The bookplate of Francis E. Beddard (Figure 36) contains more macroscopical than microscopical representations.  Beddard was prosector (a person who makes dissections for anatomic demonstrations) of the Zoological Society, and one of the members of the “Challenger” expedition.  His bookplate, composed by G.R. Halkett, is allegorical of Beddard’s pursuit of Natural History.  Dwelling in the tree on the left is a hamadryad (wood nymph) representing the Vegetable Kingdom; she holds a skull, representing Ethnology, in her hand.  The various specialty areas of Beddard’s research are represented by the spider, the gull, the flatfish, the trilobite (in the panel at lower left), and various zoophytes.  The “Challenger” expedition is suggested by the monk (one of the engraver’s customary devices) in the massively-timbered craft taking soundings.  Allegorical bookplates of this kind are often difficult to interpret, and require knowledge of the owner’s life.

click image to enlarge (242K) Figure 36

click image to enlarge (137K) Figure 37

The bookplate of Charles H. Bestow (Figure 37) is based directly on “Ye Mikroskopiker’s Arms” described earlier under the Bristol Microscopical Society – and no wonder . . . it IS a beautiful design!

Émile Monnin Chamot, who established and taught Chemical Microscopy at Cornell University, will be best known through one of the several editions of his books, Elementary Chemical Microscopy (1915, 1921) and the Handbook of Chemical Microscopy (1930-1931, 1938-1940).  His bookplate does not contain a microscope or a microscopical field of view (Figure 38), but he is too prominent a microscopist to leave out for that reason.  The central design element is a rampant griffon (a mythical animal having the head, forepart, and wings of an eagle, and the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion).  Quite by accident, I discovered, one day, a variant of this bookplate (Figure 39); In this variant, the hatched letters of his name are filled in solid, as is the griffon’s tongue, and much of the scrollwork.

click image to enlarge (248K) Figure 38

click image to enlarge (206K) Figure 39