Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-01

and would not per Sc be of very great
interest to the average person.
Bookplates have since the Middle
AGES and prior to the invention OF the
printing press denoted ownership OF
manuscript folios or books, the former
of which were usually Handsomely Nus
trated and palnstakingly lettered by the
scholars of medieval times. They were
almost priceless to their royal or knight
" owners. the only classes OUTSIDE OF
the nlonasteries who could afford to own
them. The king or robleman had MS
coat-of-arms emblazoned on the folio.
which stamped II unmistakaoly. even 10
to those who could not read, Durer ano
many other master cngravers designed
little wood cuts to be affixed TO printed
volumes. and from that time 10 the
present this delightfully."- civilized man
ner of designating private property has
enioyed a steady popularity.
All the plates In the current exnlol-
ton at the Smithsonian Institution we're
made before 1900 and are for the most
part armorial in type. This circum-
stance merely adds emphasis TO the fect
that our democracy was founceo py
aristocrats--who, after all, are the
truest democrats.
second to the armorial plate in popu-
larity was the printed label, in some IN
stances uncompromisingly plain. IN
others eH1bellished with fancy scrc.!
work or a wreath of flowers, with per-
haps an angel head or other Quaint de-
vice incorporated in the design. A cry
nlain label indeed is the bookplate or
James Monroe. fifth President CT me
limited states. included in the Virginia
group OF plates at the Smithsonian.
Give Way to Pictorial
Rut the heraldic plates. with their
shields and helmets, their grtmnS. mons
and funny faces. have to large e%ten'
given way today to pictorial types OF a
more varied and engaging character.
Il Is hence of interest TO discover tnat
even In the eighteenth century traoitlon
was broken in some cases ana DOCK
mates were enlivened with landscapes,
SYMBOLIC figures and many other de-
Iiahtful conceits But at that time pc
torial plates often belonged To pubic
institutions such as in these days are IN
MANY cases SO reticent as to mark tHer
hooks with the meanest of printed slips.
In the Smithsonian exhibition, Tor IN
stance. il a plate Of the village library
Of Pennington, Conn. which oroelaiIns
Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may
roll:
Charms strike the sense but merit wills
the soul"
Above this declaration. which makes
such surprising distinction between
charm and merit, AZ though the TWO
could have nothing In common, IL
Young woman who has apparently taken
the maxim 10 heart. as she Is seated
with a book In her lap, and ouilt-n
bookcase just beyond her mas its oooI
omen. as though she planned 10 nnlsn
several volumes during a single session.
still more noridly pictorial Is the
plate of the Society for Propagatihg
the Gospel In Foreign Parts, oateo
i7O4. A sun with benign human iea-
lures sheds Its beams over a snip IN
fuu sail which. on very wavy ocean.
10 snnroaching ruck-bound coast
9pres,,mablv our own. where many
savaQes have gathered TO greet the
dispenser OF the gospel. Numerous
otYier institutional plates with amusing
scenes are TO be seen In the current
exhibition,
Biographical Interest.
Approaching the collection from the
viewpoint Of biographical interest, one
finds an embarrassment OF riehes. III
the New York group of Al plates are q
fanous Livingston family. which was
nositiyelv overhurdened with celebrities
William Livingston, governor OF New
Jersey. to whom the boy Alexander
Hamilton came with letters or intro"
auction from the West Indies, and VINO
was delegate TO the constitutional
convention: Edward Livingston, elected
Ia Congress In l7aS, who later went To
Louisiana and took prominent part
In the affairs of that territory, where
he won a lawsuit against President
Thomas jefferson the was Secretary OF
state under Andrew Jackson In 1881
99l Robert Livingston OF Clermont,
natron of Robert Fulton, and Philip
livingston, signcr OF the Declaration
az Independence. All these members
Of the Livingston family had armorial
mates. made by various designers, but
characterized by use of the family
arms with ship IN distress for =
crest. Robert livingston. founder OF
the family In America. on his way 10
these shores had been saved from ship
wreck, and In commemoratlon OF his
deliverance. substituted this feature for
the famiiy's ancient crest.
John Jay. flrst Chief Justice of the
United States, Is also represented In the
New York group OF plates He married
sarah Livingston, daughter OF the
william mentioned above, and 80 be"
came intimately associated with this
eminent and influential family
virginia Group OF Plates
The virginia group In the exhibition
numbers only 20 items, but IA IN itself
worth trip 70 see. In addition 70