After a quiet period, interest in bookplates in Australia began to increase in the early 1970s, This example was commissioned from Andrew Thomas a Ballarat photographer and designer by Michael Taffe owner of Hymettus at Ballarat in the 1990s and is a computer assisted design. It incorporates the generational family home, Hymettus and the family coat of arms with the owner's signature.Bookplate from Hymettus Cottage and Garden, first open to the public in 1917 as champion garden City of Ballaarat. the bookmark indicates the book it is affixed to was part of the family library in the house and represents four generations from 19th, 20th and 21st centuries a rare phenomenon in urban Australia.Bookplate depicts "Hymettus", a weatherboard cottage behind a paling fence with cottage name above image and family crest below.Signature of M. J. Taffe.ballarat, bookplate, hymettus, taaffe, taffe, andrew thomas

After a quiet period, interest in bookplates in Australia began to increase in the early 1970s, Entrepreneurial art and book collectors such as Edwin Jewell and others commissioned multiple Bookplate designs from a range of well known fine artists. At a 1997 meeting in Melbourne of the Ephemera Society of Australia Edwin Jewell and others announced the formation of the Australian Bookplate Society. The society was instrumental in promoting the art of the bookplate through establishment of the Australian Bookplate Design competition. The competition includes a design award for secondary schools students.Bookplate depicts a weatherboard cottage behind a paling fence.Signature incorporated within platebookplate, printmaking, hymettus cottage, ballarat, michael taffe

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The third Michael Taffe to live at Hymettus cottage Ballarat was dux of his class at the local parish school, St Patrick's Drummond St in 1958 and 1959. These mass produced premium plates were a popular insertion for such awards from their inception in Europe in the eighteenth century until the late twentieth century. The library collection at Hymettus includes examples from several Catholic schools, Wesleyan Sabbath Schools, Ballarat's McBains' High School, Ballarat College, Fintona in Camberwell and this from the Christian Brothers school at Drummond St Ballarat.Printed Awarded to and infilled with Michael Taffe Dux Second Year 1959.bookplates, premium plates, ballarat, christian brothers, fintona, weslyan sabbath schools,