I have recently been having fun searching online for bookmarks held by museums, libraries, archives and historical societies. It is so great to see that there are some bookmarks being collected and preserved by our wonderful public institutions.
Typically, these bookmarks are donated by people (sometimes famous) as part of their larger donation or bequest of books, documents and other items.
Here are a few examples of these bookmarks that I have found so far in some British institutions. Click on the institution name to view the bookmark in its original location and to read more about it.
Typically, these bookmarks are donated by people (sometimes famous) as part of their larger donation or bequest of books, documents and other items.
Here are a few examples of these bookmarks that I have found so far in some British institutions. Click on the institution name to view the bookmark in its original location and to read more about it.
Cardboard bookmark; obverse: portrait of Queen Victoria; reverse: musical stave and the National Anthem
British Museum
London, UK
London, UK
 Bookmark of woven silk. Made by Coventry. |  Jacquard woven bookmark in black, white and red silk showing a portrait of Italian political figure Giuseppe Garibaldi. Made by 'T. Stevens. Coventry' (on reverse) |
Bookmark, silk embroidery on canvas backed with silk, made by the ballerina Marie Taglioni (1804-1884)
Victoria & Albert Museum
London, UK
London, UK
Bookmark / Charm (against cholera) made of bamboo, cotton. Burma, C19th. Inscribed in pencil with the initials of the 10 incarnations of the historical Buddha [presumably the ten great Jataka stories]. It was found hanging to the post of a house in Henein village, Paungbyin township, upper Burma as a charm against cholera after a cholera epidemic. - from the Register The shape is reminisent of a traditional book mark (for wrapped manuscripts).
British Museum
London, UK
London, UK
 Printed bookmark produced by Abu Dhabi Culture & Heritage [ADACH] and representing a restored old building in Abu Dhabi. British Museum London, UK |  Bookmark, Harrow on the Hill, Metropolitan Railway, 1909 |
Timetable booklet for Central Bus, Tram and Trolleybus Services, 1936, with paper bookmark advertising Prudential Insurance.
 Bookmark; published by the Underground Group, with hare in a field on obverse and underground season ticket rates on reverse, August 1912 |  |
 Souvenir bookmark from the late 1940's (circa 1948), given away free to passengers on an Aer Lingus flight. |  GEORG JENSEN DENMARK STAINLESS STEEL. Stainless steel book mark cum paper-knife, forged, contained in the original silver-coloured card packaging with an image of the object silhouetted in black on the front, and inside, fitted into a slot depicting the pages of a book. The box labelled: Bogmaerke/Papirkniv. Bookmark/Paperknife . Buchzeichen/Papiermesser. |
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