Private ownership marks
Inside the book


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Below are shown a number of private coats of arms, signatures, etc. that may be found inside books in the Royal Library. It should be noted that some of these ownership marks are also found in books not belonging to the Royal Library.

Ownership mark Description Notes
Larger image Signature of Friedrich II of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. Here placed on the pastedown.
Also seen is a shelf mark.
On the fly leaf Friedrich has also written his name, with year and place: “15*83 Fridericus Dux Holsatiæ scribebat Heydelbergæ”.
Duke Friedrich II of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (1568-1587), son of Duke Adolf II and Christine of Hessen. He studied at the University of Heidelberg. He succeeded his father in 1586 but died the following year at the age of nineteen.
In 1606 Duke Johann Adolf founded a library at Gottorp Castle. It was captured by the Danish King in 1713 and transferred to the Royal Library between 1735 and 1749.
See a Gottorp coat of arms on a binding here (this is only one of a number of various Gottorp arms; however, they all consist of the same components).

Clovis Hesteau, Sieur de Nuysement: Les oeuvres poetiques (1578).

Larger image Signature of Mogens Friis: “Magnus Frisius. M[anu] P[ropria]”.
Here placed on the verso of the front fly leaf.
Mogens Friis (1623-1675), nobleman, in 1671 appointed count. He inherited his father Niels Friis’s library. Niels Friis (1584-1651), who was a nobleman and owner of the estate Favrskov near Århus, collected books. Probably from the 1650’s Mogens Friis began to donate part of his library to King Frederik III who founded the Royal Library.
See one of Niels Friis’s bindings here (he had two types).

Anton Fugger and Hieronymus Wolf (eds.): Nicephori Gregorae, Romanæ, hoc est Byzantinæ historiæ Libri XI … (1562).

Larger image Signature of Hans Gram, with place and year: “Jo. Grammii. Hafniæ MDCCXXXIII”. Hans Gram (1685-1748), collector of books, philologist, historian, librarian of the Royal Library from 1730 to his death. His private library comprised c. 24,000 books and c. 300 manuscripts. After his death his collection of books was sold at two auctions and most of it ended up abroad. The entire collection of manuscripts, however, was not put up for auction but was bought by the Royal Library.

Joh. Geiler von Kaysersberg: Das irrig Schaf … (1510).

Larger image The price of the book when sold by the London book dealer Thomas Osborne in the early 1740s. The price is written in pencil in the top right corner of the first fly leaf. The Harley library. This book was acquired by Thomas Osborne as part of the famous Harley library. The Harley library was founded by Robert Harley (1661-1724) and continued by his son Edward Harley (1689-1741), after whose death the printed books were purchased by Thomas Osborne. The Royal Library holds a considerable amount of Harley books, most of them acquired by Count Otto Thott after whose death they came to the Royal Library.

This price mark (which probably indicates the lowest price Osborne was willing to accept) is one of the characteristic marks of Harley provenance.

Paulus Aemilius Veronensis: De rebus gestis Francorum libri IX (1517).

Larger image Cut off top right corner of the first flyleaf. Below, written in pencil, the price of the book when sold by the London book dealer Thomas Osborne in the early 1740s. The Harley library. This book was acquired by Thomas Osborne as part of the famous Harley library. The Harley library was founded by Robert Harley (1661-1724) and continued by his son Edward Harley (1689-1741), after whose death the printed books were purchased by Thomas Osborne. The Royal Library holds a considerable amount of Harley books, most of them acquired by Count Otto Thott after whose death they came to the Royal Library.

This cut off corner (where presumably Harley’s name had been found) is, like Osborne’s price mark, one of the characteristic marks of Harley provenance.

Quinte Curse: Contenant les belliqueux faictz d'Armes ... du ... Alexandre le Grand (1530).

Larger image Ex libris of Henrik Hielmstierne: coat of arms with three vertically placed stars. The crest is a pair of wings and a star. Supported by two crowned eagles.
This book is numbered 274.
Henrik Hielmstierne (1715-1780), collector of books, civil servant. His library comprised c. 10,000 volumes which his daughter and her husband, Prime Minister Count M.G. Rosencrone, inherited. They donated the entire collection to the Royal Library in 1807, and it is still known as Den Hielmstierne-Rosencroneske Samling (The Hielmstierne-Rosencrone Collection).
See Hielmstierne’s coat of arms on the binding here
and the Hielmstierne-Rosencrone monogram on the binding here.

Olaus Magnus: Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus … (1555).

Larger image Signature of Just Høg, with place and year: “Justus Høegh Parisiis 1680”.
Here placed on the title page.
Just Høg (1640-1694), diplomat, vice-governor of Norway. When his library was sold at auction in 1695, the King bought 300-400 books for his library. So, only part of Høg’s collection came into the possession of the Royal Library.
See his coat of arms on the binding here.

Estienne Perard: Recueil de plusieurs pieces curieuses servant a l’histoire de Bourgogne (1664).

Larger image Signature of Bolle Willum Luxdorph, followed by a later note.
Here placed on the fly leaf.
Bolle Willum Luxdorph (1716-1788), collector of books, geheimeråd (privy councillor). His library comprised c. 15,000 books and c. 500 manuscripts. It was sold at auction in 1789. Today a large part of Luxdorph’s books are found in the Royal Library and other Danish public libraries.
See his super ex libris here.

Publius Aulus Persius: Familiaris explanatio Cum Johan. Britannici eruditissima interpretatione (1506).

Larger image Printed ex libris of Duke Ulrik: coat of arms with the crowned bull’s head of Mecklenburg, the griffin of Rostock, the arm of Stargard, and the bull’s head of Wenden. On the inescutcheon the arms of Schwerin. The three crests are the two bullhorns of Schwerin, a plume behind a crowned bull’s head, and a pair of wings.
Here placed on the pastedown.
The Duchy of Mecklenburg (16th-17th centuries). Quite a few books with a Mecklenburg ownership mark came to the Royal Library via Sophie (1557-1631), Frederik II’s queen, who was the daughter of Duke Ulrik (d. 1603) and Duchess Elisabeth (d. 1586) of Mecklenburg. Sophie inherited part of her father’s library.
See the coat of arms on a binding here.

Martin Luther a.o.: Concordia. Christliche, Widerholete einmütige Bekentnüs nachbenanter Churfürsten, Fürsten und Stende Augspurgischer Confession, und derselben Theologen Lere und glaubens (1580).

Larger image Printed ownership mark of Duke Ulrik showing year, motto, and name: “1. 5. E[lisabeth] (his wife) 7. 9. H[err] G[ott] V[erleih] V[ns] G[nade] VLRICH H[erzog] Z[u] MECKELNBVRG”.
Here placed on the pastedown.
Duke Ulrik of Mecklenburg (1527-1603). Part of his library came to the Royal Library via his daughter Sophie (1557-1631) who married King Frederik II of Denmark.
See Ulrik’s initials on the binding here.

Martin Luther a.o.: Concordia. Christliche, Widerholete einmütige Bekentnüs nachbenanter Churfürsten, Fürsten und Stende Augspurgischer Confession, und derselben Theologen Lere und glaubens (1580).

Larger image Dedication from F. Rostgaard to his brother Jens.
Here placed on the pastedown.
Frederik Rostgaard (1671-1745), collector of books, state archivist. He founded his library during studies abroad and brought back a large collection of manuscripts and rare books when he returned home in 1699. In the 1720s he incurred King Frederik IV’s disfavour which lead to a conviction of i.a. lèse-majesté in 1726. As part of the sentence he had to repay a considerable amount and was forced to sell most of his collection of c. 9,000 volumes. Via other great collectors of the time Rostgaard’s books came to the Royal Library and the University Library. Before his death he bequeathed some of the book treasures still in his possession to the University Library.

Frederik Rostgaard (ed.): Deliciæ quorundam poëtarum Danorum (1693).

Larger image Signature of P.L. Scavenius.
Here placed on the title page.
Peder Lauridsen Scavenius (1623-1685), collector of books. From his father, Bishop Laurids Mortensen Scavenius, he inherited a large library which he expanded through considerable purchases. It comprised 6,000 volumes in 1665 when he donated it to King Frederik III in return for land. Scavenius was also in charge of the construction of the King’s new library (the Royal Library).

Johannes Meursius: Areopagus. Sive, De senatu areopagitico (1624).

Larger image Signature of Sophie with a note about her valet having read this book to her.
Here placed on the fly leaf.
Sophie (1557-1631), Queen of Denmark. Quite a few books came to the Royal Library via Sophie, Frederik II’s queen, who was the daughter of Duke Ulrik (d. 1603) and Duchess Elisabeth (d. 1586) of Mecklenburg. Sophie inherited part of her father’s library, but she also purchased books of her own.

Martin Luther a.o.: Concordia. Christliche, Widerholete einmütige Bekentnüs nachbenanter Churfürsten, Fürsten und Stende Augspurgischer Confession, und derselben Theologen Lere und glaubens (1580).

Larger image Signature of P.F. Suhm.
Here placed on the title page.
Peter Frederik Suhm (1728-1798), collector of books. He sold his library of c. 100,000 volumes to the Royal Library in 1796.
See his ownership mark on a binding here.

William Shakespeare: Comedies, histories, and tragedies (1685).

Larger image Signature of C.F. Temler, dated 1761.
Here placed on the title page.
Christian Friedrich Temler (1717-1780), collector of books, civil servant. His library comprised c. 6,500 volumes, many of which were very rare. It was sold at auction in 1781 and the Royal Library bought some of it. Other Temler books came to the Royal Library via Otto Thott who also attended the auction.

[Amerigo Vespucci]: Newe unbekanthe landte und ein newe weldte in kurtz verganger zeythe erfunden (1508).

Larger image Note of ownership by J.C. Wolfen: “From the library of Johannes de Witt the younger, sold in Dordrecht in 1701, Joannes Conradus Wolfen bought this book, by far the most rare of all, for himself”. Johan Conrad Wolfen (1656-1730), collector of books, librarian of the Royal Library from 1704 to his death. In 1713 he put part of his exquisite private library on auction, and about 80 volumes was bought for the Royal Library. In the course of the 18th century more books from his collection came to the Royal Library via later owners.

Gometius Pereira: Antoniana Margarita (1554), bound with Michaëlis à Palacios: Obiectiones licentiati (1555).

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