Meet Michael Taffe, bookmark collector

1950s Empire Day bookmarks from the collection of ESA member Michael Taffe.

NEWish MEMBER MICHAEL TAFFE advises:

Following an early career as a welfare worker and counsellor I became involved in education and the arts and have now retired as an archivist and professional historian, although I still practice as an historian. I have an M.A. from University of Melbourne and PhD from Federation University. My main collecting interests are books, bookplates and book ephemera such as prospectuses and bookmarks. My Ballarat (Vic) home is a family home of four generations with books from every generation. Now 76 years old I started collecting books by age 13 so have been at it a while.

Avenues of honour

Among the ephemera I collect as an outgrowth of my book collecting, prospectuses, bookplates and some manuscript material is any material on WWI Avenues of Honour (badges, programs etc).

Bookmarks

Japanese paper bookmarks from the collection of ESA member Michael Taffe.
My main focus for ephemera however is my bookmark collection. This collection currently holds between 30,000 and 40,000 bookmarks from the mid 19th century to the present in multiple materials including wood, celluloid, paper, silk, wool, metal, plastic, leather. While most are Australian they come from every continent and most countries across the world.
Asian metal bookmarks from the collection of ESA member Micheal Taffe.

1 Comment.

  • David Crowe
    17 May 2023 1:46 pm

    Hello Michael,
    Although I realise that bookmarks are lesser on your collecting interests I valued the two styles you shared.
    As another collector aged 76 years, I would be pleased to learn more if your bookmark collection.
    I am in Sydney and have approx 1,100 items in 27 different categories. My main interest is in antique items which I consider earlier than 1970 but also much earlier.
    Regards,
    David Crowe