Happy Feline Friday! Today’s featured bibliophilic kitty comes from a bookplate we found in a
Happy Feline Friday! Today’s featured bibliophilic kitty comes from a bookplate we found in a copy of the first American edition of The Secret History of the Court and Cabinet of St. Cloud (Philadelphia: J. Watts, 1806), an anonymous insider’s account of the personal life of Napoleon I and his inner circle shortly after Bonaparte became Emperor of the French. The bookplate bears the name of Oregon librarian Mary Frances Isom (1865-1920). Isom served as head of the Library Association of Portland and played an instrumental role in transforming its private subscription-based library into a public institution that would be free for all to use. Her legacy lives on in the Central Library of Portland, the main branch of the Multnomah County Library System. In addition to her passion for books, Mary Frances Isom valued the well-being of her employees. She worked with the architect of the Central Library building, Albert E. Doyle, to build a vacation home on the northern coast of Oregon. Isom designated Spindrift Cottage as a rest house for her staff. Images from: Stewarton [attributed author]. The Secret History of the Court and Cabinet of St. Cloud. Philadelphia: John Watts, 1806.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Frances_Isom#/media/File:Maryfrancesisom.jpgCall number: DC199 .S8 1806BCatalog record: https://bit.ly/3ENe4EL -- source link
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