Grahame Book Company, Sydney, Australia (24mm x 34mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis.


Introduction | News | New Acquisitions

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Anyone who handles old books will have come across these small and sometimes beautiful labels pasted more or less discreetly into the endpapers. Publishers, printers, binders, importers, distributors and sellers of books -- new, second-hand and antiquarian -- used to advertise in this way their contribution to bringing the book to market. Most of the earliest examples shown here belong to binders (e.g., the Marcus Ward ticket, ca.1841); this is a continuation of binders' earlier practice of sewing into the binding a small ticket with their signature.

This collection began with labels found in our own books, but now it is mainly a virtual collection -- each entry is digitally scanned from books found in the excellent research library to which we repair in our spare time. We must admit to having gone from "coming across" the labels in our book-browsing to actually searching for them.

The collection will continue to grow, with new accessions displayed on this page around the first of each month. We have also begun to research the characters and institutions behind each of these labels -- and there are some great stories! Look for these in the weeks to come.


User note: images here (and in the thematic pages) link to the label in the alphabetical catalog. Label images in the alphabetical catalog link to larger images. Higher resolution images or data about the books in which these are found may be had by contacting us. We also welcome comments and suggestions, as well as submissions for inclusion in the collection.

News

1st June 2007: New labels from Leon Koll, Charlie Breunig, Carollyn Dieter, Michael Kunze, Stephen Loreck, Donald Francis, Robert Behra and myself. A round of applause to all who have contributed -- we now have 2100+ labels in the collection!

Please note the new navigational aid, "Explore the Collection".

May Acquisitions:


Leon Koll

Friedmann, Israel (21mm x 28mm) Pales, Tel Aviv, Israel (32mm x 29mm)
Sifri Bookshop, Haifa, Israel (38mm x 20mm) Zafon, Tel Aviv, Israel (31mm x 28mm)



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Charlie Breunig

Sidney Kramer Books, Washington DC (37mm x 20mm, after 1955). Courtesy of Charlie Breunig.



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Carollyn Dieter

The Kendrick Bellamy Co., Denver, Colorado (approx 25mm dia.). Courtesy of Carollyn Dieter.



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Michael Kunze

P. Dienemann, Buchhandlung u. Antiquariat, Dresden, Germany (29mm x 16mm, ca.1910). Courtesy of Michael Kunze. Emil Oliva, Buch- & Musikalienhandlung (Arthur Graun, owner), Zittau,Germany (approx 25mm x 11mm, ca.1908). Courtesy of Michael Kunze. Alfred Roscher, Buchhandlung, Dresden, Germany (approx 21mm x 11mm, ca.1905). Courtesy of Michael Kunze. Walter Stein, Buchbinderei, Dresden, Germany (approx 31mm x 15mm, ca.1910). Courtesy of Michael Kunze. V. Zahn & Jaensch, Buchhandlung, Dresden, Germany (approx 25mm x 12mm, ca.1910). Courtesy of Michael Kunze.



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Stephen Loreck

The Adobe Book Shop, Santa Barbara, California (32mm x 20mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. American Baptist Publications Society, Atlanta, Georgia (27mm x 13mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Argus Shop, Chicago, Illinois (29mm x 19mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. F.W. & D. Barkhaus, Buch-, Kunst- u. Papierhandlung, San Francisco, California (37mm x 15mm, 19th c.). Courtesy of S. Loreck. F. Bauermeister, Foreign and Art Bookseller, Edinburgh, Scotland (40mm x 15mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Beeman & Hendee, Los Angeles, California (49mm x 16mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. J.L. Beijers, Oude & Nieuwe Boekhandel, Utrecht, Netherlands (30mm x 15mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. J.L. Beijers, Librairie Ancienne et Moderne, Utrecht, Netherlands (35mm x 20mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. H. Berkelouw, Boekhandel - Antiquariaat, Rotterdam, Netherlands (37mm x 26mm, pre-1939). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Bishop Museum Book Shop, Honolulu, Hawaii (22mm x 30mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Black Archer Press, William Targ, Chicago, Illinois (56mm x 20mm, ca.1930-1942). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Boericke & Tafel, Homoeopathic Pharmacy, Chicago, Illinois (33mm x 18mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. The Book House, Chicago, Illinois (28mm x 29mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Book Lovers' Shop, San Diego, California (28mm x 14mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Boughman, Thomas & Co., Booksellers, Stationers, Binders and Blank Book Manufacturers, Wilmington, Delaware (22mm x 14mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck.
Brentano's, Booksellers & Stationers, Chicago, Illinois (25mm x 10mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck.
Brentano's, Booksellers & Stationers, Chicago, Illinois (25mm x 10mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Brentano's, Booksellers & Stationers, Chicago, Illinois (25mm x 10mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Brentano's, Booksellers & Stationers, Chicago, Illinois (25mm x 10mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck.
E. Broekhuis & Zonen, Boek- & Kunsthandel - Boekbinderij, Hengelo [Overijssel], Netherlands (30mm x 22mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Brokerhof & Reckers, Boekbinderij, Rotterdam, Netherlands (29mm x 27mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. William Brown, Fine Art & Antiquarian Bookseller, Edinburgh, Scotland (33mm x 7mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Burgersdijk & Niermans, Templum Salomonis, Boekhandel en Antiquariaat, Leiden, Netherlands (34mm x 15mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Livraria Castro e Silva, Lisbon, Portugal (34mm x 21mm, without tear-off). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Burgersdijk & Niermans, Templum Salomonis, Leiden, Netherlands (21mm x 25mm, without tear-off). Courtesy of S. Loreck. A. David, Encadernador, Lisbon, Portugal (14mm dia.). Courtesy of S. Loreck. B. de Kler, Leiden, Netherlands (21mm x 19mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. J. DeKruyff, Boekhandel, Utrecht, Netherlands (27mm x 12mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. C. den Dulk, Boek- en Kantoorboekhandel, Scheveningen, Netherlands (30mm x 15mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. De Vey Mestdagh -- Vlissingsche Boekhandel, Handelsdrukkerij & Binderij, Vlissingen, Netherlands (27mm dia.). Courtesy of S. Loreck.
P. Engels, Boekhandel en Binderij, Leyden, Netherlands (34mm x 20mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. P. Engels, Boekhandel en Binderij, Leyden, Netherlands (26mm x 13mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. James Fletcher, Bookseller, Ayr, Scotland (22mm x 9mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. James P. Forrester, Bookseller & Bookbinder, Glasgow, Scotland (19mm x 16mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. R. Gibson & Sons, The Book Shop, Glasgow, Scotland (40mm x 4mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. John Gray [binder], Edinburgh, Scotland (20mm x 14mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Hartung, Librairie - Papeterie, Lausanne, Switzerland (22mm x 14mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Kaiser & Co., Bern, Switzerland (21mm x 7mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Kemink en Zoon, Algemeene Boekhandel, Utrecht, Netherlands (37mm x 20mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Kniphorst's Boekhandel, Wageningen, Netherlands (26mm x 12mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Librairie Kündig, Geneva, Switzerland (20mm x 10mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Nederlandse Boekhandel, Utrecht, Netherlands (22mm x 12mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Librería G. Liaras, Barcelona, Spain (42mm x 87mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Paraninfo, Libreria - Papeleria, Madrid, Spain (75mm x 28mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck.
Alex M.J. Pompe, Boek- en Kunsthandel, 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands (24mm x 12mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Robert & Co. -- Museum-Boekhandel, Amsterdam, Netherlands (16mm x 20mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Robert & Co. -- Museum-Boekhandel, Amsterdam, Netherlands (16mm x 20mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Librairie F. Roth & Cie., Lausanne, Switzerland (25mm x 18mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Schillemans & van Belkum, Thieme's Boek- en Muziekhandel, Zutphen, Netherlands (32mm x 18mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Shuter & Shooter, Book & Stationery Experts, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (31mm x 10mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. E. Speidel, Akademisch-Polytechnische Buchhandlung, Zurich, Switzerland (27mm x 12mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. E.H. Tassemeijer, Oude en Nieuwe Boekhandel, Rotterdam, Netherlands (40mm x 19mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. P. van Akkeren, Haarlemsch Boekhuis, Haarlem, Netherlands (30mm x 23mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. P.J. van Breda Vriesman, Boekhandel, Leiden, Netherlands (23mm x 30mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Gebr. van der Hoek, Leiden, Netherlands (29mm x 16mm, as is). Courtesy of S. Loreck. C. van der Post, Jr., Boekhandelaar, Utrecht, Netherlands (40mm x 18mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Vanguard Booksellers, Johannesburg, South Africa (45mm x 13mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Boekhandel van Wees, Utrecht, Netherlands (28mm x 18mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Voorhoeve & Dietrich, Boekverkopers, Hilversum, Netherlands (19mm x 19mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Voorhoeve & Dietrich, Boekverkopers, Hilversum, Netherlands (19mm x 25mm, with tab ). Courtesy of S. Loreck. Whitcombe & Tombs, Printers, Christchurch, New Zealand (50mm x 40mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck. D. Wyllie & Son, Booksellers & Stationers, Aberdeen, Scotland (20mm x 12mm, ca.1860s?). Courtesy of S. Loreck. D. Wyllie & Son, Booksellers & Stationers, Aberdeen, Scotland (22mm x 14mm, ca.1870s?). Courtesy of S. Loreck. John Young, Jun., Ayr, Scotland (32mm x 18mm). Courtesy of S. Loreck.



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Donald Francis

Atheneum Printing and Publishing Co., Budapest, Hungary (inkstamp, 80mm x 22mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Azos, Librería - Papelería - Discoteca, Madrid, Spain (44mm x 20mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Barkentine Book Shop, Marina del Rey, California (70mm x 37mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Beers Book Store, Sacramento, California (inkstamp, 25mm dia.). Courtesy of Donald Francis. The Book Stall, Battle Creek, Michigan (53mm x 25mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Brentano's, Booksellers, Importers & Stationers, Publishers & Newsdealers, New York, NY (16mm dia.). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Brown-Browne, Circulating Library, Santa Barbara, California (34mm x 25mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Burgis & Colbourne, Leamington, England (35mm x 6mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Davison-Paxon Co. [dept store], Atlanta, Georgia (42mm x 21mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Dellquest's Rare Book Shop, Los Angeles, California (18mm x 9mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Dymock's Book Arcade, Sydney, Australia (29mm x 13mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Charles L. Elliott [binder], Baltimore, Maryland (20mm x 20mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. H.H. Evans, San Francisco, California (23mm x 11mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Fowler & Colwell, Booksellers, Los Angeles, California (28mm x 19mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Frashers [photography publishers], Pomona, California (28mm dia.). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Andrew C. Glover, Bookseller - New and Old, Truro, England (32mm x 8mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Grahame Book Company, Sydney, Australia (24mm x 34mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis.
Librairie Hachette, Paris, France (52mm x 29mm, ca.1921). Courtesy of Donald Francis.
Horan's Church Goods, Los Angeles (28mm x 21mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Horan's Church Goods, Los Angeles (33mm x 24mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Isseido, Tokyo, Japan (35mm x 18mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Kitazawa Bookstore, Tokyo, Japan (33mm x 16mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Magyarok Világszövetsége [World Federation of Hungarians] (30mm x 14mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. The Mandrake Book Store, Cambridge, Massachusetts (48mm x 12mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. The May Co. [dept store], Los Angeles, California (24mm x 37mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis.
Libreria Mexico, Los Angeles, California (52mm x 40mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis.
Libreria Minerva, Santurce [San Juan], Puerto Rico (48mm x 30mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Obunsha [publisher], Japan (30mm x 30mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. The O'Connor Company, Books - Church Goods, San Francisco, California (38mm x 27mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. F.W. Preece, Booksellers, Adelaide, Australia (36mm x 9mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Stanley Rose, Bookshop, Hollywood, California (25mm x 39mm, without tear-off). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Stanley Rose, Bookshop, Hollywood, California (26mm x 38mm, without tear-off). Courtesy of Donald Francis. W.H. Smith & Son, Paris, France (30mm x 14mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Swindon Book Co., Kowloon, Hong Kong (34mm x 15mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis. Charlotte Newbegin, Tillman Place Bookshop, San Francisco, California (26mm x 13mm). Courtesy of Donald Francis.



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Robert Behra

This is a selection of Robert's May contributions: More here.

Librairie Félix Alcan, Paris, France (inkstamp, 16mm x 16mm, ca.1890s?) Bureaux de l'Art Culinaire, Paris, France (45mm x 36mm). Courtesy of R. Behra. Hermann Bahr, Buchhaus, Berlin, Germany (21mm x 14mm, after 1933) Louis Bauer, Buchbinderei, Zurich, Switzerland (22mm x 9mm). Courtesy of R. Behra. Beeman & Hendee, Los Angeles, California (approx 33mm dia., early 20th c?) Imprimerie Bičre, Bordeaux, France (85mm x 28mm, ca.1959) Bloch & Hasbach, Buchhandlung, Vienna, Austria (28mm x 21mm). Courtesy of R. Behra. Ch. Boulange, Librairie Médicale, Paris, France (29mm x 19mm, ca.1890s?) W. Breiten, Kunsthandlung - Buchdruckerei - Buchbinderei, Bilder-Einrahmungen, Bochum, Germany (35mm x 22mm). Courtesy of R. Behra. Brentano's (44mm x 13mm, after 1941) J.A. Carveth, Medical Book Seller, Toronto, Canada (32mm x 18mm) R. Chuliá, Encuadernaciones, Valencia, Spain (45mm x 16mm, ca.1940s?). Courtesy of R. Behra. E. W. Classey, Entomological Bookseller, Feltham, England (stamp, 50mm x 15mm). Courtesy of R. Behra.
Columbia Music Co., Provo, Utah (inkstamp, 46mm x 28mm). Courtesy of R. Behra.
The Davenant Bookshop, Oxford, England (36mm x 10mm, ca.1932-39). Courtesy of R. Behra. F. de Nobele, Librairie, Brussels, Belgium (40mm x 16mm, ca.1910s?). Courtesy of R. Behra. Dwyer's Book Store, Salt Lake City, Utah (inkstamp, 33mm x 22mm, ca.1880s?). Courtesy of R. Behra. The East and West Shop, New York (63mm x 15mm, after 1959) Edmond & Spark, Bookbinders, Aberdeen, Scotland (30mm x 7mm, ca.1912). Courtesy of R. Behra. The English Book Store, New Delhi, India (28mm x 19mm, ca.1958). Courtesy of R. Behra. Espasa-Calpe, Madrid, Spain (35mm x 19mm, ca.1947). Courtesy of R. Behra. A.E. Foote, Scientific and Medical Books, &c., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (27mm x 17mm). Courtesy of R. Behra.
D.B. Friend & Co., Brighton & Hove, England (24mm x 12mm, ca.1897?). Courtesy of R. Behra. D.B. Friend & Co., Brighton & Hove, England (23mm x 12mm, ca.1897?). Courtesy of R. Behra. Benno Goeritz, Buchhandlung, Braunschweig, Germany (22mm x 12mm). Courtesy of R. Behra. Benno Goeritz, Buchhandlung, Braunschweig, Germany (23mm x 12mm). Courtesy of R. Behra. Hesperia, Libros Hispánicos, Zaragosa, Spain (42mm x 20mm). Courtesy of R. Behra. Henry R Johnson, Bookseller & Stationer, Springfield, Massachusetts (34mm x 10mm). Courtesy of R. Behra. A.F. Jürs [binder], Copenhagen, Denmark (18mm x 11mm, ca.1850s?). Courtesy of R. Behra. Juvenile Instructor, Stationery and Publishing House, Salt Lake City, Utah (43mm x 32mm, ca.1879). Courtesy of R. Behra. Jos. Hyrum Parry & Co., Newdealer, Bookseller and Stationer, Salt Lake City, Utah (32mm x 18mm, after 1881)
J.A.C. Nuiver, Boekbinder, Groningen, Netherlands (20mm x 10mm, after 1908) [Franklin] Philp & [Adolphus] Solomons, Booksellers, Washington, DC (16mm x 11mm, ca.1870s?) Remnant & Edmonds [Binders], London, England (16mm x 9mm, ca.1840s?) G. Ricordi & C. Editori [music publishers], Milan, Italy (30mm x 31mm). Courtesy of R. Behra. Albin Schirmer, Buch- und Musikalien-Handlung, Naumburg, Germany (39mm x 18mm, ca.1870s?) Karol [Karl?] Schramm, Zaklad Introligatorski [binder?], Kraków, Poland (23mm x 16mm) Frank Smith, Bookseller & Stationer, Oxford, England (26mm x 9mm, at this address 1905-11) W.H. Smith & Son, London (19mm x 14mm) Westleys & Co. [binders], London, England (24mm x 23mm, after 1860)



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Greg Kindall

G. Buschhardt, Papierhandlung, Schulbuchhandlung, Leih-Bibliothek, Berlin, Germany (inkstamp, 42mm x 26mm, ca.1890s) Boekhandel De Bijenkorf [dept store], Netherlands (25mm dia., ca.1930s-40s) Verlag J. Engelhorn Nachf., Stuttgart, Germany (88mm x 52mm, ca. 1933) Libreria Goethe, Buenos Aires, Argentina (14mm x 23mm, ca.1930s-40s) Erwin Herwig, Buchhandlung, Göppingen, Germany (22mm x 13mm, ca.1936) Hübel & Denck, Buchbinderei, Leipzig, Germany (17mm x 7mm, ca.1889) R. Nemetz, Bücher, Papier und Schreibwaren, Knittelfeld, Austria (30mm x 19mm, after 1938) E. Oliva's Buchhandlung (P. Gutsche, owner). Zittau, Germany (30mm x 16mm) Johannes Palm, Hofbuchhandlung, Munich, Germany (15mm x 19mm, ca.1905)
H. Schütke, Buchverleih [lending library], Neukölln [Berlin], Germany (inkstamp, 40mm x 19mm, ca.1938) H. Schütke, Buchverleih [lending library], Neukölln [Berlin], Germany (inkstamp, 50mm x 46mm, ca.1938) Johs. Waitz, Hof-Buch- & Kunsthandlung, Darmstadt, Germany (36mm x 15mm, after 1923) Buchhandlung S.H. Weiss, E. Heydrich, Nachfolger [successor], Constantinople, Turkey (25mm x 11mm)



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Contributors' pages:
Robert Behra (= Marriott Collection)
Ken Bosman -- Benjamin Clark -- J.C. & P.C. Dast -- Sarah Faragher
Donald Francis: Sept '06 | Dec '06 | Mar '07
Lewis Jaffe -- Michael Kunze -- Stephen Loreck (= Kathleen Loreck Collection)
Albert Mendez -- Peter Christian Pehrson

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Bibliography:

"It's the Ticket: Nineteenth-Century Bookbinding in the British Isles and the United States" (Mirabile Dictu #2, April 1998; Mirabile Dictu is the newsletter of the Bryn Mawr College Library.)

Larry Dingman, Booksellers Marks: An Illustrated Book (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Dinkytown Antiquarian Bookstore, 1986).

Harold C. Holmes, Some Random Reminiscences of an Antiquarian Bookseller. (Oakland, Ca.: Holmes Book Co., 1967). See also the Oakland Tribune article "Bookseller saves rare old labels" (4 Jan 1959).

Gary Kurutz, "Pioneer California Booksellers' Labels". Quarterly Newsletter of the Book Club of California, vol.43 (1978) pp.40-45.

Robert W. Mattila, "Booksellers' Labels". Quarterly Newsletter of the Book Club of Washington, vol.10 no.4 (1992) pp.11-13.

Marcus A. McCorison, Book Trade Labels at the American Antiquarian Society (Worcester, Mass.: American Antiquarian Society, 1973).

William Smith Mitchell, "Bookbinder's Tickets" The Durham University Journal Vol.XLVI.No.1 (New Series Vol.XV.No.1) December 1953, pp.1-4, plate. This article is online.

Reinhard Öhlberger, Wenn am Buch der Händler klebt (Wien: Verlag Löcker, 1999 [or 2000?]).

Piero Piani, Questioni di etichetta (Bologna: Libreria Naturalistica, 2002).

Jim Rainer, "Collecting Bibliophemera: Bookseller's Tickets" (Originally published in the Alcuin Society's journal Amphora.

Maurice Rickards, Collecting Printed Ephemera (New York: Abbeville Press, 1988).



Links:

James Burn & Co.: Signed Bindings, a website devoted to one bindery's labels.

Howard Prouty of ReadInk, an online bookshop, has some very nice bookseller labels, displayed here.

A Museum of Booksellers Labels at Plurabelle Books of Cambridge (UK).

Ephemera Society of America.

And thanks to Coudal Partners for including us in their Museum of Online Museums, where we've whiled away more time than we care to admit.



Our deep appreciation goes to the following individuals for their various contributions to this web project: Robert Behra, Jim Bisso, Ken Bosman, Charlie Breunig, Benjamin Clark, J.C. & P.C. Dast, Carollyn Dieter, Larry Dingman, Sarah Faragher, Don Francis, Pablo Herrero Hernández, Lewis Jaffe, Leon Koll, Michael Kunze, Stephen Loreck, David Lowrance, Pierre MacKay, Albert Mendez, Mark Mohr, Peter Christian Pehrson, Howard Prouty, Jim Rainer, Pierre Rastoul, Bruce Shyer.

The Catalogue
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N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Explore the Collection
(Geographical, Topical & Contributors' Pages)

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