Stories hidden behind the Ex-Libris in Peru
Marks of Ownership: Identity, Aesthetics, and Typologies in Ex Libris Bookplates
[Exlibris album 1], page 14 ([1900?]) by UnknownNational Library of Peru
What is an ex libris?
They are marks, labels or seals, whether handwritten or printed, that are placed on books to indicate who owns them. This word comes from Latin and means “from among books.”
The Origins of Ex Libris Bookplates in Peru
Ex libris first appeared in Peru during the 18th century. How did these bookplates evolve and develop throughout the 19th and 20th centuries?
[Exlibris of José de San Martín] by UnknownNational Library of Peru
Liberator's Seal
Don José de San Martín was a great reader and confirmed his enlightened ideals when he founded the National Library of Peru in 1822. To contribute to its collection, he donated nearly 700 books from his own collection, identified by their simple bookplate with a border.
The marks of the liberators
Other leaders and precursors of independence followed San Martin's example and donated their own books to the National Library. Hipólito Unanue and José Pezet y Monel, for example, also had simple ex libris, with their names and borders.
Of books and monasteries
This style is also seen in ex libris bookplates from the Compañía de Jesús collection and those belonging to learned members of the church.
[Exlibris album 2], page 8 ([1900?]) by UnknownNational Library of Peru
Hipólito Unanue also had three variants of his ex libris: here we can observe two of them. He was a doctor, intellectual and politician who signed the Act of Independence of Peru in 1821.
The important ex libris
Ex libris of José Pezet y Monel (1774-1825), doctor and politician, also signed the Act of Independence and was part of the Constituent Congress of 1822. His son Juan Antonio was president of Peru in 1863.
[Exlibris album 2], page 8 ([1900?]) by UnknownNational Library of Peru
Ex libris of Juan Antonio Montenegro y Ubaldi (1782-1854), priest and vicar of Moquegua, he is considered the first historian of said city. According to his will, his book collection consisted of 1,321 copies.
[Exlibris album 1], page 23 ([1900?]) by UnknownNational Library of Peru
A personal seal. The allegorical ex libris.
Allegorical ex libris bookplates, which depict images symbolizing the owner's qualities and interests, rose to prominence in the 19th century and flourished in the 20th, influenced by the modernist movement and aesthetics.
The Fuentes family
The ex libris of Francisco A. Fuentes maintained the allegory of his father, the writer Manuel Atanasio Fuentes. In it we see a shelf with closed glass doors, but through which books can be seen. The allegory refers to reading and intellectual training.
Ex libris of a Florentine painter
In the ex libris by Augusto Burchi (1853-1919) we see a figure working, behind her the dome of the Duomo in Florence. The painter carried out restorations and decorations in said city. His library was sold in 1908, some copies were acquired by a Peruvian.
The Explorer ex libris
The ex libris of Hiram Bingham (1875-1956), the American explorer and politician who announced the existence of Machu Picchu in 1911, shows a map of South America without borders, with only the rivers visible, important rivers as guides for explorers.
What would your ex libris be like?
Piferrer, F. (1859). Nobility of the Kingdoms and Lordships of Spain. Madrid. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Nobiliario_de_los_reinos_y_se%C3%B1or%C3%ADos_de_Espa%C3%B1a_..._ilustrado_con_un_diccionario_de_her%C3%A1ldica%2C_adornado_con_m%C3%A1s_de_dos_mil_escudos_de_armas_..._ % 28IA_bub_gb_EzbwpCtgm0cC%29.pdf
Tauro del Pino, A. (2001). Illustrated Encyclopedia of Peru, Volume 12. Lima: Peisa.
Trillo, G. (2022). Exlibris / study and selection by Gerardo Trillo. Lima: National Library of Peru.
Trillo, G. (2020). Printed memory: the National Library of Peru through the bookplate. Phoenix. Magazine of the National Library of Peru, (48), pp. 47-79.
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