I’d known little about book plates until I visited England where they were popular. When I told my mom about them she procured a small black box of book plates depicting Pegasus in the night sky. I didn’t ask where they came from — it was just something she had. Okay — maybe that’s not entirely true. It is possible I bought them at a yard sale. I don’t remember. I do remember using them though in only very special books.

The time has come to get rid of these — the glue on the back has gotten wet and now all the book plates are stuck to the next. I don’t know if I ever thought about the artist who designed them, even though his name is on the front of the box. I may or may not have known about the descriptive booklet that came with the box of book plates.

Rockwell Kent (June 21, 1882 – March 13, 1971), the artist behind the Pegasus book plates, was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, writer, sailor, adventurer and voyager. [Wikipedia contributors. “Rockwell Kent.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 7 Apr. 2024. Web. 25 May. 2024.] He’s got a page at the National Gallery of Art website, but none of his works are on display.

The Antioch Bookplate Company still exists, but is now called Bookplate Ink, and I could even order a set of Pegasus book plates if I wanted to. The company has a blog which might provide interesting reading.