For centuries, the love of books has gone hand in hand with the desire of owners to express their attachment to a particular volume. From this desire was born the ex libris (a Latin phrase meaning “from the books of”) – a small printed label, typically affixed to the inside cover of a book to indicate ownership. These labels are much more than simple signs of possession: ex libris designs, rendered in artistic form, reflect the owner’s taste, interests, social status, and often the essence of their personality.
The first ex libris bookplates appeared in 15th-century Europe, shortly after the invention of the printing press. At that time, books were rare and valuable items, so marking ownership was especially important. During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, ex libris often featured heraldic elements – coats of arms, symbolic animals – alongside the owner’s name. Later, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the genre entered a new era: no longer reserved for aristocrats and clergymen, ex libris were also used by scholars, writers, doctors, and artists. Emphasis shifted increasingly toward personal symbolism and imagery that reflected the intellectual world of the owner.
By then, ex libris had become more than functional markers – they had developed into a unique branch of graphic art, highly valued by collectors. Across Europe, ex libris societies, exchange networks, and exhibitions emerged – this culture flourished in Hungary as well, particularly in the interwar period. Renowned graphic artists such as Jenő Haranghy, György Konecsni, and Jenő Kollmann worked in the field, often creating custom-designed bookplates for individual patrons.
This world is revealed through the ex libris collection of Professor Camillo Reuter. Reuter – a distinguished neurologist and psychiatrist, and a prominent figure of his time – adorned his personal library with beautifully crafted, artistic ex libris labels. These finely drawn, symbolic graphics often refer to themes of nature, healing, and intellectual life. The ex libris plates preserve not only the name of the owner but also the cultural sophistication that shaped the professor’s worldview.
On the ground floor of the Knowledge Centre, we will showcase selected pieces from Camillo Reuter’s ex libris collection, hoping to inspire our visitors with an interest in this unique art form.
The collection is the private property of Camillo Reuter / owned by Gábor Reuter.
Exhibition curated by: Fanni Balogh, Anna Eby Varghese, Zsuzsanna Gergely, Johanna Kádár
Photographs: Johanna Kádár
Location: Regional Library and Knowledge Centre, Ground Floor, Atrium (next to the registration desk) Universitas Street 2/A, Pécs, Hungary
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Program recommendation:
On Nights of Museums, June 21, 2025, at 18:00, the University Library and Knowledge Centre’s Klimo Library at the University of Pécs will open its latest temporary exhibition entitled “Selections from the Ex Libris Collection of Camillo Reuter.” The exhibition offers a glimpse into this now-forgotten cultural tradition. The exhibition, through its unique graphic world, brings visitors closer to the centuries-old traditions of book collecting and the love of books, while also showcasing how the ex libris evolved into a distinctive genre of graphic art, highly valued by collectors.
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