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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Boston Public Library Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Shelf No. [blank] \ Sicut patribus sit deus nobis \ Civitatis regimine donata A.D. 1822. \ Bostonia condita A.D. 1630. \ Given Nov. 23rd 1870 by Wm. F. Channing, M.D. and Mrs. Mary Channing Eustis. \ No. [blank]". Depicts text accompanied by the seal of the City of Boston.
Boston Public Library Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Accessions [blank] \ Shelf No. [blank] \ Founded 1852 \ Sicut patribus sit deus nobis \ Civitatis regimine donata A.D. 1822. \ Bostonia condita A.D. 1630. \ Given by Mrs. John G. Gilbert, Dec. 13, 1889." Depicts text accompanied by the seal of the City of Boston, flanked by books, with a lamp at the top. Printer's statement at foot.
Boston Public Library Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Shelf No. [blank] \ Founded 1852 \ Sicut patribus sit deus nobis \ Civitatis regimine donata A.D. 1822. \ Bostonia condita A.D. 1630. \ Given by Mrs. John A. Lewis, \ May 1, 1890." " Depicts text accompanied by the seal of the City of Boston, flanked by books, with a lamp at the top. Printer's statement at foot.
Boston Public Library Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Shelf No. K.[blank] \ Founded 1852 \ Sicut patribus sit deus nobis \ Civitatis regimine donata A.D. 1822. \ Bostonia condita A.D. 1630. \ Given by Mrs. R. Anne Nichols, \ January 26, 1893." " Depicts text accompanied by the seal of the City of Boston, flanked by books, with a lamp at the top. Printer's statement at foot.
Boston Public Library Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Shelf No. K.[blank] \ Founded 1852 \ Sicut patribus sit deus nobis \ Civitatis regimine donata A.D. 1822. \ Bostonia condita A.D. 1630. \ Bequest of Caroline Coddington Thayer \ March 27, 1891." " Depicts text accompanied by the seal of the City of Boston, flanked by books, with a lamp at the top. Printer's statement at foot.
Boston Public Library Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Shelf No. \ G.[blank] \ Founded 1852 \ Sicut patribus sit deus nobis \ Civitatis regimine donata A.D. 1822. \ Bostonia condita A.D. 1630. \ Bequest of Eliza Mary Thayer. \ Recd. July 1877." Depicts text accompanied by the seal of the City of Boston, flanked by books, with a lamp at the top.
Boulay Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Bibliotheque du Boulay". Mounted alongside a similar plate.
Boulay Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed in manuscript: "Bibliotheque De Par[…]". Mounted alongside a similar plate.
Brearley School Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "By truth and toil \ Library of Brearley School \ Limited."
Brigitta Greiin Hiller von Gaertringen Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Brigitte Freiin Hiller von Gaertringen". Depicts a woman in a blue gown, with flowers in her blonde hair, holding a shield bearing heraldic imagery. Printed with red, blue, green, and yellow ink.
Brigitta Greiin Hiller von Gaertringen Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Brigitte Freiin Hiller von Gaertringen". Depicts a woman in a blue gown, with flowers in her blonde hair, holding a shield bearing heraldic imagery. Printed with red, blue, green, and yellow ink.
Bryn Mawr Club Bookplate
Heraldic presentation bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Colleg Bryan Mawre Sigill \ Veritatem dilexi \ Bryn Mawr Club \ New York \ Presented by [blank]".
C Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "C".
C Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "C".
C Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "C".
C. Berkhan Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed "Ex-lIbris \ C. Berkhan". Depicts a front-facing woman, seated among what appears to be vine-like ironwork and lanterns. Her dress includes a floral design, and she is holding a heraldic device with one hand. The artist's initials are visible in the bottom-left corner. Printed on green paper.
C. Dashwood Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, with the owner's name in manuscript: "C. Dashwood."
C. J. Skinner Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "C.J. Skinner."
C. Schönfield Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "C. Schönfield \ Ex Libris". Depicts the facial portrait of a woman, resting her head on her hand while surrounded by thorny vines and a rose. A bird sits perched upon a vine.
C.K. Hotaling and Mr. C.K. Hotaling Bookplate
Book label, inscribed: "Mr. & Mrs. C.K. Hotaling's Private Library."
C.M. Yonge Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "C.M. Yonge."
Caecilie Wolbrandt Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Cæcilie Wolbrandt \ Ex-libris \ geb. Linz \ Natvr \ Fidelitas". Depicts a flower flanked by heraldic devices, with a sunrise over water and the skyline of a city in the background. There is a line of musical notes at the bottom, along with the year and the artist's name. Printed in red ink on yellow paper.
Caecilie Wolbrandt Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "E Cantibvs \ Caecilie Wolbrandt \ Semper." Depicts a symmetrical design featuring a portrait medallion, piano, harp, and flowers. The location, year, and artist's name is visible at the bottom. Printed in blue ink on green paper.
Caecilie Wolbrandt Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "E Cantibvs \ Caecilie Wolbrandt \ Semper." Depicts a symmetrical design featuring a portrait medallion, piano, harp, and flowers. The location, year, and artist's name is visible at the bottom. Printed in blue ink on yellow paper.
Caecilie Wolbrandt Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "E Cantibvs \ Caecilie Wolbrandt \ Semper." Depicts a symmetrical design featuring a portrait medallion, piano, harp, and flowers. The location, year, and artist's name is visible at the bottom. Printed in blue ink on green paper.
Camilla Lomellini in Litta Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Camilla Lomellini \ in Litta."
Camilla Lomellini in Litta Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Camilla Lomellini \ in Litta."
Candanc Stimson Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Candace Stimson." Depicts a bookshelf above heraldic imagery.
Cara Grafin Arnim Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Cara Grafin Arnim". Depicts a plaque on a brick wall, wreathed in flowers, and with two birds resting on the branches. The larger plaque shows a stringed instrument (possibly a lute or mandolin) resting face-down upon an open book. The owner's name is on a smaller plaque at the bottom. The artist's name and the date are visible in the lower-left corner.
Carla Sanguszko Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Carla Saguszko". The artist's initials are visible beneath the heraldic devices. Printed with red, yellow, blue, and grey ink.
Carmen Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "In spem \ Carmen \ contra spem". The engraver's name is visible at the bottom. Printed in red ink.
Carol and John Smedley Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Truth is great and will prevail. \ 1867 \ I Act \ John & Caroline Smedley \ Riber Castle. Matlock. Derbyshire." The heraldic imagery is enclosed by a ribbon upon which five names and dates are inscribed.
Caroli Grunelius and Mariae Grunelius Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Caroli et Mariae Grunelius". Depicts a cherub holding a cane, dancing within a transparent polyhedron which is surrounded by flowers. The artist's initials and the year are visible at the bottom.
Carolina Miracle Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Carolina Miracle \ 1904 \ Bondat es Alegria \ Ex-Libris". Depicts a young girl with a ribbon in her hair, flanked by two large orchids. The artist's name and the year is visible in the bottom-right corner.Printed with green and red ink.
Caroline Arnous Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate for Caroline Arnous. Depicts a shelf filled with books, a stack of lose papers, an inkwell, and some flowers. Within an oval frame above the books are the words "Mein Buch No.," and the entire image is surrounded by a border of text which reads: "Wer seine sachen lieb hat verborgt sie night \ Berlin". Beneath the bookshelf is inscribed "Caroline Arnous \ geb. Sulzer". The artist's name and the year are visible in the lower-left corner.
Caroline Bishop Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Caroline Bishop".
Caroline Burnham Hastings Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Caroline Burnham Hastings \ Her Book". Depicts books and a palette with paintbrushes, encircled by dolphins and flowers. Artist's name and year visible in bottom-right.
Caroline Drummond and Spencer Rodney Drummond Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Prius mori quam fidem fallere \ virtutem coronat honos \ Spencer Rodney & Caroline Drummond."
Caroline Frefrau von Imhof Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Caroline Freifrau von Imhof zu Spielberg U. Oberschwammbach". Artist's initials in bottom-right.
Caroline Grabes Bookplate
Book label, inscribed: "Caroline Grabes."
Caroline Grafin von Arnim Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate for "Caroline Grafin von Arnim." A large panel depicts a room which is filled with books, an inkwell, a potted plant, and various decorations, as well as featuring a window looking out over water. The text at the top of the image reads "Ex Libris," as well as an open book in which is inscribed "Legere \ Intelligere \ Diligere". Below this text is a large letter "C," upon which is perched two birds, as well as a banner bearing the owner's name. A smaller panel at the bottom illustrates a castle and rural scene, as well as a coat of arms. The artist's name and the year are visible in the lower-left and lower-right corners, respectively.
Caroline Hearn Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Virtute non vi ardua petit ardea. \ Hearn. \ To Caroline \ from Father." Artist or printer's statement at foot of central image.
Caroline Janetta Countess of Essex Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Caroline Janetta. \ Countess of Essex."
Caroline Louise, Margrave de Bade Bookplate
Book label, inscribed: "Caroline Louise Margrave de Bade-Dourlach, née Landgr de hesse-Darmstadt."
Caroline M. Bowne Hulbert Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Belvoir Clifton \ Cincinnati \ Caroline M Bowne-Hulbert". Depicts a room featuring an ornate chair, bookcases, a statue holding a clock, portrait busts, and a globe.
Caroline Maria Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "C".
Caroline Rucker Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Caroline Rucker."
Caroline Sanford Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Caroline Sanford".
Caroline Shippen Bookplate
Heraldic bookplate, inscribed: "Vigilans \ Caroline Shippen". Depicts a heraldic device surrounded by flowers. The artist's initials are visible in the upper-right corner.
Caroline von Gomperz-Bettelheim Bookplate
Pictorial bookplate, inscribed: "Ex Libris \ Caroline von Gomperz-Bettelheim." Depicts a lyre and branch with leaves. Printed in green ink.

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