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Thematic Exhibitions

5/11/2022

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By ​Gintautas Deksnys
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 Editor's Note: Gintautas is sharing some of his activities for promoting and educating people about bookmarks (aka book tabs).  His idea is to create thematic exhibitions to focus on relevant events or topics.  He has also created his own personal bookmark. Updated 10 December 2022

After the beginning of the school year, my activities as a teacher intensified. But regardless of this, book tabs as true friends help to educate the younger generation and educate the public with various possible activities.
Lately, I have been "recruiting" thematic exhibitions of my personal collection in order to celebrate public holidays and memorable dates. One of them is the anniversary of the founding of the Lithuanian Armed Forces (November 23).
I share with you my thematic collections, which I will soon present to various audiences (students, doctors, seniors, war veterans, students, library visitors). Of course, I will give lectures on relevant topics. 
A recent example is the presentation of a thematic exhibition of book tabs on the aviation theme and paying respect to the fallen pilots shown in this article from the regional newspaper Laikraštis Gyvenimas, 23 November 2022.
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Gintautas Deksnys Bookmark Collection, Lithuanian Army
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Gintautas Deksnys Bookmark Collection, Lithuanian Army
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Gintautas Deksnys Bookmark Collection, Lithuanian Air Force
Here is another example from my collection on the theme of States and Cities. 
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And here is a personal bookmark from a banquet I hosted where the bookmark served as a guest card.
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Halloween Boo(!)kmarks

20/10/2022

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by Laine Farley
​A special interest in my bookmark collection is for those that serve the dual purpose of greeting cards.  As the greeting card industry developed, it was natural for similar themes and designs to be used for bookmarks.  By far, the most common occasion was Christmas bookmarks, often with a calendar for the new year included, with Easter and Valentine bookmarks following not far behind.  Halloween bookmarks, however, are rare.  Their scarcity reflects the relatively short period when Halloween greeting cards were produced.  The book The Romance of Greeting Cards, edited by  edited by James D. Chamberlain, University Press of Cambridge, 1956, devotes a very short chapter to Halloween cards, noting on p. 109:
​Hallowe’en cards came into being in 1908 at the beginning of the new era in cards and they sold fairly well until the thirties when the sending of cards for the occasion went into a decline from which it has never fully recovered.
​From the beginning, the card designs were built around ghosts, witches, black cats, scarecrows, jack-o-lanterns, bats, and wishes for good luck and safety from all harm were the common verse themes. Bright yellow was the dominant color, with black, emblematical of the night and artistically effective, too, as its traveling companion and complement.
Examples of the first cards are few. The earliest Hallowe’en greeting the author has traced was a yellow paper card with a solid black background on which appeared the faint outline of a black cat and white-faced witch and the following doggerel rhyme:
 
If ev’ry awful sound doth come thy way tonight
And creeping things both fat and lean,
Do scare thee into running with all thy might,
Remember, it is Hallowe’en!
​The earliest ones in my collection are undated but probably from the 1920s-1930s based on the design.
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​Recently, I acquired a set of reproductions with graphics that appear to be from the same time period.  These examples are small and a bit fuzzy, but one has a verse as follows:
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When the Owl & Witch
to gather are seen,
There’s mischief brewing
on Halloween.
​Although more recent examples typically do not have verses or greetings, they do carry lively (or deadly?) graphics for the season. ​Some publishers feature Halloween related titles or images as well. 
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Haunted house silhouette, die cut and laminated
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The Halloween Book of Facts and Fun
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The back of this bookmark has a place for children (or even adults) to record their Halloween activities, thereby increasing the chance that the bookmark will be saved.
Of course, nowadays it is easy to find Halloween bookmarks.  They feature the usual themes of witches, ghosts, skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, cats, bats and scarecrows, as well as literary and movie themes.  It is possible to find those with vintage graphics, and even a few with actual greetings, although they mostly just have a wish for a Happy Halloween.
Besides ready-made designs, there are also printables including those that can be colored, and examples such as this one for making foldable corners.
​Anyone can make clever bookmarks with some stiff colored paper (or even old file folders) adorned with stamps and stickers, as these from an office party with the theme “Spooky Books” illustrate.
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​Sending Halloween bookmarks as greeting cards is a practice that will probably not be resurrected.  They still can be used for trick or treaters, parties, and decorations (one suggestion was to put them in potted plants).  However they are used, they will continue to  appeal to collectors who like to reflect the range of holidays and celebrations from this time of year.
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Asim Maner Award Winner 2022 - Ms. Man Wong

8/3/2022

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Editor's Note: Man Wong is one of the few IFOB members who has published a book about bookmarks.  What stands out in her activities described below is her desire to spread the word about bookmarks and to preserve them for the future.  She links her love of bookmarks to their ability to document her life and record her memories.  Congratulations Man! 
​1. Tell us about yourself – where you are from, your occupation, etc.
I am from Hong Kong which is a small city with over 7.5 million residents.  I left my job in the year 2021 where I worked in the Telecom Industry as a Customer Service supervisory role for over 20 years.   I aim to spend more time with my family and drive a new pathway in my life.  I would like to take on a new challenge and new job in future.  Last year, I reached a new milestone by publishing my first book related to the bookmark collection-  Collection Notebook: A page of Life, Hong Kong and the World.    This enriched my life with such a valuable memory that worked with my bookmark.
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Ms. Man Wong, bookmark collector in Hong Kong
2. How did you start collecting bookmarks?  Do you remember your first bookmark?
The first set of bookmarks I collected came from my dad. I remember that when I was a child, my father often had to work, and once he went to the mainland for business. He saw some bookmarks decorated with dried leaves and butterflies on China Civil Aviation, and thought they looked good. He brought them home for me. On the dry leaves, the veins of the leaves were clearly textured, and the butterfly pattern on it was lifelike. I thought it was very beautiful, and I started collecting bookmarks from then on.
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3. Do you have any favorite types or special emphasis in your collection?
I specially treasure those bookmarks with my favorite idols. One is the famous singer  Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing  and the other one is  the artist Andy Lau Tak Wah.   When I was still in secondary school, I couldn’t afford to buy many bookmarks and so I could only select two or three from the full set. It’s a pity that I can't collect a full set.   
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Singer Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing bookmarks
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Artist Andy Lau Tak Wah bookmarks
4. What is the most unusual bookmark in your collection?
In my collection, there is are a set of bookmarks that are presented as Dinosaur bones stacked layer by layer which I bought through a Dinosaur exhibition held in Hong Kong. And the traditional Chinese paper-cut A Dream of the Red Mansions Character bookmarks which was also first bought by my dad.  These two sets show a different presentation from the traditional paper cut to modern cut with specific design. It’s not common to find out about other bookmark creations nowadays.
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Dream of the Red Mansions paper cut bookmarks
5. How do you acquire your bookmarks?
On campus, teachers will give away bookmarks with words of encouragement, students will send bookmarks on their birthdays, and between male and female students, they will send messages with bookmarks.

There are also friends from the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Japan and other places who have exchanged duplicate bookmarks for mutual benefit. 

In Hong Kong, where space is limited, it may be a luxury to collect things. Hong Kong fans tend to hand over bookmarks. Instead of sending them to landfills to bury their memories, they always hope that someone who has a heart will keep them on their behalf.

Sometimes I had to pursue the bookmarks I wanted. The Asian TV series "Blue Moon" once published a game with prizes in the newspaper. The gift was a bookmark. Of course, I immediately sent a letter to participate, and I applied for a full set.
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Asian TV series "Blue Moon" bookmarks
However, sometimes unexpected gifts will fall from the sky. One day I noticed on the recycling box that there was a stack of bookmark-shaped objects above! I found that the bookmarks were still fresh and clean, and immediately took them home like a treasure. So sometimes I feel like something is meant to be, so I can take it home so it doesn't end up in a landfill.
I found out that government departments and some institutions will launch relevant publicity bookmarks to remind everyone to respond to crises, such as teaching everyone how to deal with natural disasters. Changes in Hong Kong can also be discovered through bookmarks. For example, I have some bookmarks published by the Lands Department in my collection, and I will see some small changes in the landscape. Or there are the earlier logos of the Urban Council in the bookmarks, which the younger generation may not have seen already.
Sometimes I go to the second-hand market to find relics, but the price of bookmarks is very erratic. As for the selection criteria, if it can give me the feeling of 'electric shock', I will buy it even if it is expensive.
6. How many bookmarks do you have (an estimate)?
One day in 2009, I suddenly became obsessed with counting the bookmark stock, and I thought I had stored more than 1,000 bookmarks and was proud of it. Suddenly, I wanted to apply to Guinness World Records to be the person with the most bookmarks, so I checked it out. It was discovered that in another country in the world, someone had already achieved this record, and it was more than 100,000 copies! 
I decided to look for someone by the name of Frank Divendal. After a lot of searching on the Internet, I finally found a website with regularly updated collections and a bookmark exchange platform, which is where I got his email. In the end, I managed to get in touch with Frank Divendal, the Guinness world record holder in the Netherlands, who was more than willing to exchange duplicate bookmarks with me and became my strongest bookmarking friend. [Note: see this interview for more information on correspondence with Frank Divendal]

I checked the records, and in 2017 he had 160,000 copies in stock. As for me, there are about 3,000 or 4,000 copies. Although I have doubled it, I am still far behind him. But for me, collecting bookmarks is not only about quantity, but also about quality. It is a record of every stage of my life.
7. How do you organize, display and store your collection?
To classify, it is necessary to have an outline. There are few collection books in Hong Kong that can be used for reference. It is neither a stationery series, nor a paper art series, nor a Hong Kong feeling series... I tried to search in different ways, but still It was difficult to start, until I saw Appreciation of Chinese Bookmark, which helped me make a systematic classification, and this book became one of my collections.
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Appreciation of Chinese Bookmark
My bookmark classification may not be completely in line with the system, but it must be divided according to my preferences, because I think the most important meaning of collection is to store memories and thoughts, such as my Facebook page: Bookmarks and Memory, to commemorate the reason why bookmarks exist. It is because of their functionality, which is convenient for people to read, and also has the meaning of communication between the two.  That  I also named my Instagram account after this.

Having saved bookmarks for decades, I am not the only "Bookmark Collector" in Hong Kong, but I believe that I will keep my passion and remain eager to keep collecting to save bookmarks.

In March 2021, I first published my book related to my bookmark collections and stories.
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Bookmark Collection: A Page of Life, Hong Kong and the World
Then from 24 Apr - 24 May 2021, I held the first “Hong Kong Bookmark Exhibition” in Silver Café in Mong Kok to share my collection with the public and memories about the bookmark in Hong Kong
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I held a Bookmark exhibition at the 31st Hong Kong Book Fair, 15 July 2021,  and hosted a seminar to share my bookmark collection history and insight:. Hong Kong Book Fair 2021: Bookmark Collection Notes - A Page of Life, Hong Kong and the World

After collecting bookmarks for so many years, I really hope that there is a place to show everyone, so that everyone can know that bookmarks can actually be very colorful. 


8. What has been your experience in using the IFOB Swap List?

The swap list is really useful and brought me to know other fellow collectors from other countries.  IFOB Members are nice to invite for swapping bookmarks.   I really appreciate this and enjoy this journey.
9. What do you enjoy about IFOB?  Anything you would like to see IFOB do in the future?
From IFOB,  I gain a lot of valuable  information related to bookmark collecting, such as bookmark history, culture and activities in each country.  I am impressed by members’ passion and effort towards bookmark collecting.  These also inspired me to improve my collection by taking reference from them, such as how IFOB members store their bookmarks, how they classify into different levels or categories.
10. What did you do to celebrate World Bookmark Day this year?
I designed a bookmark and brief video to introduce for the 6th World Bookmark Day, through Extraordinary Publications via Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.  This designated bookmark will be treated as a gift with each purchase by an online bookstore with a limited quota.
I also contributed to IFOB for World Bookmark Day a free printable bookmark designed by the illustrator Bella Chan, Instagram: @_bea.aaaa.  This is a digital painting based on a Sunset photo taken at Cheung Chau, Hong Kong.
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Finally, I arranged a live chat to further celebrate the event and chat with anyone who is interested in the bookmarks collection, and promote this interest in Hong Kong. And I hope to raise more awareness to support this activity in the future.
11. Do you collect anything else?

I used to collect the McDonald’s Toys in the past, however, I didn’t collect them for long.  Puzzles is another good leisure game. It makes me relax and focus on solving puzzles.  But I didn’t collect much as there was limited space, so I only kept those with special designs and with high difficulties.
12. Do you have any advice for those who are just beginning to collect bookmarks?

I would say that when you start to collect bookmarks, record if there is any story about the bookmark, no matter if it's a gift from friends, a souvenir from a tour, or picked up from any exhibition or bookstore.  When there is a story embedded into the bookmark, it seems to grant them life. 
See "Bookmark Collection Notes": Today, why do we still need bookmarks?" from Orange News for more about Man's collection and a video where she shows more of her collection (text can be translated but not video). 
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Collection Award 2022 - Jonathan Xuereb

1/3/2022

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Editor's Note:  For World Bookmark Day 2022, we created a new Collection Award to recognize  an outstanding collection based on the subject of the collection or the format of materials, whether the collection has been recognized by other organizations, or whether the owner has written about it or promoted it in some other way. The criteria to be considered include:
  • How substantial the collection is, whether in number and/or completeness
  • How extensive is the description and documentation of the collection
  • Whether there are publications, presentations, exhibits, or internet/social media activities to provoke recognition and reactions
The first winner, Jonathan Xuereb from Malta, exemplifies all of these attributes and more.  He describes the focus of his collection and how he is managing, promoting and sharing it. Congratulations, Jonathan!

While I collect any bookmarks in general on a casual basis, I have a very specialized collection of Book Depository bookmarks. I am very passionate about this collection, and in fact I manage a dedicated Facebook page as well as a dedicated Instagram account.
As to why I started specializing in these bookmarks, at first it was just random collecting, but once I started getting close to completing sets, my collector's instinct kicked in and I just wanted to collect as many as possible. Apart from that, I truly liked the designs, especially of the earlier releases. It might sound a bit silly but I also really like double-sided bookmarks, rather than ones with a blank white back. And perhaps more pertinently I enjoy the fact that it is a documented series, with finite sets to collect. As opposed to collecting bookmarks in general, where one can just simply buy readily available sets online - you can virtually never stop collecting those. 
​Collection Details
With regard to my collection, I now have 199 unique Book Depository bookmarks at the time of writing, going back to 2009 so spanning over a decade. I have fully completed 22 our of 25 known individual sets across these years.  The incomplete sets include some of the older ones, namely the My Bookmark Competition set of 2010 (13/20), the Useful Bookmarks set of 2011 (8/14), and the Factmarks set of 2012 (12/14). Needless to say I'd love to complete these sets one day!
Apart from these sets, Book Depository sometimes issues single releases, i.e. standalone bookmarks not part of a set. I have tracked down 13 of these (in my Singles album) - the issue here is that sometimes there are special bookmarks distributed at book fairs around the world, and these are not announced on the Book Depository website/social media like the sets are. Therefore, there is no way of knowing how many have been released of these. Personally I have ones from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Argentina, but I have seen other countries too. 

By way of an anecdote of sorts, there was also a 'Golden Bookmark' campaign once - including limited edition bronze, silver and golden bookmarks - but for the life of me I never managed to find any further info or actual photos of these elusive bookmarks. 
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I have also been in touch with the designers of some of the bookmarks, and managed to obtain signed or even coloured-in copies. Below I am attaching a photo of bookmarks signed by novelist Jasper Fforde (who designed four bookmarks of the 2009 set), and a colouring bookmark signed and coloured-in by its designer Elina Gor (from the second Colouring Bookmark set of 2016). ​
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Autographed 2009 set by novelist Jasper Fforde
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Coloring bookmark by Elina Gor
Recently, I have also had the pleasure of liaising with another designer of one of the bookmarks, Mr Richard Nicholls, who very kindly sent me some signed bookmarks of his:
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Book Depository bookmarks autographed by designer Richard Nicholls
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Book Depository bookmarks by designer Richard Nicholls
I have also been in touch with the actual founders of the Book Depository who started the publication of these bookmarks, and who have expressed their delight at seeing the joy these bookmarks were still bringing people (screenshot attached below). ​
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Ms Kate Felton, the wife of one of the Book Depository's co-founders, sent me the below at Christmas time - one of the very first (if not the first) Book Depository bookmarks!
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One of the first Book Depository bookmarks
Sharing the Collection

Facebook Page

​On my Facebook page, which now has around 1000 followers, I display all my collection in distinct photo albums according to sets. I also feature photos of mail calls I receive from fellow bookmark collectors whenever I swap bookmarks. I also provide information whenever Book Depository host any contests, competitions, sales or bookmark releases. The page serves as a community hub for fellow bookmark lovers to arrange swaps among themselves as well. It has been a pleasure watching the page grow and I look forward to nurture it further!
Instagram
​On my Instagram account, which now has over 2000 followers, I opted for a more minimalist look - I upload photos of all my bookmarks against a black backdrop, with information on each and every bookmark once expanded. This way viewers can easily see all the bookmarks at a glance, with further details available should they wish to know which set it belongs to, year of publication, etc. This account has also served to set up bookmark swaps with other collectors from all over the world.
​More recently, starting in 2021, I have also been sharing the books I read with my followers, accompanied by a bookmark 'throwback' of sorts. This has allowed me to keep both social media more active, rather than waiting for new sets to be released by Book Depository. I share these posts on both Facebook and Instagram accounts, and include information both on the book and on the bookmark (plus a subjective rating for the book out of 5 stars). As I average one book per week, it helps both communities to remain active. 
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Managing the Collection
​I store my collection in a binder, using custom transparent sleeves to hold 4 bookmarks per page. I have a video showcasing the collection available below - this was back in 2019 so the collection grew significantly since then; I hope to upload an updated video some time soon. I have reason to believe that I have the largest collection of Book Depository bookmarks in the world - perhaps not a monumental feat but one of which I am immensely proud! 
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Accidental Bookmarks

27/12/2021

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By Laine Farley
Although there are many articles that catalog the random objects people use for bookmarks, these items are not always similar to “official” bookmarks in size, shape, or appropriate material.  Accidental bookmarks are those that were not meant to be used for that purpose, but do fit the criteria and may be hiding in plain sight.  Of course, this begs the question, “What is a bookmark?”  It must be of a reasonable size to fit in books, but that can range from small ones for paperbacks up to very large ones for bibles, oversized art books, etc.  It should be longer than it is wide, but the the proportions can vary.  And it ought to be suitably thin so as not to bend the pages or risk falling out.  I think accidental bookmarks should also have a design that takes advantage of the dimensions, either the horizontal or vertical plane, and they should not be of a material that could damage a book, unlike some of the official ones that sacrifice utility for design impact.

​Here are some examples of accidental bookmarks that I have found, usually without consciously looking for them.  While I was focused on some other task, the proportions and designs of these images suddenly resolved into looking like a good bookmark.

Ads in Publications
These examples can be downloaded, clipped, or even photographed from online images and printed on photographic or stiff paper.  

City Directories
I use city directories frequently for genealogy and local history research. These now obsolete publications are filled with long and narrow ads, designed to fit above and alongside of the directory entries.  Most of them are nondescript, with only the name of the business, an address and phone number.  Occasionally, they will contain an interesting graphic, which can be clipped from the online image and printed on stiff paper for a bookmark.  This example is for a small chain of pharmacies that used to be known for their owl logo.
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Husted's Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley directory, 1908
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Newspapers
Similarly, old newspaper ads can often have the right dimensions and feature interesting graphics.  These examples from my local newspaper feature a clothing shop that I was researching because of its Art Deco building, and I came cross another ad for fall frocks and hats with nice graphics.  The Halloween example is an ornament that accompanied a feature for children.  The last example is from a small town newspaper where my relatives lived, and is interesting due to the period graphics as well as the family association.  I keep hoping to find an interesting ad for the business that my family owned in this town, but so far, they are just ordinary ads.
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Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, 1958
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Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, 1933
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Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, October 1927
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Groesbeck Journal, Groesbeck, Texas, 1904
Yearbooks and Catalogs
These publications may have ads or ornaments, although they are not as reliable for finding appropriate dimensions.  The example for Oakland features two transportation designs that would be interesting for a double sided bookmark.  The cap and gown motif is from my grandmother’s college yearbook.
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Original ad, source unknown but possibly a city promotional publication
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Cropped image for one side of bookmark
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Cropped image for other side of bookmark
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Horned Frog yearbook, Texas Christian University, 1909
Postage Stamps
Recent postage stamp sheets for artists provided an extra benefit.  The perforations on the sheets made it possible to tear off the portrait of the artist or an enlarged artwork on the side panel. These bookmarks would be even more interesting if the post office had printed additional information on the reverse. This presentation may not be common, but it is a reminder to look closely for bookmark possibilities in any kind of graphic material.
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Ellsworth Kelly stamps, United States Postal Service
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Ruth Asawa stamps, United States Postal Service
Now I am always on the lookout for interesting graphics in bookmark shapes. Where have you found accidental bookmarks?
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Michael Kalil's Bookmarks for the Museum of Modern Art

28/10/2021

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by Rita Colognola

“Michael Kalil (1943-1991) was an educator, interior residential and commercial architect, philosopher and artist. As the Principal of Kalil Studio (1981-1991), he was known for his innovative work with technology and materials, most notably for developing an award winning automated office space for Armstrong World Industries, and for creating a Space Station habitation module prototype for NASA (1983-1986).”(1). He “was known for his abstract designs, spoke of himself as a "space engineer" and was constantly experimenting with space. ... His work has been exhibited at a number of museums, including the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, the Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum.”(2), In 2001 the "Michael Kalil Endowment for Smart Design" was established in his memory at the School of Constructed Environments (SCE).
What has to do an artist and philosopher with bookmarks? In 1973 Michael Kalil produced exclusively for the MOMA (Museum of Moden Art, New York) a beautiful set of three satin-finished brass bookmarks. They are round-shaped with decorative cutouts, measure 5 cm in diameter and are contained in a folded case of black light cardboard. The design is fascinating in its semplicity and perfectly fitting the material chosen. The set would be called by collectors of modern art-related items an “artist’s book”. I am not aware (but as it is not my field I can’t be totally sure) of another artist’s book produced for an exhibition of modern art, purposely composed by bookmarks and, obviously, I am delighted at the idea that at least one artist did it.
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Pictures will describe better than any word this beautiful,  attractive set.
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Bookmarks by Michael Kalil, 1973
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Bookmarks by Michael Kalil, 1973, back of folder
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Bookmarks by Michael Kalil, 1973
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Bookmarks by Michael Kalil, 1973
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Bookmarks by Michael Kalil, 1973
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Bookmarks by Michael Kalil, 1973
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Bookmarks by Michael Kalil, 1973
(1) Jen Larson, Michael Kalil, An Introduction 
(2) Joan Cook, Michael Kalil, 47, An Innovator as an Abstract Interior Designer, obituary published in the New York Times, July 4, 1991 
Editor's Note:  A few short articles advertise the bookmarks as stylish reading accessories.
This article does not have photos but reveals that Kalil also designed another intersesting bookmark:
Darlyn Brewer. “Helpful Hardware: Metal Bookmarks.” The New York Times. New York, N.Y: New York Times Company, 1985, Late Edition (East Coast) edition.
The Museum of Modern Art sells a set of three satin-finished brass bookmarks. Designed by Michael Kalil exclusively for the museum, each is round with decorative cutouts and measures two inches in diameter. The set costs $17.50. Also designed by Mr. Kalil is a sterling silver bookmark. For $40, it comes packaged in a black pouch made of Japanese rice paper, which is designed by Morishima Hiroshi. The bookmark is two inches in diameter and the pouch measures approximately 3 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches. The museum store is at 11 West 53d Street. Museum members get a discount. 
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“Tools for Living.” Harper’s (New York, N.Y.) 252, no. 1508 (1976): 88
This article simply says that the three bookmarks are available for $17.50 from the MOMA store. 
PictureCarol Lawson. “Small Luxuries Make a Difference.” New York Times (1923-). New York, N.Y: New York Times Company, 10 April 1986, p. C12.

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Member Profile - Sylvia Bunting

7/9/2021

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Editor's Note: A longtime collector, Sylvia was one of the first members of IFOB. She is the  membership secretary as well as  the excellent editor of The Bookmark Society News.  As a true friend of bookmarks, Sylvia often connects people seeking to donate or rehome a collection with other collectors in England.  She also arranged to have back issues of the first seven TBS Occasional Papers available for download from our Bibliography page. 
Tell us about yourself – where you are from, your occupation, etc.
I have been retired for a good many years now, but originally I trained as a social worker, having posts in several hospitals and then moving to local authority work.  In the 90’s, after being involved on a voluntary basis all my life, I moved to work full time as CEO for Girls’ Brigade England & Wales, a uniformed voluntary youth organisation.  I now live in York, UK, a walled city with centuries of history.
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Sylvia Bunting
How did you start collecting bookmarks?  Do you remember your first bookmark?
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Bollans woven bookmark from Sylvia Bunting's collection
In May 1989 I was in London, browsing in Portobello Road antiques market, and found a small Bollans weaving with New Year’s greetings.  On a neighbouring stall was a Bristol board embroidered marker minus its backing ribbon, ‘Forget me not’.  These two totally different items with the same purpose intrigued me, and I began looking for more.  Soon I was hooked.
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Bristol board bookmark from Sylvia Bunting's collection
Do you have any favorite types or special emphasis in your collection?
Probably my favourite bookmark medium is printed card, since the information given can shed intriguing light on distant scenes.  I did not know until I bought a Renault Clarital bookmark that in the 30’s Renault produced planes as well as cars, and one of my favourite Day & Son multiple bookmarks told me that with the benefits of Sunlight soap, even a lady of advancing years could manage the weekly wash – a sentiment which helped me understand Victorian domestic life.  Promotional bookmarks are perhaps my favourite, but I also like those from voluntary organisations, and advisory bookmarks for health, home safety and similar topics.
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Renault bookmark from Sylvia Bunting's collection
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Sunlight Soap bookmark from Sylvia Bunting's collection
What is the most unusual bookmark in your collection?
This is also the oldest bookmark in my collection.  It is a carved piece of bone (scrimshaw work, often produced by the crews of whaling ships).  This bookmark is thought to have been produced during the Napoleonic wars by French prisoners of war incarcerated in one of the prisons on the south coast.  It is known that these prisoners made what handicrafts they could and sold them to local people to raise a little money.  There is no official provenance, but Derek Greengrass, a noted expert on antique ivory, has stated that it is of the right period and the right material, not ivory but bone which the prisoners could have liberated from the meat carcasses supplied to them.  It is clearly the creation of someone who had ample time to give attention to delicate, detailed work. 
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Carved bone bookmark, front view, from Sylvia Bunting's collection
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Carved bone bookmark, back view, from Sylvia Bunting's collection
How do you acquire your bookmarks?
That depends on the age!  For vintage bookmarks, the best source is antiquarian book dealers, as fine specimens still come to light in old books.  But that is a dwindling supply, and I usually search bookmarks out on ebay.  For modern bookmarks I depend on my friends – there are several who visit local shops and libraries when they are on holiday, and they bring me an envelope full from time to time.  And, of course, there is exchange with fellow collectors, particularly at swapmeets where people bring sales folders and boxes of free swaps.
How many bookmarks do you have?
My database tells me that as of today I have 21,239.  I would never have kept count, but I was fortunate that when I started collecting I had a word processor, so could keep a list of what I acquired.  When computers arrived in the 90s, I transferred the information gradually to an Access database, and am reaping the benefit.
 
Of these, around 7,000 are promotional, which includes 2,500+ from publishers, 1500 from booksellers, 800 from banks and insurance, and 500+ from libraries.  The other two large categories are Advisory (1,450) and not-for-profit Organisations (3,500).

How do you organize, display and store your collection?
My bookmarks are divided into categories according to purpose:
  • Advisory (health, safety, lifestyle)
  • Commemorative (events such as Empire exhibitions, and people – some famous, some unknown apart from their name on a memorial silk)
  • Decorative (everything that doesn’t fit into another category!)
  • Educative (systems, hallmarks, Dewey library numbers)
  • Greetings (Birthday, Christmas and other occasions)
  • Inspirational (texts, uplifting quotations, guidelines from all religions)
  • Organisations (not-for-profit; anything geared towards profit comes under promotional.)
  • Places (souvenirs of towns, countries, stately homes and boats)
  • Promotional (with sub-categories for books, money and transport)​
Most are stored in filing cabinets with shallow drawers, which I have divided up with cardboard partitions.  This gives me the freedom to lift out the ones I want and spread them together on a table to trace their relationship to each other.
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Storage cabinet for Sylvia Bunting's collection
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I display very little of my collection, partly because I have never found a reliable way of mounting them in frames without spoiling the bookmark.  When speaking to voluntary groups about bookmark collecting, I choose a few interesting ones and put them into plastic pages in a loose-leaf binder, and project images via powerpoint.  I am working towards photographing every bookmark – a slow job, but I am more than halfway there.  I suppose the best place to see my bookmarks, along with those of other collectors, is in our journal, The Bookmark Society News.
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Bookmarks from Sylvia Bunting's collection in storage cabinet drawers
Your work with The Bookmark Society is such a significant contribution to promoting bookmarks. Tell us about your experience editing TBS News.  How do you select articles?​
I have been fortunate that just as I took over editing, computers developed to the point where it was possible to present coloured images of reasonable quality.  This has been one of the big progressions – we started with mainly black and white, but have moved on to the point where most pages now include some colour.  After all, what collectors want most is to see the bookmarks.  People are pleased to see something they own, grateful to see something they don’t yet have, and absolutely delighted when they can tell me of a bookmark they own which is not in the public listing.
Articles come from members.  Some are offered, and we have several members in different countries who are regular contributors, on subjects ranging from petrol to Red Riding Hood.  Also, when people write to me they often mention a quirk of their collection, and I can then bounce back and ask if they will put something together for the journal.  Members with special interests sometimes put together listings of a particular subject, such as Colin Williamson and Tauchnitz.
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TBS News, March 2018
We have had a few mini-series; one called In a Flap which featured unusual page flaps.  The most memorable was a flap shaped like a toilet seat.  We are currently running a Hand Made series, which has featured Bristol board, eucalyptus leaves and original paintings.  We also have a regular swaplist prepared by one member who puts in an enormous amount of work behind the scenes, listing and despatching the bookmarks.
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TBS News, July 2021
One feature which has developed slowly but steadily is the Letters Page, where members can ask a question (is this the largest bookmark ever known?) or showcase an interesting bookmark they have just found (had you heard of the Nebra Sky Disk in Germany?).  Sometimes this starts as a private letter to me, but I then ask permission to publish it.  So far I don’t think anyone has stopped writing to me on that account, but I sometimes wonder if they feel it is rather hazardous. 
There is normally space for me to add one or two articles, featuring sets or themes from my own collection.  In each issue I try to have a balance of modern and vintage bookmarks, and to cover a range of interests.  When lockdown began we had an article on bookmarks featuring all the things we could no longer do (theatres, travel, sport…) which evoked a few responses from people who found their collections were a good jumping-off point for happy reminiscence.
Once or twice a year a larger theme emerges and becomes an occasional paper in its own right.  I usually have time to advertise the theme and invite scans from other people’s collections, and in this way we have covered drinks (3 papers – people consume a lot of drink one way and another), chocolate, World War I and calendars. {Note that a list of Occasional Papers is on our Bibliography page, plus pdfs of the first seven issues]
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Occasional Paper on Soft Drinks, The Bookmark Society
For me, editing the journal brings life to my own collection, and is an excellent springboard for ongoing discussion with other members.
What do you enjoy about IFOB?  Anything you would like to see IFOB do in the future?
I think IFOB is an excellent way of bringing together collectors who could otherwise be quite isolated, and it is very good to have an ongoing presence on the web.
Do you have any plans to celebrate World Bookmark Day next time?
I am saving bookmarks to contribute to the prize for the raffle.
Do you collect anything else?
It would be difficult to find time or space for a further collection, but my husband collects model railways.  This is a very helpful as we each have an understanding of a collector’s mindset.
Do you have any advice for those who are just beginning to collect?
If at all possible, keep a record of each bookmark you acquire.  You may think you will remember everything, but you won’t!  Useful bits of information are the date you obtained it, the cost, and the person/organisation from whom it came.  Other details depend on your particular interests – e.g. is it bilingual, does it feature a lighthouse, is it made of a particular material?
 
And never turn anything away.  The friend who brings you a commonplace bookmark today may turn up with something rare next month, once they have grasped your consuming interest in these apparently trivial items.
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Selection of Olympics bookmarks from Sylvia Bunting's collection
2 Comments

Asim Maner Award Winner for 2021: Don Baldwin

30/6/2021

 
This year our Woboda activities were more subdued than usual due to the pandemic.  At first, we decided not to make the Asim Maner Award because there had been limited activity by members, but then we had an idea.  Some of us knew a long time collector, Don Baldwin, who passed away in 2013 before the establishment of IFOB and World Bookmark Day.  I wrote a tribute to him in 2016, and was thinking about him because someone asked about donating a collection to a library.  After conferring with co-editor Georg Hartong and Debrah Gai Lewis, last year’s winner, we agreed it seemed fitting to give him the award posthumously in this year.  He exemplified all of the qualities we value for the award: someone who collects and/or supports the appreciation of bookmarks and shares his knowledge with the community.  And when I reread this tribute, I was surprised to see that Asim had commented on it at the time.  I think he would be pleased to have the award go to Don.
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After we contacted his daughter, Tama Baldwin, about the award, she sent this reply:
I can't tell you how pleased my sisters and I are to learn that you are  honoring Don's contributions to bookmark collecting.  He would have been so thrilled.  I also should thank you for the beautiful remembrance you wrote about him in 2016 that I somehow missed until just a week ago when I was exploring the links you shared.  That was such a beautiful testimony.  I know that would have thrilled him as well.  My sisters and I really appreciate your thoughtfulness.  The precision of your observations was especially valuable as you bore witness to a part of his life we didn't really know a lot about.  Please do keep us informed about his award.  We are honored to accept it on his behalf. ​
​We have sent the certificate to Tama to share with her sisters. We have also sent a copy along with this article to the University of Iowa Library where Don’s collection resides with his notes and research.  One of the librarians said, “Thanks so much for reaching out to us. I've been lucky enough to see Don's collection of bookmarks, and it's such a great collection. I think it wonderful that he be remembered with this award.”  Those of us not able to see the collection in person can only imagine the richness of his careful curation and the rarities that are at least well protected and preserved in Iowa. 
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​Normally, we would interview the award winner and create a member profile.  Although we can no longer hear from Don directly, we are fortunate that there are traces of his collection and his voice that we can bring together.
​Just recently, I came across another reminder of Don’s character.  In 2009 correspondence with Lauren Roberts (IFOB member, collector and editor of the former BiblioBuffet site that featured a column on bookmarks), Don sent her copies of some bookmarks he had made recently.  
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Typical of him, he said, “Note that one of the early bookmarks is small and has no cover. It also has an identity which shows I was developing some pride in my results.  That’s a practice I have since dropped.” Generous with his homemade bookmarks as well as praise for BiblioBuffet, he was also practical and humble in his efforts to feature his collection.
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Self-made paper bookmark from Don's collection
In addition to the official description of his collection (no images yet), there are a few vestiges of Don’s collection available on the internet, including this lovely interview I found recently with Jen Funk Wagner, one of the presenters from the 2010 Bookmark Collectors Virtual Bookmark Convention.   Don talks about how he began acquiring bookmarks and they discuss some fabric and fiber bookmarks.
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Blade bookmark, perhaps one of Don's first acquisitions
Don was especially interested in categorizing bookmarks by the type of blade or page flap.  He developed a language for these, and experimented with different ways of grouping them, which he talked about in the virtual convention.
Along with his presentation on organizing bookmarks by physical characteristics, Don contributed examples to the galleries for the 2010 Bookmark Collectors Virtual Convention, such as these listed in the gallery on series .
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Coke set of bridge tallies/ bookmarks, #7
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Heintz's Shoes, 5 of 5
Don posted a number of his bookmarks to Flickr and organized them into categories .

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Bookmarks with open, long page clips
There is also an article about the exhibit of his collection at the Iowa City Public Library in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, 11 July 2011, p. 3 by Josh O’Leary, unfortunately behind a paywall.
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Finally, there is a very loving obituary describing Don’s background, his many hobbies and interests, and his love of life. 

And there is a bonus!  His daughter, Tama, recently sent us files of his images as well as his blog posts.  We hope to publish some of these, perhaps in the galleries or the library, so stay tuned. 
​All of these views into Don’s collecting interests and practices remind us how devoted he was to his hobby, and serve as a model for other collectors.  We are honored to bestow the Asim Maner Award for 2021 on Don M. Baldwin, 1927 – 2013.

Vilija Jocienė - Librarian Who Makes Bookmarks

4/3/2021

4 Comments

 
Editor's Note: Vilija has been a great contributor and supporter of IFOB and now we can see why.  Her creativity and love of bookmarks is evident in these examples and her story about making bookmarks.
​The history of the bookmarks is long and very interesting. They emerged along with the written words and performed their mission not only in the books as we are accustomed to seeing them, but also in the scrolls.
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​In my life, bookmarks have come along with my workplace in the library. I have been living among books for more than thirty years and somehow by accident, bookmarks kept popping up. I gave them to the kids when they first came to the library, to the readers just so that they wouldn‘t fold the pages of the book. Until they were as plentiful as they are now, I gradually started making them myself, from paper, from postcards, from old magazine covers, and it so interested me that I still make them. 
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​And since I really like handicrafts, I am learning new technologies. The bookmarks are also very diverse: painted on fabric, from gift ribbons, metal, with natural dried flowers, with silk tassels and pendants. Beaded pendants, holiday shells, burnt glass pendants or clay molded with fragrant oils. (After all, the very first scripture is about scents, when the scent plant was wrapped in a piece of material for fear of forgetting important events). 
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But no matter how sophisticated they may be, they all carry out the same mission - giving the work being read even more charm, helping us to remember where we read and returning to the story being read, and increasingly bookmarks are becoming works of art.
​Vilija Jocienė
Telšių r. Lithuania
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4 Comments

Cataloging Bookmarks - a Schema

21/2/2021

2 Comments

 
Recently on our members' Facebook page, we have been discussing how to manage bookmarks in a database.  In addition to what software to use, there is the question of how to describe the bookmarks, i.e., cataloging them.  I developed a basic system twenty years ago when I began using software for my collection.  I present it here as a starting point.  There is no right or wrong way to do it, although there are probably 5-7 elements that most of us could agree upon.  As this discussion progresses, we may create a new page on the IFOB web site for information on managing a collection. 
  • Creator/Author:  This could be the person or organization that created the bookmark, or the author of the book that the bookmark advertises.
  • Title: Writing on the bookmark that seems to be the main emphasis, or the title of a book being advertised.
  • Publisher: Company that produces the bookmark or could be the sponsoring organization that publishes it.  
  • Place of Publication: The city, state, country, if known. If any of these elements are inferred, enclose in brackets.
  • Date Published:  Often the date is unknown but can be estimated. 
  • Date Acquired:  This date is of interest to the collector and can be specific to day/month/year or at least the year.
  • Source Acquired: Another element of interest to the collector and can be as specific as desired. 
  • Price:  This can record a price or whether it is free or a gift. 
  • Series: An optional element that is sometimes of interest to record a series name and number or other designation. 
  • Description: Even if an image is available, it can be useful to add a description for searching.  Elements such as illustrations, type of page flap, shape, etc. are of interest.
  • Size: This information can be recorded in description, but if made a separate element, it can be used to analyze the characteristics of the collection. 
  • Notes: Other information not related to the physical description can go in the notes including any interesting text, information about the producer, or even notes about the collector's use of the bookmark in displays, articles, etc.
  • Category:  If the collector assigns subject terms, keywords, or other category notes, they should be in a separate field. They may include the type of material or other physical characteristics in addition to the subject matter.
  • Accession number/ID:  It is often useful to have a unique number that can be sequential or use any other scheme to identify the item. 
Along with the field definitions, I have also created a set of "cataloging rules" that help me apply the elements in a consistent way.  These rules may not be useful for others, however, since the purpose and design of a collector's database will vary.
Any comments on this scheme, which elements are most important, other elements to consider, etc. are most welcome!
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