Holly Hurd-Forsyth ,The Collections Manager and Registrar at The Maine Historical Society sent the following information, extracted from The Maine Historical Society Blog
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
The paper size is 7.7cm high by 10.8cm long (irregular).
The imprint size is 6.5 x 6.5cm square
"MHS staff are continually reviewing and researching the collections and (re)discovering wonderful things.
A beautiful, very early, and very rare, printed bookplate pasted into the front of one of our Special Collections volumes recently drew attention. It reads “Thomas Smith, Hunc Librum Vendicat. Anno. Dom MDCCVII” which translates to “Thomas Smith Claims This Book in the Year of Our Lord 1707.” The words are surrounded by a woodcut border of flowers, including roses and thistles. The boldness of the design combined with the early date, and the name “Thomas Smith” warranted further investigation.
As it turns out, this book belonged to Thomas Smith (1678-1742), a merchant in Boston and the father of Parson Thomas Smith (1702-1795) who was the first minister of the first church in Portland (then Falmouth). Parson Smith served as minister for 68 years, until he died in his early 90s. His journals were published in 1849, and provide a valuable window into early to mid-18th century Portland.
The bookplate itself is important. Sinclair Hamilton, the preeminent scholar of early American printing and book illustration proclaims it “…is probably the first ornamental American bookplate” and demonstrates the advancement of the art of woodcut printing in the American colonies.
The book (S.C. 843: Annaei Senecae Tum Rhetoris Tum Philosophi…, published in Geneva in 1620) was a gift of Florence Codman of New York City in 1958.
For more information on bookplates, see this Maine Memory Network online exhibit, Bookplates Honor Annie Louise Cary, developed by the Cary Memorial Library in Wayne."
Note from Lew- Tom Boss advised me that the Thomas Smith plate is listed (item#7) in
![]()
Note from Lew- Tom Boss advised me that the Thomas Smith plate is listed (item#7) in
Early American Book Illustrators and Wood Engravers 1670-1870 by Sinclair Hamilton
In addition the bookplate for James Penniman (item # 10) utilizes the same woodcut design.
Here is a PDF link to the Princeton University Exhibit:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------New Arrivals in my own collection
Louis Untermeyer's wife Bryna was a cousin of the late Anne Blaine Jaffe, my sister in law.In 1978 Anne received a note from Mrs. Untermeyer to which was attached one of Mr. Untermeyer's early bookplates,The note and bookplate were placed in a Louis Untermeyer book where it rested until my brother Arnold stumbled upon it and gave it to me yesterday.
Robert Heysham Sayre (1824–1907) was vice president and chief engineer of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. He was also vice president and general manager of Bethlehem Iron Works, precursor of Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The town of Sayre, Pennsylvania was named in his honor.
Mr. and Mrs. Cowan whose bookplate is shown below were writers and directors .
Links with biographical information are below the bookplate.
![]()
Mr. and Mrs. Cowan whose bookplate is shown below were writers and directors .
Links with biographical information are below the bookplate.
Mystery Bookplate
I've searched the name plus mathematician , builder,architect to no avail.
Does anyone out there recognize
the plate?
If you have your own mystery bookplate send me a scan and I will try to include it in a future blog posting.
Bookplatemaven@hotmail.com
Within hours of my seeking information fellow collector Jum Lewis sent the following response:
Within hours of my seeking information fellow collector Jum Lewis sent the following response:
Hi Lew,
Your mystery plate shows the famous Pasadena (CA) bridge as viewed from the house of Mr. Prickett. I can't remember what his profession was, but I believe it was something scientific/physician. There was a relative, Charles F. Prickett III, who passed away recently in Pasadena and he was a spinal surgeon connected with the Huntington Hospital in Pasadena.
Jim
Found more about Charles F. Prickett
Dates are 1900-1958. He was manager of the famed Pasadena Playhouse and his wife, Maudie, was a character actress. He like to build things and "tinker", so perhaps all of the spinning gizmos and wheels are symbolic of this.
Jim
