Bookplates, Part IV

Honestly, it’s hard to pick out my favorite bookplate, because each is fascinating in its own way. However, a few come to mind.

Hard to choose.

Dissecting a Bookplate

I recently talked about how we’re “decorating” the bathrooms here at MedChi with copies of the bookplates which I found last year. One of the more tedious and time-consuming chores I had to undertake before I could frame and hang the plates was to Photoshop them, so they’d look good when they were enlarged.

First I scanned in each plate at 600 dpi resolution. This is the highest setting on my scanner, and it does the job for me. The papers on which the plates have been printed have discolored and yellowed over the 100+ years since they arrived at MedChi. The engraving ink varies in color from black to brown, although there is one which is orange, and a few others which have red ink.I decided to use black frames to highlight the graphics in the engravings, so wanted to convert all of the plates to black on white, so the image would be the stand-out, not the paper, etc.

Once I’d scanned the plate, I had to do some work to clean it up.

The design of this one got lost in the discoloration and foxing on the paper.

The detail on these plates is fascinating, and when I was Photoshopping them, I got a chance to look at them up-close. As an example, this plate has a fishing rod and a fish, a shot gun, a paddle, a skull, an owl, and a pyramid and sphinx, all entwined in roses and thorns.

And this one, which has Johns Hopkins’ distinctive buildings at the top, Dr. Cullen in his library cum laboratory, and his summer camp on a lake in Canada at the bottom. In addition, it has the seals of the schools Dr. Cullen was affiliated with, as well as various scrolls and decorative elements. The bookplate was engraved by Dr. Cullen’s friend, Max Brödel.

Dr. Dandy’s bookplate has a brain at the very top of it, as fitting his practice as an early neurosurgeon. His surgical team was known as the “Brain Team” and was thought to be the finest available in the world at the time. If you look closely at the bottom, you can see the initials DMP and the date 1939

If you are interested in looking at the bookplates, either visit our bathrooms, or contact me at events@medchi.org, and I will be happy to show them to you.

#ArchivesShelfie

Last week, the U.S. National Archives asked any organization with an archival collection to post a picture on social media of their archives. They asked everyone to tag the picture #ArchivesShelfie. The #shelfie is a play on the term #selfie, which, as you may know is a picture that you’ve taken of yourself.

The idea was for archives across the world to post pictures of their collections, and perhaps some of the workers who tend to these collections.

MedChi participated in this fun effort with a picture of our library, and if you look closely, you can see our former librarian, Marcia Crocker Noyes, just hovering on the right.

We were pleased to take part in this national recognition of the importance of archives, but also wanted to have a little fun with it!

Decorating the Restrooms

I never know what project is going to pop up next. In an attempt to showcase more of our archival materials, we decided to add artwork to the numerous men’s and women’s rooms throughout the buildings. After some discussion, we thought that the bookplates we found a few months ago would be fun to use. One of our trustees suggested we use ones from urologists, and so I found one!

All of the bookplates will be printed in black and white to reflect the engravings that most of them are, and then will be framed in simple black frames. Spare, elegant, classic.

Snow!

It’s one of those pretty snows today, when the flakes are big and falling steadily, coating everything with a white blanket.

Everything looks gorgeous and the snow covers a multitude of sins.

Enjoy!

One of the Girls!

Out of our 110+ paintings, only a handful are of women. And of course, there’s no identification on any of them, although we have some suspicions of who they are.

First up is Mrs. Roberts. At least that’s who we think she is. Apparently, the wife of George Roberts, M.D. He was both a doctor of medicine and divinity. His painting was done by John Beale Bordley, II, and we have a suspicion that hers was done by Bordley, too.

This gal might possibly be the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Roberts. She does look rather uncomfortable, but I am sure it’s just the stomacher. She also needs to stop slouching! Throw those shoulders back!The painting is by Thomas Cassell Coke Ruckle and is very detailed, down to the signature worked into the detail of the small table next to Miss Roberts. Ruckle was deaf, and the Baltimore Sun reported that when he died in 1908, his funeral service was conducted in sign language so that his many friends could participate.The bird and the flowers are also very detailed. Apparently, Ruckle did a series of bird paintings. Is that a red-winged blackbird in a glass dome?

I am thinking that these gals might be either mother and daughter, or sisters.

There is some speculation that these are the daughters of John Archer, M.D. We have since found that he had six sons and no daughters. But his picture is so bad, that it’s hard to tell what he really looks like. 
Here’s hoping we find out who the girls are!

Best Wishes for This Festive Season!

Some of our gentlemen would like to send you all of their very best wishes for this festive season.

Thomas Hepburn Buckler, M.D.

Daniel Coit Gilman

Samuel Stringer Coale, M.D.

Lewis Sydenham Hayden (son of Horace Hayden, M.D.)

From all of us at The Center for a Healthy Maryland!