The Art of the Ex Libris

1. The origins

2. The oldest ex libris

3. The birth of bookplate collector and bookplate societies

4-The foundation of FISAE

5-Ex Libris and the Internet

6-Trends in the New Millenium

x Libris, though, evolved as society did. The XIX th century and its ideas of egalitarism and freedom gave rise to a society where the "bourgeoisie", enriched by merchant ventures, the newly-born industries and sometimes by speculation, increasingly started having interest and also access to the possession of books. Book ownership as many other riches ceased to be a monopole of a minority, usually identified with the aristocracy.

An ever growing number of people with respectable professions - physicians, lawyers, solicitors, librarians, architects, etc. - also became interested in collecting books and had the means to buy them. The revolution in the graphic arts - namely, the rising of lithography, and the discovery of zincography and other mechanical printing methods - making it cheaper and quicker to print images or drawings on paper, also contributed to the widespread of ex libris.

With it arose the interest in collecting the little pieces of paper - where symbols, a coat of arms or a nice drawing, alluding to its owner - were printed. Collecting things of all sorts has always been a passion for many people. In it there is a mixture of various human instincts, particularly that of the hunter - to find and get the hidden coveted piece.

So, in the last quarter of the XIX century, a prominent character was born: the collector of ex libris. One of the most famous collectors was Sir Augustus W. Franks whose considerable huge collection is now at the British Museum.

The spread of collectors in turn, led to the necessity of uniting efforts through the creation of Societies. The first, were created in Great Britain, Germany and France by the 1890’s followed shortly by the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and Spain.

There followed others, throughout the XX th century, in most European countries and in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, China and Japan, joining up bookplate collectors, artists and ex libris amateurs in general. They all aimed at gathering people with the same passion, enabling exchanges and publishing Bulletins in whose pages the theme is studied and discussed, making artists known, and at organizing conferences, talks and exhibitions [i].

Unfortunately, most of the earlier Societies were short-lived because of the Two World Wars and the Great Depression and also owing to the lack of renewal of members of younger generations. And this seems to be cyclical in the life of the majority of Bookplate Societies - half a century of existence and activity is really exceptional.

However, bookplate activity in most European countries [ii] and in the U.S.A. resurged slowly after the end of WWII towards the 1950’s [iii].

Most of the newly formed or renewed Societies, or Associations, as they are called in Continental Europe and in the USA, publish periodical magazines or newsletters spreading useful information on bookplate artists, articles on ex libris matters, lists of collectors willing to exchange ex libris, news on ex libris competitions, and review of books published. 

Some - the more active to be exact - also organize meetings, congresses, competitions and exhibitions on a more or less regular basis. The number of members does vary considerable from country to country and in some countries there have been ups and downs in ex libris activity. 

England with its traditional outlook traced her own path, having a very rich tradition of graphic arts applied to bookplate creation by also an ever growing number of free-lance artists, and by the 1970's was born The Bookplate Society, increasing its activity, both in the British Isles and abroad, ending the somewhat traditional English splendid isolation.

In the Americas, both in North and Latin America, there is a rich tradition of bookplate production and collection.

Particularly, in the U.S.A., the period from 1890 to 1925 was considered by several authors including Francis W. Allen, as the golden age of American bookplate design, with fine artists like Sidney Lawton Smith, Edwin Davis French, J. Winfred Spenceley, William Fowler Hopson, E. B. Bird, Edmund Garrett, J. W. Jameson and Arthur N. MacDonald producing little masterpieces of the Art of engraving [iv].

In South America, namely in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina [v], there were also fine collectors and very active ex libris circles following the European and North American trends.

In Australia under the impulse of P. Neville Barnett held in 1911 an ex libris exhibition at the University of Sydney and in 1923 the Australian Ex Libris Society was formed publishing a Journal and Yearbooks. New Zealand saw the appearance of an Ex Libris Society, in Wellington in the early 1930's with a very active branch in Auckland where Hilda Wiseman predominated [vi].

Japan, with a very rich and ancient tradition in the art of woodcut and wood engraving, soon developed an interest for bookplates and collecting, having one of the oldest Bookplate Societies in activity, publishing a very interesting bulletin. Following, Naoto Hida, a reputed Japanese artist and bookplate lover, the first modern Japanese ex libris dates from 1875, and was made for the Tokyo Public Library. [vii].

A special reference must now be made on two rising stars in the world of ex libris outside Europe, accompanying in this field the global changes the World has been experiencing in recent decades: China and Turkey.

China [VIII]

In China where paper was made and used for writing centuries before the printing press was invented by Guttenberg and where the art of calligraphy reached high peaks, ex libris in the European style are relatively recent dating from the 1930’s under the impulse of a group of woodcut artists according to Prof Zhang Zhi You[IX].

But it was in the 1980’s that ex libris resurgence took place in China, namely with the foundation of the Chinese Ex Libris Association in 1984, in Peking, established to gather collectors and artists and promoting ex-libris art.

In that year Chinese artists’ works were presented for the first time at the FISAE Congress exhibition in Germany and from then on their participation in International Competitions and Exhibitions grew in numbers and the peak was reached at the FISAE Congress in Boston in 2000.

Another landmark was the First Chinese Ex Libris Art Exhibition which took place in 1986 followed by others organised by the Chinese Ex Libris Association. Recognising this activity the Chinese Association was accepted as member of FISAE in 1988.

Crowning its efforts and previous requests, China was given the task of organising the XXXII FISAE Ex Libris Congress, in Beijing, in 2008.

          Turkey

          Turkey with an extremely rich cultural tradition dating from the times of the Ottoman Empire is a remarkable case of success outside Europe in the expansion of ex libris activity, in the last two decades of the XXth century.

According to Prof. Hasip Pektas [x] – a pillar of the ex libris movement in Turkey – the interest for ex libris creation started in the 1980’s within the circles of graphic artists who started to attend International Ex Libris Competitions.

By the late 90’s Turkish artists won prizes in International Ex Libris Competitions held in Italy and from then on they have been a constant presence in the International scene. Following this increasing interest the Ankara Ex Libris Society was founded in 1997, organising exhibitions and promoting talks.

With an uncommon dynamism it organised in 2003 an International Ex Libris Competition in collaboration with the Hacettepe University which was a success and has launched a Second International Competition for 2007.

Through Prof. Hasip Pektas it also collaborated in the organising of FISAE’s I & II International CGD Ex-libris Competitions in 2003 and 2006.

Crowning this prolific activity the Ankara Ex Libris Society was given the organization of the XXXIIIrd FISAE Congress in 2010.