Bookplates, also called ex libris, are a peculiar sort of bookish ephemera. In Latin, “ex libris” literally means “from the books,” but the term came to denote a decorative label identifying a book’s owner, generally pasted inside the front cover. The concept of marking ownership of a written work is not a new one. The earliest known example of a book label belonged to Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye of Egypt around 1350 B.C.E. and was likely affixed to a box of papyri. However, such labels differed from ex libris because they were simply textual, lacking the artistic and personalized element of bookplates.

Three bookplates belonging to (left to right): J. Baglis, after 1899, depicting of an F.C. Barcelona footballer; artist Juliette May Fraser of Hawaii, featuring Hindu and Egyptian mythological elements, ca. 1910; Nils Sjöberg, showing a man before an apple tree with a sign reading “kunskapen träd” (tree of knowledge) in Swedish, ca. 1900. Indiana State Library.

Bookplates first emerged in Germany as early as the late 15th century, shortly following the invention of Johannes Gutenberg’s movable type printing press. Bookplates are typically printed themselves, rather than hand drawn. The earliest examples were created using woodcuts – reliefs carved into blocks of wood which were hand painted or inked and pressed to paper to create a reverse image. Later bookplates were commonly created using engraving or etching, where the design was cut into a metal plate rather than wood. As bookplates are primarily artistic, numerous artists and artisans – such as German painter Albrecht Dürer, American silversmith Paul Revere, and Dutch graphic artist M. C. Escher – tried their hand at the craft.

Until the 19th and 20th centuries, literacy was a mark of privilege and books – even after the invention of the printing press – were prohibitively expensive for the masses, even if they could read them. Preventing the theft of these prized and costly possessions was paramount. Therefore, personalized bookplates were primarily commissioned and used by affluent individuals with private collections, or by institutions with sprawling libraries like universities and monasteries. Institutional libraries continued to use bookplates in their collections well into the 20th century.

Three bookplates from (left to right): “The Australian Ex Libris Society” by Ernest Warner, 1923; “Knights of Columbus Library,” Denver Council No. 539, ca. 1900; “Library of the Old Northwest Genealogical Society” by Winifred B. Mackenzie, 1904. Indiana State Library.

Before barcodes and RFID tags, bookplates helped identify which volumes were the library’s property and could ensure their safe return in the case of loss or theft. Bookplates could also be used to record specific collectors and donors. Here at the Indiana State Library, catalogers pasted bookplates into new acquisitions until the late 20th century. Below you can see two examples of leftover generic bookplates and a third that was used to indicate volumes which were part of the Darlington Collection.

Three bookplates from (left to right): “Frank Graef Darlington” by Sidney Lawton Smith, 1909; “Indiana State Library” with an illustration inspired by the Indiana state seal; “Indiana State Library” by Franklin Booth, 1933. Indiana State Library.

Bookplates are unique and highly customized, tending to reflect the personalities, interests, vocations or even faces of their owners. They included the owner’s name, which makes bookplates crucial to establishing the provenance of books, and help us understand who read them and how they were used. Books, being a valuable commodity, often change hands as they are passed down, gifted or sold. It is commonplace, therefore, for bookplates to be layered atop each other with each new owner, establishing a line of origin. As works of art, the style, technique and subject matter can also assist in dating for provenance. By the late 19th century, the use of bookplates among individuals had grown more democratic, thanks to the rise of literacy and fall of book prices.

Bookplate collecting, thanks to the artistry and personality of the object, emerged as a popular hobby in Europe and North America by the late Victorian era. Flora Gardiner Kling, born in 1857, of Mount Vernon, Indiana, was one such collector. During her life, she experienced periods of inactivity when she was homebound after an interurban rail accident injured both her legs and ankles in 1908. A vivacious and social person, she normally hosted and attended social gatherings, played the piano in musicales and traveled around Indiana visiting her many friends. Collecting bookplates through correspondence kept Kling occupied and connected to the outside world during that period. She wrote to many people requesting their bookplates, including authors, poets, actors, politicians, scientists, musicians, artists, engravers and other collectors. Three fruits of her laborious inquiries are seen below.

Kling, like many collectors and bibliophiles, had her own bookplates, one of which was designed by well-known American engraver Timothy Cole. Most of the bookplates in this post originate in Kling’s collection in Rare Books and Manuscripts. More selections from her collection will be on display from June to September 2025 in the Manuscripts Reading Room at the Indiana State Library.

Two bookplates of Flora Gardiner Kling, the first of which was designed by Timothy Cole, 1915, and the second likely depicts Kling herself in her later years. Indiana State Library.

Sources:
Allen, Charles Dexter. “Ex Libris: Essays of a Collector.” Boston and New York: Lamson, Wolffe, and Company, 1896. Google Books.
Bowdoin, W. G. “The Rise of the Book-plate; Being an Exemplification of the Art.” New York: A. Wessels Company, 1901.
Castle, Egerton. “Book-plates.” In Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., vol. 4. Cambridge, UK: University of Cambridge, 1911.
Cheesman, Tara. “The Lost Art of the Bookplate.” Foxtail Books and Library Services. Accessed May 6, 2025.
Jones, Louise Seymour. “The Human Side of Bookplates.” Los Angeles: Ward Ritchie Press, 1951.
Keenan, James P. “The American Society of Bookplate Collectors and Designers.” Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies, June 25, 2023.
Patel, Neha. “Ex Libris: A History of Bookplates.” Book Riot, January 21, 2021.
Slater, J. Herbert. “Book Plates and Their Value.” London: Henry Grant, 1898. Internet Archive.
Trustees of the British Museum. “Book-label; Plaque.” British Museum. Accessed May 5, 2025.

This blog post was written by Rare Books and Manuscripts librarian Brittany Kropf. For more information, contact the Rare Books and Manuscripts Division at 317-232-3671 or via “Ask-A-Librarian.”