In this time period, the woodcut was not an artistic medium that could be appreciated all by itself. Everything was geared to the designing and making of BOOKS. So, the woodcut was used to embellish the book page. (See book engraving by Eric Gill, below right, courtesy of The Golden Cockerel Press.)
The Guild of Book Workers "The Guild of Book Workers, with headquarters in New York, and with members residing in fourteen states, and in Canada, England, France and Russia, has just closed its first year. There are 136 members. The Guild was formally organized on the 14th of November, 1908, forty-two persons, representing the crafts of illuminating, printing, binding, and designing of type, tools, book-covers and book-plates, having met in response to a call issued because of the belief that an association for the purposes of mutual interest and assistance would be welcomed by many 
engaged in the practical work connected with book-making. The steady growth of the membership and the interest shown in all the activities of the Guild have proved the belief was well founded. An exhibition of the work of members was given in New York in April, 1907, in which sixty-nine members exhibited examples of their own hand-work in the various book-crafts. An exhibition was held in San Francisco in July, 1907, in which the work of forty members were shown. The assistance of the Guild has been asked for in many cities where exhibits of books were being planned. By exhibitions of the work of its members the Guild spreads an interest in the hand crafts. By its carefully compiled records kept by one officer, the secretary-treasurer, and from which all members can gain desired information by applying to the secretary, it has established a central bureau of information of real value. In November, 1907, under the auspices of the Guild, Mr. T. J. Cobden-Sanderson of London, one of its members, gave an illustrated lecture, in New York, on “The Book Beautiful.” By this lecture the Guild increased its circle of desirable acquaintance, and presented a distinguished binder and printer to an appreciative audience. The Guild closes its first year with money in the treasury, having made no assessments, and with a gain of nearly one hundred in its membership. The Secretary is Helen O. Haskell, 105 East 17th Street, New York City, to whom all inquiries may be addressed." C.D.A.
(above excerpt taken from "The Book-Plate Booklet Volume 2 Number 3" edited by Sheldon Cheney Feb. - Nov. 1908 Colored type has been added by me/ Catalog Number R 087 B724 v.1/ Missouri Valley Special Collections.)
engaged in the practical work connected with book-making. The steady growth of the membership and the interest shown in all the activities of the Guild have proved the belief was well founded. An exhibition of the work of members was given in 
I believe they are absolutely a legitimate entry within the rich history of printmaking. And in terms of sophistication, like fine arts etchings,lithos and relief prints, bookplates have their purpose and run the spectrum of sophistication (in technique, craft and concept). I would not compare
ReplyDeletethem to other art forms in any hierarchical way...they are what they are, unique and different from other art forms. I generally reject any argument in favor of one media being "superior" to another. Within printmaking, the once-common attitude was that lithography was superior to etching, which superceded relief, and then comes silkscreen at the bottom of the pile.
Currently, the legitimacy of digital printmaking is being debated, and before serigraphy existed, or lithography for that matter, the hierarchy was imposed on existing technologies. Within the 20th century, these attitudes were probably dependant on who you spoke to...a lithographer being biased
towards litho, an etcher favoring intaglio, and so on. To me, these debates are unnecessary, irrelevant, and lock those of us who choose print as our primary media into an even larger system where sculpture or installation rules the day, and printmaking is grouped below with the "crafts." Seems to
me that these arguments change with the times and advances in technology, and as artists it benefits us more to be accepting of every single thing in the world as a potential artistic resource, a legitimate media, and a tool for the realization of artistic and aesthetic vision. I think Beuys and
Duchamp showed us that.
Best,
Bill
I am not an expert on Bookplates. I think printmakers make then nowadays for fun and for private book collectors or experiments or for their own books or for presents or when they are not too busy. Some make them as a sideline others like some wood engravers in the UK are serious and specialise in this field, in the UK Book illustrators often make Book Plates.
ReplyDeleteas far as I remember I think Durer made Book Plates of outstanding detail and quality by hand and are very valuable today and considered miniature masterpieces. I think other Germans were involved in making Bookplates for the rich or aristocratic Book Collector. Some European engravers Book plates are well valued
It seemed to fall out of fashion in the 19th c. Commercial printing hurt printmaking activities by hand.
I think the Arts and Crafts movements in the UK revived wood engraving and Bookprinting and bookplates and then to decline again
In the 1950 I think Book plates made from Lino was of a good quality. Commercially sold ex Libris/Bookplates are sold in shops and in Bookstores and you can buy a tiny rubber stamping set to make your own. so they became cheap and a Book plate made by a Printmaker would be too expensive
So printmakers began to switch off from it. It could easily be reivived again.
Best to you,
Paula