Grolier Club, Maria Gerard Messenger Women's Bookplate Collection

The Maria Gerard Messenger Women’s Bookplate Collection is a group of 2095 women's bookplates and book labels assembled by Maria Gerard Messenger (1849-1937) of Great Neck, Long Island. The collection represents women book owners from the sixteenth century to the 1930s, and includes women from North America, England, France, Germany, the Low Countries, and Spain, among other locations. It includes both well-known collectors and those with little or no documentation in the historical record. The collection was donated by Messenger to the Great Neck Public Library in April 1933, which donated it in turn to the National Museum of Women in the Arts in May 1986. The NMWA kindly donated it to the Grolier Club in March 2016.

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58, Penywern Road, South Kensington Bookplate
Book label. inscribed: "58, Penywern Road, South Kensington."
A. Finch and M. Finch Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "A & M Finch".
A. Finch and M. Finch Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed in manuscript: "A & M Finch".
A. Gertrude Orchard Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "A. Gertrvde Orchard. \ As the svn colovrs flowers so art colovrs life." Depicts a winding river, with the sun behind clouds. Flanked by trees and flowers, with one featuring peacock feathers. The artist's initials and the year are visible at the bottom.
A. Gertrude Orchard Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "A. Gertrvde Orchard. \ As the svn colovrs flowers so art colovrs life." Depicts a winding river, with the sun behind clouds. Flanked by trees and flowers, with one featuring peacock feathers. The artist's initials and the year are visible at the bottom.
A. Joseph Comtesse de Feketé Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "A. Joseph Comte_se de Feketé née Comte_se d'Esterhazy."
A. Leissling Bookplate
Bookplate, inscribed: "A. Leissling." Depicts a design whuich seems to have incorporated armorial, heraldic-like elements.
A. Mary Womrath Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "From the books of A. Mary Womrath". Depicts a woman sitting and reading beneath a tree, with ruins and a sailboat in the distance.
A. Mary Womrath Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "From the books of A. Mary Womrath". Depicts a woman sitting and reading beneath a tree, with ruins and a sailboat in the distance. Printed in red ink.
A. Varela Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ A Varela S". Depicts the side profile of a woman with short hair, sitting at a piano and reading from sheets of paper (presumably sheet music). The artist's name is visible in the bottom-right corner. Printed in blue ink.
A.C. and N. Bell Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Door Teyd und Vteyd \ Ex Libris \ A.C. and N. Bell \ Ring out the false \ Ring in the True". Depicts a large bell, a tree, several doves in flight, a pile of books, and a painter's palette. Several smaller bells are visible, with a set of initials inscribed upon each. The artist's initials and the year are visible in the bottom-right corner.
A.E.B.D. Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "A.E.B.D. \ 1896."
A.G. Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "AG".
AP Shallus Circulating Library Bookplate
Book label, inscribed: "A.P Shallus \ Circulating Library \ No 90 South Third St \ Philada." The engraver's name is barely visible at the bottom. Mounted alongside a pictorial bookplate and an auction description of that plate.
Abbie B. Stone Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: Abbie B Stone \ 1900 \ I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills". Depicts the dark silhouette of trees. The artist's initials are visible in the top-left corner. Printed on brown paper.
Abbie Margaret Strong Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Abbie Margaret Strong". Depicts a woman reading beneath a tree and sitting beside several large books. There is a sailboat in the background, and sunflowers partially line the left side of the image.The artist's initials and year are visible in the lower-left corner.
Abby P.A. Davis Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Abby P.A. Davis". Depicts a woman picking flowers and holding a book in one arm. There are overgrown columns in the background. The image is enclosed within a frame of leaves and flowers, with ocean waves and sea shells at the bottom. The engraver's initials and the year are visible in the bottom-right corner of the central image.
Abby Sage Richardson Bookplate
Book label, inscribed: "Abby Sage Richardson." Printed in red ink.
Ada Spencer Daggett Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ada Spencer Daggett \ owns this book". Depicts a figure standing among flowers, facing toward trees and playing the flute. Enclosed within a floral border. The artist's name is visible at the bottom.
Ada Stewart Shelton Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Plvs pense que dire \ Ada Stewart Shelton \ 1892". Depicts a flower, possibly an orchid.
Adelaide Comtesse de Törring Seefeld Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Adelaide Comte_se de Törring Seefeld".
Adelaide Rokewode Gage Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Adelaide Rokewode Gage \ Bon temps viendra. \ Lord have mercy."
Adele Friedlander Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "AF \ Adele Friedlander." Depicts a woman pouring liquid into a smoking fire. Behind her is a statue of a man in a toga, playing a stringed instrument, flanked by ornate columns. The artist's name is visible in the bottom-left corner of the central image.
Adelheid Schmidt Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "P.H.: \ Auf so manche Lust der Welt \ Lernt man früh verzichten. \ Was uns bis zuletzt gefällt, \ Sind Bilder und Geschichten. \ Ex Libris \ 1902 \ Adelheid Schmidt." Depicts a stone bench among a rural landscape dominated by trees and clouds. Enclosed within an ornate frame. The artist's name and location is visible in the bottom-right corner. Printed in blue ink.
Adéle Biedermann-Kaus Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Adéle Biedermann-Kaus". Depicts a woman in a robe, leaning upon a wall and reading a book with one hand. The artist's initials are visible in the bottom-right corner. Printed in red ink.
Agatha Royds Greene Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris Agatha Royds Greene." Depicts an interior scene of a room with a bookcase, chair, fireplace, and two large potted plants. There is a heraldic image in the bottom-right corner, as well as the artist's initials and the year.
Agnes Dennis Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Agnes Dennis". Depicts text within a circular frame of flowers, flanked by columns. Printed with yellow, orange, red, pink, and blue.
Agnes Drobner Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Agnes Drobner \ Geb. Hindorf." Depicts a woman playing the guitar, with clouds and a rural landscape in the background. Framed by flowers. The artist's name and the year is visible at the bottom. Printed in blue ink.
Agnes Drobner Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Agnes Drobner. \ Die Natur ist das einzige Buch, das auf allen Blättern grossen Inhalt bietet." Depicts large trees, a rock, and a small path or stream. The image is flanked by flowers. The artist's name and the year is visible at the bottom.
Agnes Engehausen Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Diesse buch gehoert. \ Agnes Engehausen." Depicts buildings flanked by books, upon which the names of musicians/composers are written.There are flowers on the left side of the image, and hearts and stars at the top. The artist's name, the location, and the year is visible at the bottom. Printed in blue ink on blue paper.
Agnes Engehausen Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Diesse buch gehoert. \ Agnes Engehausen." Depicts buildings flanked by books, upon which the names of musicians/composers are written.There are flowers on the left side of the image, and hearts and stars at the top. The artist's name, the location, and the year is visible at the bottom. Printed in red ink.
Agnes Freidrau von Berchem Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "ex libris \ agnes freifrau von berchem". Depicts an ornately carved bookshelf, with a vase of flowers beside it.There is one open book, with a flower resting on the pages. A heraldic device is at the top of the image. The artist's initials and the year are visible in the bottom-right corner. Printed on light blue paper.
Agnes Guttman Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Agnes Guttmann". Depicts a young woman with an umbrella over one shoulder, standing beneath a tree, reading a book. The text is inscribed upon a background of flowers. The artist's initials are visible in the bottom-left.
Agnes Has Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Agnes Has". Depicts a young girl walking with a small dog, holding books. She is standing beside a heraldic device and thorns, and behind her is the skyline of a town within a floral border. The artist's name and the year is visible at the bottom.
Agnes McDonalds Hayes Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "'A sculptor, on cathedral tower, \ With patient care and toil…" Depicts a poem, with the faint impression of a cathedral tower in the top-left corner. Below the poem is the owner's name and a flower/heraldic device. The artist's initial and the year is visible in the bottom-left corner of the central image.
Agnes Meyerhof Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Agnes Meyerhof." Depicts a toucan perched upon a book, holding a paintbrush in its beak. Printed with orange, yellow, and black ink.
Agnes Rosenhain Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Agnes Rosenhain \ Ex Libris." Depicts a woman painting, sitting beside books and flowers. To her left is a tree and two heraldic devices. Artist's name and year visible in the bottom-right corner.
Agnes Witting Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Bvecher und noten von Agnes Witting." Depicts two women with wreaths in their hair, flanked by flowers and sharing a book. The artist's initials are visible in the lower-right. Printed in red ink.
Alexandine Medem Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Alexandrine Medem." Depicts a large mansion or building, with columns and circular windows. Heraldic imagery is visible at the top. All enclosed within an ornate frame.
Alicae Mariae Jackson Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Lib Aliciæ Mariæ Jackson." Depicts flowers and a turtle, with several books on the ground beside them. There is a large house partially visible behind the bush. Artist's initials and year visible in the bottom corners.
Alice B. McCutcheon Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Alice B. McCutcheon". Depicts a woman wearing a bonnet and large dress, reading a book. She is enclosed within a wreath of roses, and flanked symmetrically by two baskets of roses. The artist's name and the year is visible at the bottom-center of the image.
Alice Berrmann Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Alice Beerman". Depicts a central tree within an ornate archway, with a castle atop a mountain in the distance. Beneath the tree, an owl sits in the middle of a shelf of books. Heraldic imagery can be seen in each corner of the image. The artist's monogram is visible in the bottom-right.
Alice Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "One of Alice's books \ I am sure". Depicts a rabbit, walking upright, holding an open book. The artist's monogram ("NLB") is visible beneath the rabbit's foot.
Alice E. Ricketts Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Astra castra numen lumen : \ Alice E Ricketts \ Ex Libris." Depicts a symmetrical design featuring thorned flowers. Artist's name and year in bottom-right.
Alice Emma Wilkinson Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Aeqvam memento rebvs in ardvuis servare mentem \ Alice Emma Wilkinson". Depicts two women, one holding a pot of flowers and the other reading a scroll. One of the women has angel wings and flowers in her hair. The image is enclosed within a border of clover. The artist's name and the year is visible in the bottom-right corner.
Alice Falvery Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Alice Falvey". Depicts a sailboat and buoy, with three clouds in the background. The owner's name is inscribed upon a floating piece of wood.
Alice Flint Brooks
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris Alice Flint Brooks". Depicts a shelf of books on a window sill, flanked by a vase and flower pot. The artist's monogram and the year is visible in the bottom-right corner.
Alice Hauser and Alfred Hauser Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Hier liegt mein buch berlieh'n wird's nicht \ Alice_Alfred Hauser". Depicts a sepulchral monument among plants. Trees, clouds, and the heads of a man and woman can be seen behind it. Artist's name and year visible in middle-left of image.
Alice Klauber Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "The Propery of Alice Klauber and Her Friends". Depicts a sculpture-like portrait of a woman with a head covering, on a background of leaves. Artist's initials at bottom.
Alice Lockwood Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Si deus. Quis contra. \ Alice Lockwood."

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