Collector Profile Michael Anthony Middleton

In the bookplate collecting world we do not see too many young people joining our ranks so I am pleased to introduce a new collector, Michael Anthony Middleton who is 26 years old.

I asked Michael a few questions and these were his responses:

As for my personal bookplate, I commissioned Daniel Mitsui to provide me with something that would be representative of my interest in architecture and to be placed within the books of the antiquarian architecture book collection. This is how he described the bookplate's final design;

The concept is basically as I described earlier, although I made a few adjustments after I realized the limits of the space I was working it. So the view through the doorway is directly outside, not to a vestibule, and the shorter inscription "Exlibris Middleton Architecture Library" appears. "Exlibris" is worked into a repeating tile patter on the wall. The doorway and niches are late Gothic, based on models in C.A. Heideloff's books. The statues are derived from those on funerary brasses, reproduced in a model book by Augustus Charles Pugin. The ruins out the window I based loosely on an old photograph I saw recently of Palmyra - these might have been destroyed recently, I am not sure. 

 He based the design motifs off of famous architectural pattern books of the 19th century. I had asked him to incorporate both classical and gothic architecture into the design as they are the predominant architectural styles that the books in my collection encompass. One other request was that he provide me with a space to write the year in which I acquire the book the plate was to be place within. This is can seen right about the arch in the central doorway. One area has "20" and the other has a blank space to write the year.

Attached please find 4 scans of bookplates in my collection.

1.) Monty Wooley

2.) Jerome Kern

3.) Victory Jory

4.) Otis Skinner (This image is meant to show how I display the bookplates in my collection)

I seem to have developed an interest in bookplates belonging to early show business actors, though I collect from all notable Americans. I just find it so interesting that all the early personalities in show business seemed to have had book collections and bookplates.

Notes from Lew:

If you want to say hello to Michael and welcome him to our very select group,

here is his contact information:

mam2448@columbia.edu