Canadian Landscapes

Designed by F.H. Johnston

Living in a country that witnesses a good deal of winter weather, I tend to make the most of my summer days with outdoor activities.  It's also a great season for markets, shows, and sales, which means lots of book hunting as well.  But anyone who has had the privilege of living in Canada knows that above all else, it is the remarkable and striking landscapes stretching from coast to coast that truly represent one of our greatest treasures.  I've been fortunate to see a great deal of my own country, from the northern reaches of the Yukon, to British Columbia, across the Rockies and all the way east to the Bay of Fundy.  And throughout all these travels I have always marvelled at our wonderful landscapes.  It is no wonder then as well, that landscapes were often the subject of Canadian bookplates and related ex libris.

I am currently in the process of designing a new bookplate for myself, and after considering many ideas - a tribute to the Edwin Davis French Style; an armourial bookplate; a recreation of an illuminated text image; even a random pictorial - I think I've settled on a Canadian landscape pictorial.

So as I continue to ponder my creation and sketch out a few ideas, here's some Canadian landscape bookplates I encountered during my research that I particularly liked.  They've been designed by various notable Canadian artists and engravers.  I hope you like them as well.