George Washington Bookplate, 18th Century

A bookplate is a small-sized, decorative label that is adhered to the inside front cover of a book. They are used to identify the owner of a book for personal use or for use in a library. Bookplates are designed to reflect a person’s interests or to represent one’s family history. Bookplates may be found as inscriptions in early manuscript. The first printed book plates were produced in the 15th Century.

The bookplate seen here is a restrike from the original copper plate used by George Washington. The Washington family coat of arms can be traced back to Sir William de Hertburn who was lord of small and rural estate in northeast England. Historical records show that the basic design of the family coat of arms was present as early as 1203. Over the course of the next three centuries, the coat of arms was altered to reflect alliances, additions of land, and changes to the family lineage. In 1592, Lawrence Washington of Sulgrave Manor was conferred with the Clarenceux King of Arms which consisted of a silver background with two red bars and three red five pointed starts or mullets, as they were known. The Latin inscription “Exitus acta probat” transates to "the outcome proves."

The coat of arms was likely brought to the Virginia colony with one of Lawrence’s grandsons in the 1600’s. One of those grandsons, Colonel John Washington, was George Washington’s great-grandfather. George Washington used the family coat of arms in many applications throughout his lifetime. He used it as his personal bookplate, on silverware, wax seals, walking sticks, and in the interior of his Mount Vernon estate. There are several myths about the Washington coat of arms being the basis for the “stars and stripes” and the Great Seal of the United States. However, there is no direct documentation of this connection.

There are documented tributes to Washington using his coat of arms, most notably the flag of the District of Columbia. Churches and academic institutions, like George Washington University, feature versions of the coat of arms. It can also be found in military items such as the Purple Heart Medal, which contains shield with the Washington coat of arms at the top of the pendant.

Citation: George Washington Bookplate, Prints and Photographs, Special Collections, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

Preview Activities

Look at It: Look at the image. What do you notice about it? List three items or words which stand out.

Post Activities

Artistic Exploration: Create a new bookplate for George Washington using events from his life. Explain why you chose those events in a paragraph.

Current Connection: Why do you think the Washington coat of arms appears on the Purple Heart Medal and in institutions bearing his name?