Harry B. Smith bookplate, ca. 1925

Contributed by Cary Memorial Library in Wayne

Description

Harry Bache Smith's bookplate is notable for its lively color and design. It depicts a medieval scene with a jester seated at a desk. Books, written music, a lute and the jester's staff are scattered about the floor. On the desk is a book with the words "Lytell Geste" and the title "Robyn Hood" on its cover.

Harry Bache Smith (1860-1936) was a composer and lyricist who penned the lyrics to the comic opera Robin Hood. Besides the owner's name and the words "Ex Libris," the bookplate contains a reference to "Psalms 37-21." The psalm reads "The wicked borroweth , and payeth not again; but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth."

The bookplate is part of a collection created by Elizabeth Mast Hyatt in the 1920s and 1930s to honor Annie Louise Cary (1841-1921), famed opera and concert singer, who was born in Wayne, Maine. Hyatt was also involved in plans for building a library in the town. The new building was dedicated in 1939 as the Cary Memorial Library.

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About This Item

  • Title: Harry B. Smith bookplate, ca. 1925
  • Creation Date: circa 1925
  • Subject Date: circa 1925
  • Location: Wayne, Kennebec County, ME
  • Media: Ink on paper
  • Dimensions: 9.79 cm x 8.05 cm
  • Local Code: Album B
  • Collection: Bookplate collection
  • Object Type: Text and Image

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For more information about this item, contact:

Cary Memorial Library in Wayne
17 Old Winthrop Road, Wayne, ME 04284
(207) 685-3612
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This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. No Permission is required to use the low-resolution watermarked image for educational use, or as allowed by the applicable copyright. For all other uses, permission is required.

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