OK, so this is a follow-up to my first ever post. On November 5th I was volunteering at a charity golf even here in town. The clubhouse had a selection of old books in the clubhouse. Well, now that I am an official addict it is impossible for me to walk past an old book with out looking inside. Trust me, I have tried to just walk past but after 3 or 4 steps past the book I start getting the shakes and cold chills. It is much more pleasant on the body, soul, and mind to just open the book and see what treasure may be inside. Well, I opened one of the books and Lo & Behold there she was, a beautiful armorial plate. After some finagling I was able to take possession of said bookplate. Here she is:
Owner: Francis Culling & Emily Blanch Carr-Gomm
Artist: Harry Soane, SC (London)
Date: 1878-1901
Size: 4 1/8 x 3 1/16
Style: Armorial
Details: Taken from an 1848 copy of Scott's Poetical Works "Minstrelsy" Vol. 2. Research showed that Francis Culling was b. 1834 in England. He married Emily Blanche in 1878 and they lived in inherited Manor of Rotherite. Carr-Gomm died in 1901. Therefore it is safe to assume that this Ex Libris was used between 1878 & 1901. Mr. Carr-Gomm was a Sheriff of Buckinghamshire (per The London Gazette dated Tuesday, November 15, 1892) and was instrumental in helping the infamous "Elephant Man" receive proper care in an English hospital. In fact, he is portrayed by John Gielgud in the 1980 film "Elephant Man".
He also published a few books with the “Handbook of The Administrators of Great Britain During The 19th Century (published 1901) being chief among them.
All in all it sounds like the Mr. Carr-Gomm was a good gentleman who cared about a good many things.
The famous Harry Soane SC, London was the engraver as the plate is signed. He was popular in late 1800s and is credited with many other plates during this time frame.
What a fun plate to find find!
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I also wanted to take this time to thank two people who have been instrumental in guiding me down this most dangerous of path of bookplate collecting.
First off, BIG THANKS to Mr. Lew Jaffe for a wonderful gift received in the mail on November 13th. 2 very nice bookplates and a good looking business card to boot. They are featured below!
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| Color plate by Dusan Janousek (probably 1970s); Initials plate by Elly de Koster (1986) |
Mr. Jaffe has spent more than his fair share of time answering loads of questions from me. And the bad thing is, I ain't even close to done with questions.....but I'm gonna give him a few days to recuperate from his bookplate hunting trip before bombarding him again. Thanks Mr Jaffe!
Secondly I'd like to thank Mr. Luigi Bergomi for also being patient with me and my million questions. I am thankful that Mr. Bergomi is taking time to put a selection of plates together for me to look at for purchasing. His sage advise is definitely helping to get me focused and on the right track! I look forward to receiving that early Christmas Gift in the mail soon! THANKS Mr. Bergomi.
If anyone else out there has extra plates that want to consider selling please contact me and I will provide you with a list of what I am looking for!
I'll be adding a few more odds and ends later this week. Until next time, Happy Plate Hunting!
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