Although he has no formal training in the applied or graphic arts, David B. Ogle's entire working career has been engaged in combining words with images. He is a former reprographics specialist, an advertising copywriter and creative director, author of books and articles on the book arts, and a designer of exhibits for tradeshows. He is also the owner and proprietor of a used and rare book dealership in Los Altos, California, The Antiquarian Archive.
During his study of the early American Arts & Crafts Movement (1895-1910), David became acquainted with the work of a New York design firm which specialized in the creation of decorated cloth book covers. Founded in 1895 by a young architect, Henry Thayer, this firm, known as The Decorative Designers, was soon producing eye-catching and often powerful cover designs for many of America's major publishers, including The Century Company, Harper & Brothers, and Houghton Mifflin. In addition to Thayer, the principal graphic artist devoted to this demanding craft was his wife, Lee Thayer, who remained active until the firm was dissolved in 1931. According to David, during that 36-year span, most experts agree that more than 20,000 different book covers can be attributed to their hands!
Although Lee and Henry Thayer formed the backbone of The Decorative Designers, several other important artists worked for them over the years. Here is a partial list:

Jay Chambers, a designer of bookplates who studied with Howard Pyle at the Drexel Institute. He was the father of the infamous Whitaker Chambers, a prominent figure in the Alger Hiss spy trial. His specialty was the human figure.

Charles Buckles Falls, best-known for his poster art during the World War I era. He also enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the applied arts.

Rome K. Richardson, an artist who worked with the Thayers from 1896 to 1901. He later continued his career as another prolific designer of trade bindings. His covers are often signed with his "R...R" cipher.

David Ogle has been collecting books designed by The Decorative Designers for more than 20 years. During that period he has been compiling a checklist of their cover designs, a project which he describes as "a work in progress". Several years ago, when he realized how difficult it had become to find copies of these books in presentable condition, he began preserving the designs by making high-resolution digital images and enhancing them with modern image-editing software. He soon realized that some components of those "purified" images were useful in assembling modern graphic designs. One recent result of these efforts can be found in the BiblioGraphics bookplates presented here. Although image colors and proportions have occasionally been altered, the power and beauty of the original draftsmanship has been preserved. In many cases, the original conjoined "DD" cipher used by the firm can still be found hidden within the designs.
As David puts it, "It seems oddly appropriate that the remarkable skills exhibited by these designers of a century ago, some of whom were themselves bookplate designers, should continue to be enjoyed by generations of later booklovers."
In addition to the many attractive bookplate designs displayed here, the Bibliographics staff also accepts custom design assignments which may incorporate institutional language or specific topical themes.
David welcomes comments and suggestions on his work. He can be reached by e-mail at antarch@earthlink.net.