Ex Libris

One thing that makes antiquarian books so fascinating is that they don’t only convey their printed content but also tell their own stories, sometimes even giving specific details in the shape of inscriptions. – I’ve already mentioned some of my findings in my previous blog posts »Calligraphy«, »Traces«, and »Donné par Maman«.

The latest addition to my bookcase – a copy of Kipling’s »Kim« from 1901 – contains this beautiful ex libris label. It was designed by the German illustrator and cartoonist Thomas Theodor Heine and tells us that this book once belonged to the library of the Austrian philosopher and teacher Moritz Eisler (as was also confirmed by the bookseller).