Just alighted: this pair of handsome, hand-hammered steel Austrian Secessionist bookends—in the form of a wise (but friendly) little owl. Cut, riveted and hammered by-hand, the flat tongue slides under your row of books, keeping your tomes upright. And while they would look great in a rustic, country home, they would look equally at-home perched […]
Veritas—or “Truth”—is the straightforward wording etched upon the Harvard crest (shown on the pair of bookends, above). Alas, the history of this crest is not quite as simple. Harvard College was founded in 1636 by the “Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Company,” with the express intention of educating men for the ministry. […]
A pair of bronze-clad buffalo charge-forward—a thunderous stampede of two. Strikingly-styled, they capture the explosive power of the wild beast which once roamed the American Prairie. Alas, one of the pair is inconspicuously flawed—though as aesthetically perfect and functionally useful as his pair mate (and substantially price-reduced as a result). Please come into the shop […]
Shakespeare, arguably the world’s greatest writer (ever and ever), is here paired with Longfellow, one of America’s greatest scribes. Their contributions to this pair of handsome and heavy cast iron bookends (made in the 1920’s or 1930’s) are quotes, both pertaining to the joys and benefits of reading. Shakespeare’s quote, from Love’s Labour’s Lost (Act […]
The Twenties: Jazz Age, Modernism, Industry. These bookends capture their times perfectly. Made of cast iron, a sculpted, Cubist male figure dances dramatically on this pair of Art Deco bookends. Please come see them in-store—alongside dozens of other interesting bookends—or click on the photo above to learn more about these.
With August half-way spent, what better time to cherish the delights of the summer season, soon-to-be-over? Shown above, a pair of Syroccowood bookends, made in the 1950’s, depicting a crisply-cast sail boat at full sail. Syroccowood is a composite material made of wood pulp, resin and other binders that was popular in the second- and […]
Today is World Elephant Day, dedicated to promoting knowledge of elephants and educating the public about the plight of these majestic, endangered creatures. The annual event strives to reduce poaching, eliminate the trade of elephant ivory, and promote better care and management of Asian and African elephants—in captivity and in the wild. Wild elephant populations […]
Let’s end our Back-to-School “procession” of bookends with this regal and handsome pair, from the 1920’s—newly-acquired by LEO Design. The worldwide Arts & Crafts movement (which was practiced in many Western countries and is referred to by various, regional names) often used decorative motifs or themes from local or national historical and mythological lore. The […]
Book lovers love bookends. They also love the quotes of the great writers—past and present. This pair of bookends, made in America in the 1920’s or 1930’s, share the quotes of two great English wordsmiths, Sir Francis Bacon and Samuel Johnson. Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626) was a philosopher, statesman, jurist, orator, essayist and author—and, […]
We’ve just acquired this handsome pair of cast iron Teddy Roosevelt bookends, certain to upgrade any “trophy room” regardless how grand. What a coincidence that Theodore Roosevelt’s home, on Oyster Bay, Long Island, has just reopened after a comprehensive renovation. In 1880, at the tender age of 22, Theodore Roosevelt purchased a 150 acre parcel […]
Alexander Pope and Andrew Young were both British poets—the former an Englishman, the latter a Scotsman—and both men were influential in their times. Pope (1688 – 1744) had a difficult early life. As a Catholic, he was not allowed to go to school (due to the English “Test Acts” which banned Catholics from teaching, attending […]
If we’re to learn “The Riddle of the Sphinx” it won’t be from this pair! They maintain a placid silence, gazing-out at things (perhaps?) beyond our understanding. They will, however, hold-up your books with loyalty and a great deal of style. Made in the 1920’s or 1930’s—a time when both Art Deco and Egyptology were […]
With summer vacation in the home stretch, I turn my attention to the Fall—back-to-school, books, and bookends. I love collecting bookends. Perhaps it’s because I love books so much. Anyway, I’ve just purchased several nice pairs of vintage bookends, mostly from the 1920’s and 1930’s. Over the next few days I’ll share a few of […]
King Charles VII had a problem. He had been King of France for seven years and had not yet been crowned. France was in the 92nd year of the “Hundred Years War” with England—a war which, by the way, lasted 116 years (1337 – 1453). The Cathedral at Reims was the traditional and proper site […]
Before the Twentieth Century, bookends were not commonplace—in fact, rarely were they needed. For before World War I, most “ordinary” families owned very few books—perhaps a Bible, a dictionary, some poetry, and the occasional cookery book. Large collections of books were to be found only in institutional libraries or the homes of very wealthy individuals—people […]
On this day in 1884, in the Russian city of Minsk (now Belarus), Lazar Meir was born. If only those around him knew how very much his life would change over the next seven decades—and how much little Lazar would influence a country an ocean away, all the while changing the rest of the world. […]
In 1885, nine year old Joseph Meister of Schlestadt (Eastern France, near the German border) was bitten savagely by a rabid dog. On this day of that year, fellow Frenchman, Louis Pasteur—who was a laboratory scientist, not a medical doctor—administered his unproven rabies vaccine on the boy. Not only might the vaccine have harmed the […]
On this day in 1915, Philadelphia’s famous “Liberty Bell” set-out on its last tour. More about this later… The bell was cast in London in 1752 by Lester & Reed, a bell foundry. It arrived in Philly that August and, as the steeple was not yet finished, the bell was hung on a small scaffold […]
The Globe was a theatre in Elizabethan London, built by William Shakespeare and his company of co-investors (called The Lord Chamberlain’s Men). Shakespeare owned a 12.5% share. The theatre’s opening production, in 1599, was either the premier of Henry V or Julius Caesar, depending upon whom you believe. Much of the lumber used to build […]
For the American Arts & Crafts devotee, Roycroft metalworks are amongst the most coveted of shop marks. Above, find a pair of hand-hammered copper bookends finished with the Roycroft “Old Brass” patina. These bookends are simple, elegant, and earnestly Arts & Crafts—and a terrific Father’s Day gift possibility for the discriminating Dad. Please come into […]
If Boston Terriers aren’t your Dad’s thing, would a pair of German Shepherds do the trick? Made of cast iron in the 1920’s, these handsome bookends will prove very useful—and terrifically loyal. Please come visit the shop to see them in-person or click on the photo to learn more about them. More Father’s Day gift […]
For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been showing great Father’s Day gift ideas. Over the next several days, we’d like to share some of our newly-acquired bookends—always a handsome and practical gift. Shown above, a pair of cast iron bookends in the form of a sprightly Boston Terrier. Finished with a golden wash, they […]
John Ruhl always wanted to be an artist. Throughout his childhood, his parents—German immigrants who ran a shoe store—tried desperately to dissuade him from his calling. Upon his graduation from the NYC public school system, they insisted he accept an offer to work as a clerk in an insurance company—a job he loathed. While working, […]
Father’s Day is one month from today. Over the course of four weeks, I’d like to present some “Handsome Gifts” suitable for Father’s Day gift-giving. Let’s start with this handsome pair of “T.R.” bookends from the early 20th Century. As a boy, not much was expected of Theodore Roosevelt. He was a sickly child, more […]
For the next several days, I’ll be on the road—hunting for “Handsome Gifts” throughout New England. Kismet plays a role, of course, but I will keep an eye open for great Father’s Day gift ideas—like the “find” pictured above: a pair of hand-hammered copper Roycroft bookends, finished in their “Old Brass” patina. Simple, elegant, and stylish, […]
The German Shepherd—or The German Shepherd Dog, when called by its full, official title—is a working dog, bred for its intelligence, strength and stamina. Originally they were used for herding and protecting sheep in Germany. Due to their intelligence, curiosity, obedience and good temper, they have become popular for many other kinds of work—including police […]
Galahad was amongst the greatest of the Great Knights—a gallant so holy of spirit and pure of heart that God had granted him much favor. As a young man, Sir Galahad was brought to King Arthur’s court at Camelot by his father, the great knight Lancelot. Once there, the young Galahad is lead to the […]
On this day in 1755, Englishman Samuel Johnson published Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language—amongst the great achievements of British scholarship. “Doctor Johnson,” as he was called, had been commissioned by a group of London booksellers to produce a definitive English dictionary—so unsatisfying were the existing options. He claimed the task would take him […]
A pair of pampered Pekingese pooches (perched on pillows) pose playfully in this pair of cast iron bookends from the 1920’s or 1930’s. Just received, these hard-to-find bookends have joined our collection of handsome dog bookends. Please come visit them in the shop; they’re eagerly awaiting adoption. Or click on the photo above to learn […]
Need a patient (and quiet) fellow to hold your books? Perhaps these cast iron Japanese owl bookends will fit the task. Designed in an elegant Modernist manner, the metal is finished with a rustic brown patina. Click on the photo above to learn more about them or visit the shop in-person and see them “in-the-flesh.” […]
Notre-Dame de Reims, or “Our Lady of Reims” (90 miles East of Paris), is amongst the most important cathedrals in Europe. Built on the site of an ancient Roman baths, it replaces an earlier basilica (built around 400 AD) which was destroyed by fire in 1211. Rebuilding of the “new” cathedral—that which we see today—began […]
Truly an American Renaissance Man, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1809. A precocious boy, he was educated at Phillips Academy, Harvard College and (after studying law for a time) received his medical training in Paris. Back in the States, he taught in the medical schools of Dartmouth and Harvard, eventually […]
Another pair, this time European and of carved wood, have joined us. Made in post-War Switzerland or Alpine Germany, they have an appealing, intelligent and inquisitive disposition. They are part of our most recent, post-Holiday shipment, now in-store. Click on the photo to learn more about them or come into the shop to see the […]
Along with our recent, post-Christmas acquisitions this little fellow has just flown in. Bronze-clad and finished with an aged-brass patina, this pair of bookends also has touches of polychrome painting. Please come into the shop to see all of our newest receipts—or click on the photo above to learn more about this particular item. More […]
Perhaps the nicest pair of bookends I’ve ever bought! Certainly my favorite. English Arts & Crafts, circa 1900, of studded, hand-tooled brass set with blue ceramic cabochons. By my account, they’re sublime. Please come see them in the shop. All new purchases should be in-store by the end of October. More from the road tomorrow.
And now for a change of pace: behold this lovely pair of French Art Deco bookends, pictured above. Made in the 1930’s and signed “Gallot”, the deer are sculpted in spelter, treated with a verdigris bronze finish, and mounted upon black marble bases. Handsome, stylish and useful! These are just a small part of my recent acquisitions, purchased […]
For centuries, books—their preservation and their duplication—were the commission of the Church and the clergy. Countless monks spent countless hours bent over tables copying and decorating precious tomes. Once the Western printing press was invented (c. 1450), which made books much less-expensive and available to a much-wider audience, the laborious craft of the monk-scribe became […]
As we build-up our inventories for the Holidays, I’m always on the look-out for beautiful and interesting bookends. They make the perfect gift—handsome, useful, and everlasting. New Yorkers love books and, thus, they love bookends. With this in mind, I’ve purchased a new collection of bookends which I’d like to share with you over the next […]
The star sign, Leo, continues into August; what better time to present this recently-acquired pair of bookends? Cast in iron and finished with a bronzed patina, the well-executed bas relief shows a resting male lion in profile. It is framed in a crisp, Art Deco frame. Part of our new assortment of just-received bookends—and another great […]
While many people consider the 18th Century the high water mark of design—the age of science, enlightenment and democracy—I seem to take a contrarian view. In terms of architecture, painting and the decorative arts, the 18th Century is my least favorite period I like what came before it (The Classical, Romanesque, Gothic, Elizabethan, Jacobean and Renaissance) […]
Beautifully modeled and crisply cast, these cast iron bookends capture the pitching and swaying of a Viking ship as it sets-out across roiling seas. Adventurous and romantic—in an old world way— these bookends might inspire a youngster’s dream of adventure (or an adult’s memory of youthful dreams of adventure). These bookends are just a part […]
We continue our introduction of recently-acquired bookends with a trip to the American Prairie. The bookends above, cast in iron in the 1930’s, show an American Bison surveying his domain from atop a bluff. Vast herds of these beasts once roamed the American West; imagine the trembling ground, the rising dust, and the deafening roar […]
We’ve recently purchased a nice collection of vintage bookends which can now be seen in-store. Over the next few days we’ll show some of them here in the journal. They’ll also be added to the on-line shop as we are able to clean, price, and photograph them. The pair above, cast in bronze, show an […]
Today’s the day! For one, the sun enters LEO, making today the first day of that (glorious) sun sign. Secondly, today marks the one year anniversary of our new, improved website (which you’re looking at). And three, it’s my birthday! The lion above, emerging from his jungle hideaway, is part of pair of “Wildcats” bookends […]
On this day in 1926, Irwin Allen Ginsberg was born in Newark, NJ. Precocious, an ideologue, and facile with words, the teenaged boy would write letters to the New York Times on the hot topics of the day: World War II and Labor issues. At Columbia University, Allen befriended a group of like-minded men—Lucien Carr, […]
I’ve just received a collection of new (vintage) bookends: elephants, horses, and dogs—like the cast iron Terriers, pictured above. Made in the late 1920’s, they capture nicely the square muzzle, wiry coat, and the alert stance of the popular sporting dog. They stand atop an Art Deco base and stand ready to hold-up your collection […]
When I was a boy, growing-up in Hawaii, my father would commemorate Boys’ Day each 5 May by running two Japanese carp flags up the flagpole—a big red and white one (for me) and a smaller black and white one (for my younger brother). Boys’ Day! It made me feel so important! I am (a […]
On this day in 1789, at about noon, a spiffy George Washington emerged from his New York City home. He lived at One Cherry Street, near the East River. He was dressed in a dark brown (American made!) wool suit, white silk stockings, and a dark red overcoat. Light glinted off the shiney silver buckles […]
Today is the International Day for Monuments and Sites, established by UNESCO in 1983. It’s a day on which humanity’s cultural diversity (and its vulnerability) is promoted, protected and conserved. Though we often don’t think about it, monuments and cultural sites teach us the history of the world’s human experiences. Such places transmit the values, […]
Presidents’ Day—originally called Washington’s Birthday—used to be celebrated on the first president’s actual birthday, 22 February. Today, now re-named, it is celebrated on the third Monday in February. LEO Design will be open from noon until 8:00 pm. The bookends above, made in the late 1920’s or 1930’s, were modeled after the Lincoln Memorial sculpture […]
On this day in 1809, a boy was born in a one-room log cabin at Sinking Spring Farm, Hodgenville, Kentucky. From such a modest beginning arose one of America’s greatest heroes—and, possibly, history’s most-popular president. 78 years later, before a crowd of 10,000 onlookers, Abraham Lincoln’s only grandson (and namesake) helped to unveil a statue […]
On this day in 1789, the Electoral College named George Washington the first president of the United States under its new Constitution. The actual voting took place from 15 December 1788 to 10 January 1789. Washington ran unopposed and won all of the Electoral votes, the only president ever to win 100% of the votes. […]
Last night I saw the wonderful Broadway production of “Twelfe Night” starring the always-perfect Mark Rylance (who is not just an amazing artist but a one-time recipient of a LEO Design gift!). As timing would have it, I’ve just acquired the bronze-clad bookends shown above. Click on the photo to learn more about them. And […]
Another recent acquisition is this pair of handsome, Art Deco Horse Head bookends. Cast of heavy, solid glass, they really provide a stately end-cap to your library collection. Keep them on desk, bookshelf, or credenza—or, place them atop your mantle piece. Please stop-by the shop to see them in person—along with a lot more newly-acquired […]
I’ve also found some interesting bookends on this most-recent trip. Shown here, a pair of cast spelter elephants, contentedly reading “The Times.” Come into the shop to see them in person—and the rest of our recent acquisitions.
A pair of bronze-clad Shakespeare bookends are amongst my recent acquisitions this week. Made in New York in the 1920’s, they are a handsome representation of England’s most famous wordsmith. Please come into the shop to see them. They should be ready-for-sale by New Year’s Eve. Of course, many other newly-purchased treasures will be available, […]
These two elephant chaps, sit reading The Times. Are they horrified or amused by what they read? They are part of my latest acquisitions, found while traveling in “The Near Mid-West.” Come into the shop to see them—they should be ready for sale New Year’s Eve—or find them in the on-line shop in a week […]
Another new find: this pair of French Art Deco spelter squirrel bookends. I found them in the south of England, perched atop their marble plinths, just as you see them here. Click on the photo above to learn more about them. More new items in days to come…
All Hallows’ Eve—also called “Hallowe’en”—is celebrated each year on the night before “All Hallows’ Day” (or “All Saints’ Day”). The noun “hallow” refers to a “holy or consecrated person,” and “Hallowe’en” is a contraction or “Hallows” and “Eve.” The origin of the holiday is thought to be a Christianized version of an older, Pagan Celtic […]
I seem to have tapped a nautical vein on my most recent buying trip—to the Midwest, of all places! Here’s a pair of highly-sculptural, cast iron bookends, the ship’s prow plunging into the roiling sea before it. One can almost feel the motion. Click on the photo to learn more about them.
The pelican has a long and interesting history in folklore and symbolism. The Ancient Egyptians associated the bird closely with death, the afterlife, and as a mode of transport from one world to the next. In other ancient mythology, it was believed that, during times of famine, a mother pelican would strike her breast—thus drawing […]
The year was 1918 and World War I was underway. U.S. Army corporal Lee Duncan was sent ahead to the French village of Flirey, recently-cleared of German occupiers, to find a suitable air landing strip. What he found was a bombed and abandoned German kennel, recently used to provide dogs for the German military. Most of the […]
Happy Birthday, Harvard! On this day in 1636, Harvard University was founded by order of the Massachusetts legislature, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. It is arguably the most prestigious school in America and amongst the most important in the world. Named after its first benefactor, John Harvard (an […]
Summer’s end is nigh, the dog days come and gone. But it’s been cool in LEO Design where these French Art Deco Great Dane bookends wait patiently. Come visit them and see our new shipments—arriving in mid-September. Click on the photo to learn more.
Lions are among the most-widely used creatures in heraldry. After all, “The King of the Forest” is associated closely with royalty and—for centuries—we have invested him with the traits we wish to see in our leaders (royal or otherwise): strength, bravery, majesty, beauty, beneficence. Lions often are viewed as strong and gentle—at the same time—something […]
