A Dictionary of Bookplates of Irish Medical Doctors, with Short Biographies by Edward A. Martin 2003

A Dictionary of Bookplates of Irish Medical Doctors, with Short Biographies by Edward A. Martin 2003
Bookplates or ex-libris have been in Bookplace the fifteenth century. Placed usually inside the front cover, they indicate ownership of the book. In the dim past a representation of the coat of arms could be enough. As time went by designs evolved to more complex armorial plates. Then came pictorial designs symbolic of aspects of the life of the owner. Most were commissioned from an artist. Often a family or personal motto was a feature. Bookplates peaked in popularity at the end of the nineteenth century. The introduction of this book provides a brief historical account. Today bookplates are of interest to a small fraction of book-owners, but they still hold fascination for historians and collectors alike. The author attempts to locate and illustrate as far as possible the bookplates of Irish doctors through the centuries, and to supply a short biography of each. Some have distinguished names. Some held important offices. Some have been rescued from unmerited obscurity. Their lives illustrate aspects of Irish social and medical history

hardcover with DJ

160 pp 

18x26 cm

fine condition