Browse the bookplates of the famous, infamous, and unknown

You’re a serious reader if you have your own bookplate. Or you’re a book collector. Or a dignitary. Or maybe you’re someone with a lot of time on your hands. But most bookplate users basically boil down to folks who love to read and want to brand their beloved books as their own. It’s pretty simple, really—and interesting, too, when you get a look at the multitude of bookplates out there. An excellent place to gain an appreciation of the world of bookplates is a blog called Confessions of a Bookplate Junkie.

Lewis Jaffe is the “junkie” in question. When you browse his blog, you’ll discover a fascinating, virtual collection of bookplates—including those of Greta Garbo, Sigmund Freud, and Czar Nicolas II. Then there’s Walt Disney’s bookplate, and Noel Coward’s … and seemingly hundreds more belonging to the famous, the infamous, and the unknown. Take a look. But do so when you have some time to spare, because it’s easy to be drawn into this intriguing, unique book blog.