Ex libris van Ludwig Saeng, boekhandelaar te Darmstadt 1902

This small bookplate for Ludwig Saeng, a bookseller in Darmstadt, was made in Germany in 1902 using woodcut printmaking. The image evokes the cultural role of the bookseller in German society. The man sits outdoors with a book in his lap, suggesting a learned individual in harmony with nature. Behind him is a vista of the city of Darmstadt. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, German cities like Darmstadt were centers of literary culture and the book trade was a vital part of this world. Bookplates are themselves interesting historical artifacts and tell us about the reading habits of individuals and the importance of books in people's lives. If you would like to understand more about the social conditions that shaped the production of this bookplate, look at research resources from the period, such as trade directories, library catalogs, and booksellers’ lists.