Review - The Bookplate Journal Vol.9 No. 2 (Autumn 2011)

Vol.9 No.2 (Autumn 2011)

Happy New Year!  It's been way too long since my last blog, but my absence from this hobby was delightfully caused by the arrival of a new family member.  Now that things are somewhat settling back to "normal" around here, it's time to get caught up on the massive stack of library and bookplate items sitting on my desk.


At the top of the pile was the latest issue of The Bookplate Journal, which arrived a last fall and has since been waiting patiently for my attention.  Typically I'll dive into new publications as they arrive, but given the amount of reading material I've acquired over the past few months thanks to several successful book hunts (see previous posts), it's taking me a bit longer to get caught up.


As always the latest issue is packed full of interesting articles and information on the hobby.  There are six articles addressing an interesting range of topics.  Brian Welch investigates whether or not Linley Sambourne designed any bookplates.  John Blatchly discusses the privileged short term collecting of Florence Amy Clark.  Renae Satterley offers a great article on the bookplates in the Library of the Middle Temple.  My favourite entry, however, was the extremely interesting piece by W.E. Butler who relates the story of a Wodehouse inspired bookplate and its designer.  Additionally, there are Notes on half a dozen other subjects including Darley Addenda; Thomas Oughtibridge /Barlow /Browne; Edmund Blampied; an Anglo-American label for David Hoffman; Railway bookplates; Gothic Revival plates; and Paul Lemperley's label by Edwin Davis French.  Readers and members should also note that the journal's cover now sports the titles of 'Spring' and 'Autumn' rather than specific months, giving the editors a better window in which to deliver our journals to us during these two seasons.

Up next?  It's actually rather hard to say at the moment, it's been too long since I've looked at everything so I'll need to peruse the pile and pull up something suitable.  Be assured though, that the next blog will appear much sooner than the last.  There's a lot of catching up to do!