Stanford University Libraries
Bookplates Exhibit

Bookplates are labels usually pasted to the inside front cover of a book as a mark of ownership. The earliest known use of bookplates is from Germany, believed to date from the middle of the 15th century. The Latin words ex libris, meaning “from the library of,” were often used. Early bookplates typically featured monochromatic shields of arms of the individual or institutional owners, and sometimes contained warnings of the fate that would befall book thieves. Later designs took on more color and variety, as bookplate artists used portraits, landscapes, and modern motifs, reflecting the creativity of the artist and the individuality of the bookplate commissioner.

Stanford University Libraries uses bookplates to denote books obtained through the support of donors. Monetary gifts are often made to the Libraries in honor of birthdays, anniversaries, achievements, or as an individual memorial. We are pleased to present this exhibit displaying the unique and diverse artwork of bookplates in the Libraries’ collection. The plates are organized alphabetically by the name of the sponsoring fund.

“The Stanford Libraries' first endowed fund was the Jewel Fund, a permanent endowment for library acquisitions, which was established at the specific request of Jane Lathrop Stanford. In 1899, Mrs. Stanford turned over her substantial collection of jewels to the Board of Trustees. In her final address to the Trustees on February 13, 1905, she directed them to sell the jewels after her death for the purpose of establishing a library fund for books and other publications. This fund was to be known as the ‘Jewel Fund.’ Mrs. Stanford passed away two weeks later, and this first endowed fund was created in 1908. The bookplate for the Jewel Fund is shown to the left.” (From the ASUL website)

This Bookplates Exhibit is best viewed with a Javascript-enabled browser. Clicking on a thumbnail image will open a window containing the full-size image. Browsers without Javascript will open up a new full-size window for each selected full-size image. Text-only browser users are directed to the Text View version for a list of library funds.

Enter the Exhibit

or choose an alphabetical starting point from the navigation bars

If you are interested in learning more about the art of bookplates, please see our Bookplates Links page.

Bibliography: Antioch’s Bookplate History, The Associates of the Stanford University Libraries Jewel Fund, and Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Please e-mail comments to Grace Baysinger, graceb@stanford.edu.

Special thanks to Marilu Diaz, Jacob Lai, Axel Morales, and Barden Shimbo for their dedication, creativity, and efforts in scanning the bookplates and in developing this web site. Thanks also to Kelly Morris, Library Development, and Ruby Butler, Binding and Finishing, for their help in providing an original copy of each bookplate.