The Exhibition is a cooperative project between the Gutenberg-Museum and the Staatstheater Mainz [State Theatre in Mainz]. Bookplates, also known as “ex-libris” are small, artistically created prints which came into existence in the wake of the printed book. Bearing the name of a book owner, the bookplate is meant to be pasted on the inside front cover of a book to inform in an individual way of the ownership. Those who love books are often theatre fans. Similarly, those who are engaged in the cultural sector often possess a great many books which can be considered as a result of their occupational activities. The Gutenberg-Museum in Mainz, which has more than 100,000 bookplates and has thus one of the world’s most important public ex-libris collections, will present a special exhibition with more than 300 examples of bookplates that were created for bibliophile theatre fans, stage actors, and movie stars. There will be bookplates from the period 1760 – 2012 on display. It will show a range of ex-libris that were merely made for use and, in addition to that, a selection of bookplates that were produced as elaborate collectors’ items. Each bookplate of the exhibition tells a story about personal preferences and professional commitment or it simply makes us realize that life resembles the world of theatre which produces tragedy and comedy alike.
