The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-19
MEMBERS NIGHT.
Mr.. Charles Dexter Allen Of Hartford Lee.
lures Before the Providence Art Club.

Mr.. Charles Dexter Allen OF Hartford.
Connecticut. literary editor OF the Hart
ford Post author OF American Book
Plates" Essays of Collector and
Also honorable corresponding secretary
OF the United States OF the ex-Libris So
ciety OF England, was the guest or honor
and speaker before the members or the
Providence Art club, last evening.
IL was the "4srd members night" OF the
club and these functions are usually very
largely attended. Owing, however, 10
the severity OF the weather and 10 the
fact that several other counter attract
ions were IN progress the attendance last
evening was much smaller than usual
Mr.. Allen, however, delighted those
present with his scholarly presentation
OF subject with which most persons
are not entirely familiar.
In beginning, Mr.. Allen called attention
to the period OF opposition, Journalistic
reproach" as ne called IL to all collectors
and persons interested In book plates.
1T was not so very long ago he SAID.
that the American Press denounced all
these as the deadly enemies or the oiu
book shop, accused them OF all sorts OF
moral turpitude and insensiolhty 10 the
finer emotions OF right and honor, charac-
tlzed IL as an unfortunate craze and as
serted that thousands of octavos duod-
ecimos 18th century classics. books like
''I'hompsons Seasons" with Westalls
plates, together with increditable other
numbers of innocents were monthly
massacred merely for their armorial
book plates
Now" continued the speaker, all this
Is passed and the press and the maga-
zines are very kind 10 the book plate
cult.
"A little while ago one was frequently
asked the question what is book plate,
anyhow and today the query Is what
is 1t that makes book plate interesting!
''As / look at IL the book plate abPpea,s sb sns
TO the artistic sense in two ways the an
tiquarian and the artistic: For the IN
teillgent collector the book plate revlVes
the past. In the silence OF ms uen "a
links countries, yernments ana inolVIu-
uals. All sorts and conditions, al! ages
live in his album and contribute 10 ms
happiness just because in their day ana
generation each one cared enough ABOUT
books TO use plate. BOOK plates are ,s,.S nS
new thing. II is said that tney existsa tsa
i'm Japan In the tenth century, but the
earliest book plate comes from germany.
Albrecht Durer Q47l-l52S( Is something's
called the father of book ps,,es;o, pisa,l,ees;i ane
was the first artist to these DTS OF en-.
craving. He designed some 20 In all anu
originated the features OF ornamentauon,
''The first book plate designed by Durer
was then thrown upon the screen, tue
provost of the Church OF st. Lawrence at
Nuremburg." This quaint old picture
tho spea ker described In detail: con.
book plate habit spread over the CONT
nent 10 England and across the Atlanuc
to America, but England he saio mas
probably more book plates than any oth-
er country and the English Armorlai
book plates have served the historian ana
the geneologist very well. we 90 noe e
in America, but 1t probably came over
the sea pasted into the book or some
Dutch or English colonist.
plates were then thrown upon the screen
and were described In detail by the
speaker. These included the book plates
Washington. with the family arms en-
graved thereon in the Chippendale style,
William Penn, Anthony Stewart OF An
napolis. William Belcher OF savannah
Charles Carroll of Carrolton. Edmund
Llvingstone Nyles Cooper. Daniel Pro-
vost and many others, These old coloniai
book plates, the speaker SAID, were ue
signed and In most cases engraved also
by their owners.
Turning from the book plates used by
individuals, the speaker illustrated ana
described many used by societies, fnsu-
lowing: Village library" in Connect
cut; New YORK society lhDrary, AP-
prentices Library and others.
The latter part OF the lecture was con-
fined TO the illustration and description
OF modern book plates. notably those OF
DE Witt Miller. designed by Spencer; Ed
mund Hale Bierstadt plate, Edward Hap
good plate, Edward Carroll plates: plates
also. Of the Union League club OF New
York. the Lucy Island Historical society.
the Authors Club society of New YORK,
tho Woman's club OF Wisconsin. the
Henry Van Dyke plate. The last plate
shown was that of John Carter Brown
of Providence
AT the close of the lecture the company
descended TO the grill rooms below and
gathered around the blazing wood fires,
where a typical Bohemian feast was
spread and In the enjoyment of which
all thought OF the outside world with It's
wintry winds was forgotten.