ML Archives and Special Collections

Apologies for the delay in posting, but we’ve all been busy with remodeling. Here’s a quick image from an interesting bookplate (click to view larger version):

Bookplate imagery is often associated with the identity of the owner (coats of arms, for instance, or something related to the owner’s last name or history), but sometimes the images are just pictures someone found interesting, or perhaps the connections to an individual or family just aren’t easy to puzzle out to those not in on the secret. The bookplate above is an example of the latter. What is the unusual big cat (a leopard?) holding? Is it catching a comet? Deflating a beach ball?

For anyone interested in bookplates, the blog Confessions of a Bookplate Junkie offers a steady stream of interesting bookplates and commentary.