Articles

Welcome to our page READING ROOM
This is a room where you can make yourself comfortable to read our selected articles, blog posts & interviews or watch videos on bookmarks, about collecting, reading books and more. Sections include:

the History of Bookmarks
General Interest
Collectors' Interests
Interviews
Other Recommended Reading.

Use the Contact form to send us your contributions. Last updated: 20 October 2021

HISTORY OF BOOKMARKS

Multiple strand bookmarks made by Katherine Kerr

Bookmarks - by Katherine Kerr of the Hermitage

Brief history focusing on the medieval period with several sources, mention of art works depicting bookmarks, and illustration of some she made. Article also includes printable bookmarks with Shakespeare quotes, quotes about pelicans.

I'll Be Here When You Get Back - The Story of the Ubiquitous Bookmark - by Kerrie More [pdf file]

Originally published in issue 29 of UPPERCASE Magazine, this brief history was based on interviews with several collectors and historical research as well as photographs of a local collection.

On the History of Bookmark - by Georg Hartong

This brief history of bookmarks is a translation of the originally Dutch text which had been published in 2007 as part of a special issue (devoted to bookmarks) of an obscure periodical with the title Vorm, Filosofie & Gaga Tijdschrift, XXste aflevering (125 copies only) by the Gand University Library, Belgium.

St. Augustine’s Finger: Medieval Bookmarks and Related Topics - by Frank X. Roberts, 2020
With St. Augustine’s Finger, Frank X. Roberts examines the possible origins of the bookmark, from its definition, to its historical, social and literary relationships. Frank provides a comprehensive overview of the development of the bookmark in ancient times. In addition, he touches upon bookmarks and the abuse of books, as well as bookmarks as cultural artifacts, and reflectors of modern and current events. It was originally self published with the title Essays on Bookmarks and Related Topics, in 2009. The chapter titled "Is There a Bookmark in This Text" inspired Debrah Gai Lewis to create a page on Bookmark Allusions on her Mark My Place web site.

History of Bookmarks - by Asim Maner
This brief history of bookmarks starting with the earliest accounts in the first centuries AD up to our days is illustrated with interesting images and contains a bibliography of credited publications. Read more ...

Image on the right shows a medieval rotating disc bookmark made of vellum from around 1500, courtesy of K.-H. Steinbeisser

Smart Medieval Bookmarks - by Erik Kwakkel
Marking pages for future reading predates browsers and the web. In fact, the practice is much older even than printed books. This post introduces various ways in which monks and other medieval readers kept track of the page at which they had stopped reading – and from which they planned to continue in the near future. Read more ...

Rare Medieval Bookmark - video by Erik Kwakkel
The function of a sophisticated bookmark dating from the 13th (or up to the 14th) century is explained by Erik Kwaddel who is an assistant professor at Leiden University, The Netherlands, and specializes in medieval manuscripts, palaeography (study of ancient writing forms), and codicology (study of manuscripts). He also writes a highly recommendable blog about medieval manuscripts (medieval books.nl) where he presents among others also interesting forms of bookmarks found in such manuscripts.

Mark Their Words: Medieval Bookmarks by Jenneka Janzen
Despite their attraction, medieval bookmarks are often left unmentioned in special collections catalogues. When talking about manuscripts with the uninitiated, I usually mention how features that guide us through our modern books - running titles, subheadings, and indices, for example - originated in the Middle Ages. Yet, I tend to overlook bookmarks (despite my childhood collection of them) as a sort of 'separate apparatus'. Bookmarks, however, also have an interesting medieval past.
Jenneka Janzen from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, presents different types of bookmarks found in medieval manuscripts. Read more ...

Removable register bookmark in Exeter Cathedral, MS 3515, 13th century.

A King's Ransom for a Bookmark by Laine Farley (originally published by Bibliobuffet.com; archived by Archive.Today)
On October 15, 2008, a bookmark sold for the astonishing sum of 10,800 British pounds or $18,682.86. Tim Pearson, an amateur treasure hunter, found the unusual object with a metal detector at Aughton, South Yorkshire in England. At first he thought it was a milk bottle top but later learned it may date from the ninth century. Experts have identified it as an aestel, a pointing device associated with King Alfred (871-899) who sent twelve elaborate versions as gifts to bishops along with a translation of Pope Gregory I’s Pastoral Care (Regula Pastoralis). Read more...

GENERAL INTEREST

Never Do That To A Book- by Anne Fadiman
Slate reprinted Anne Fadiman’s classic 1995 essay, originally published in Civilization and later collected in her book Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader, 4 February 2020

Fadiman describes different approaches to loving books and how "Courtly lovers always remove their bookmarks when the assignation is over; carnal lovers are likely to leave romantic mementos." She records some of the bookmarks used by the "courtly lovers" as well as the practices of the "carnal lovers" in a witty essay.

Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by tbd/iStock/Getty Images Plus.

Bookmark: A Bibliophile's Accessory - by Beryl Kenyon de Pascual
Originally published in The Ephemerist - No.124, Spring 2004

This article which has been republished online on The World of Bookmarks (Mirage Bookmark website) as an abridged form of the original gives references to the original illustrations of the printed paper and additional images has been inserted to illustrate the text.

Bookmarks - by Lois Densky-Wolf

The article has been published on the website of The American Ephemera Society in 2011 and gives a brief overview on bookmarks including the history and various types of bookmarks and a short bibliography.

The Secret Lives of Bookmarks - by Edd McCracken
My bookmark has been one of the few constants in life over the past 13 years. Friendships, relationships, governments, tectonic plates, economies, empires have all shifted, buckled, risen and fallen. Meanwhile this dog-eared postcard with a Photoshopped image of a castle on the front and fading scribbles on the back has endured between the pages of whichever book I’m devouring whilst the world around me changes. Read more ...

Perforated Paper Needlework - by Diana Matthews
A detailed article about the 19th century bookmarks handcrafted by stitching on perforated card templates approximately between 1820s and 1900. Published on the website of the Victoriana Magazine.

COLLECTORS' INTERESTS

Mr. Stevens and His Wonderful World of Stevengraphs - by Bill Jackman
originally published in antiqueexplorer I The magazine of the antique world I October 2005

This short survey of the Victorian woven silk bookmarks produced by Thomas Stevens from Coventry, UK, has been published online in The World of Bookmarks (Mirage Bookmark website).

Antique Bookmarks
A short article on antique bookmarks presented by the website Collectors Weekly, a resource for people who love vintage and antiques. The article is accompanied by a picture gallery of ancient bookmarks from auctions.

Bookmark Buzz
This blog was written by collector Don Baldwin who said: This blog is intended to present and discuss bookmarks of the many different kinds. If I digress to another subject it will probably eventually bring us back to bookmarks in some roundabout manner.
When the collection was started in 1970 metal bookmarks were my only interest. That soon changed as I discovered beautiful paper, celluloid, wood and even bone and ivory bookmarks.
So come with me and follow a collector’s love for small but interesting and beautiful objects. Bookmarks!

BookMarked
This is a series of short articles and interviews about the wonders of collecting that ever-so-important companion of readers everywhere: the bookmark! They have been written by the editor Lindy Gamolo on the website of bookbed, a community for book sharing and storytelling. 'Knocking on Wood' presents wooden bookmarks from all over the world, and 'Film-featuring Bookmark Series by Libreria Follas Novas' tells about the beautiful bookmarks decorated with posters of film classics. Worth to have a look.

How to Store & Display Bookmarks
by Jackie Thiron, Laine Farley, Joe Stephenson, Lauren Roberts

This is one of the most frequently asked questions by bookmark collectors. Several collectors describe their methods on this online page of The World of Bookmarks (Mirage Bookmark website).

See also Interviews below and Member Profiles in the blog for more ideas.

Collecting Bookmarks - by Bern Marcowitz and Margot Rosenberg
As dealers specializing in old books, the authors have a special view about the bookmarks and how detrimental they can be for the books. They illuminate the various aspects of collecting bookmarks for book collectors. They also have a good article on Collecting Ephemera - What Is It and Who Wants It?

BOOKMARK = LESEZEICHEN = SEGNALIBRO = SIGNET = MARCADOR DE LIBROS - by Jurgen Wegener

Jurgen Wegener from The Book Collectors' Society of Australia discusses the present, past and the future of bookmarks in a detailed article putting up interesting questions he would like to get some answers for. Read more here.

EVERYMAN'S LIBRARY BOOKMARKS

Everyman's Library is a series of reprinted classic literature published by J.M. Dent & Co. in London from 1906 on. The company issued several series of bookmarks to advertise their books and encyclo-pedia. The series of books are popular collectors' items meanwhile and they are still in production, though as paperbacks only (Random House). A website for the collectors of Everyman's Library books features also a page about the bookmarks advertising the series.

Other Books on Bookmark Collections
Note: If you would like to contribute a review to add to our Book Reviews, please contact the editor:

Collection Notebook: A page of Life, Hong Kong and the World. by Man Wong (Huang Huiwen), Extraordinary Publications, Hong Kong, 2021, 9789888758050
Through the bookmark collection shared by the author, this book relives the life in Hong Kong and recalls the popular culture of different eras. The story behind each bookmark allows readers to experience the feelings of Hong Kong in the 1980s and 1990s again, and uses bookmarks as a window to guide readers. Get to know the customs around the world, as well as the bookmark groups in different places.

INTERVIEWS

Silver Bookmarks Made by Kirk, Gorham and Fabergé - An Interview with Howie Schecter
by Maribeth Keane, 4 February 2009
In this interview, Howie Schecter talks about silver bookmarks, specifically the major manufacturers, designs, and the materials used to make them. Based in Los Angeles, Howie can be reached via his website, Silver Bookmarks, which is a member of [Collector Weekly's] Hall of Fame. Howie's incredible collection of over 1000 silver bookmarks dating back to 1865. Also includes some bookmarks made of gold, brass, bronze, copper, celluloid, pewter, silk, plastic, enamel, mother of pearl, leather and ivory. Browsable by materials, country of origin, manufacturer, style and date. Editor's Note: Howie has not updated his site since 2012, but it is still an incredible resource for silver and related bookmarks. 20 October 2021

Bookmark Collector Debrah Gai Lewis
by Laine Farley
IFOB member and Australian collector Debrah Gai Lewis describes her collecting interests and the various ways she showcases them.

Bookmark Collector Robin Brown
by Lindy Gamolo
When I mention that I collect bookmarks, some people rise from their seats and offer me their chair. They don’t ask if I’m crazy but the look in their eyes says it all, “Poor guy, I wonder what happened to him in his childhood?” Robin from Melbourne, Australia, tells about his experiences with collecting bookmarks on the bookbed website.

Bookmark Collector Liudmila Cernikoviene
by Lindy Gamolo
When you think that your collection is full and you have so many bookmarks that nothing can surprise you, you will still find new amazing ones opening another wonderful land both for your collection and personality. Liudmila tells about her blog and her passion of collecting bookmarks in this interview.

Frank Divendal: Establishing A New World Record With Bookmarks
by Asim Maner

Frank Divendal from Alkmaar, The Netherlands, has been collecting bookmarks since 1982 and is publisher of various papers on bookmarks. He has established a new world record as the owner of the largest collection of bookmarks with 71'235 different examples back in 2007 and was listed in the The Guinness Book of World Records. In 2010, Frank had already 103'009 bookmarks in his collection according to the new record listed on the GBWR. The article is based on an interview with Frank and has been posted to the Mirage Bookmark website in April 2012.

Bookmark Collector Asim Maner Interview
by Marty Weil, Ephemera blog, exploring the world of old paper, 16 Oct 2007

Asim Maner is a consultant and the producer of bookmarks under the brand Mirage Bookmark. His website is the most comprehensive reference site on bookmarks featuring a large bookmark exhibition with interesting ephemera, a short history of bookmarks, essays and quotes on bookmarks and a large link collection. I spoke with Asim, who lives in Switzerland, about his passion for bookmarks. [Note: the Mirage website is no longer active but an archived version is available on the Wayback Machine for dates prior to 2016.

Collecting Antique and Vintage Bookmarks with Lauren Roberts
by Deanna Dahlsad, Founder & Editor of Inherited Values blog, 2011

Interview of Lauren Roberts, former bookmark collector and editor of Bibliobuffet web site that featured articles on bookmarks. Lauren discusses how she began collecting, what she looked for and collecting themes, how she stored them in binders and displayed them in an antique coffee table, and what she learned from collecting. [Editor's note: Lauren had to part with her collection and I now am keeping it intact.]

Contact form for the Reading Room