second feature article covers the modern bookplates engraved on copper by Stanley Reece, and is followed by a host of notes and information about exlibris of all periods in a range of styles.

THE MEMBERS' ANNUAL BOOK FOR 2004 was about the bookplates of Church of England parochial and cathedral libraries, by Brian North Lee.

BOOKPLATE JOURNAL, SEPTEMBER 2004 has an extensive study by Brian Lee of 18th century woodcut or soft metal armorials with particular attention given to the engraver Francis Hoffman. Edward Potten writes about the bookplates of the Grey and Booth families of Dunham Massey and Enville Hall, and Ian Jackson's piece is entitled 'Ever learning, ever dying' (The motto used by Anatole de Montaiglon on his ex-libris - 'De jour en jour en apprenant mourant').

BOOKPLATE JOURNAL, MARCH 2004 contained as its leading article a ground-breaking paper giving a biography of Miss Sarah Sophia Banks, early ephemera, coin and bookplate collector. She was the sister of Sir Joseph Banks, the celebrated naturalist and President of the Royal Society. The two other main articles provided an overview of the work and bookplates of 18th century engraver William Austin, and a discourse on some bookplates of men who fought at Waterloo. Also in this issue: notes, queries and book reviews.

EARLIER ISSUES - A listing of the main contents of Bookplate Journal is given here.

IN MEMORIAM - FRANK MARTIN (1921-2005)

With the death of Frank Martin we have lost an accomplished wood engraver, though his other interests meant that he produced only a couple of dozen bookplates. Brian North Lee has written a short appreciation which appears on the FISAE website. An obituary in The Times online is to be found here.

IN MEMORIAM - AUDREY ARELLANES (1920-2005)

An outstanding contributor to American bookplate literature is also gone. She is described as "one of the giants" of the bookplate world who "took the trouble to attend ex-libris congresses and meetings far and wide, and her character was such that she made many friends". Her Year Books, ABCD&E Newsletter and her bibliography of bookplate periodical literature were all the products of great devotion. The appreciation written by Bill Butler and Brian North Lee can be found on the FISAE website. The Czech artist Joseph Liesler (1912-2005) and Italian collector Remo Palmirani (1943-2005) are also remembered.