Bibliophile Arvid Mårtensson Bookplate Collection

About the collection

The collection of bookseller Mårtensson consists of some 13.000 20^th century bookplates, from various countries and by many different artists. About 8000 of these bookplates are Swedish. The collection amounts to 62 archival boxes. 

Further, the collections includes three metres of literature on bookplates and bookplate collecting. The archives of the University library has a few letters, a handful of manuscripts and some news clippings concerning the collection. The archive materials can be found in Alvin. 

Acquisition history

Arvid Mårtensson bequeathed his large bookplate collection to the University library, which received it in 1972.

Biography

Arvid Mårtensson was born on July 14^th, 1898 in Gothenburg. At just 19 years old, he was hired at the Gumperts bookshop in 1917. In 1939 he was made its manager, and remained as such until he retired in 1964. 

He had a variety of undertakings, including a post as board member of the Gothenburg Retailers' Association. He was chair of the west section of the Swedish Booksellers Association, a board member of the Gothenburg Society of Literature, and a board member of the Gothenburg section of the Norden Association. In addition, he served as chair of the Gothenburg Booksellers association, and headed the branch advisory board of the Swedish Exhibition and Congress centre from 1951. Mårtensson was also a member of various other societies and associations, including Rotary, Odd Fellow and the Gnistan association. In addition, he was involved in several societies of literature, as well as other associations. 

In 1940 he married Ruth Plantén, (1905–1984). 

On the occasion of Mårtensson's 70^th birthday, on the 14^th of July 1968, Viveca Lärn who wrote for the Göteborgs-tidningen newspaper, published a celebratory article opening as follows: 

"Nils Ferlin has tapdanced across his floors, and Vilhelm Moberg has played the harmonica in his kitchen. In the 1920s, he sold books to stevedore Harry Martinson at the Götaverken. He's got his profession as a hobby, and his hobby as a profession." 

On July 12^th, 1948, the Göteborgs handels- och sjöfartstidning published an interview with Mårtensson. The article closed with a quote from the bookseller: 

With a good book, you are rather well bolstered against any troubles and downheartedness in life.

In his day, Arvid Mårtensson was a well-known and well-liked personage in Gothenburg. His entire home is said to have been filled with books, with anything from Medieval manuscripts to the literature of the 1960s. Among other things, he specialised in Carl Michael Bellman (1740–1795). For more information on Mårtensson's Bellmaniana, see the article Adelsdams dagboksanteckningar gav Bellmans rätta dödsdatum in the Göteborgs handels- och sjöfartstidning, January 26^th 1962, p. 5. 

In addition, Mårtensson owned a large and exclusive collection of bookplates, and a collection of medals. After his retirement from the Gumperts bookshop, he continued to work at the company's antiquarian branch at Geijersgatan. He published the Gumperts catalogue, and hosted the annual event Bokens dag. Mårtensson's knowledge about books was extensive and in-depth. He ran the Gumperts antiquarian bookshop for five years, until it closed down in the autumn of 1971 due to his failing health. He died on September 28^th, 1972, aged 74, leaving a wife and siblings, with families.

Read more

Collijn, I., Stålhane, A., Mårtensson, A., Welamson, G., Om exlibris. Några uppsatser ur Svenska exlibrisföreningens årsbok 1937. Stockholm, 1938.

The Swedish Bookplate Association

Vem är vem? Götaland except Skåne, Halland, Blekinge, 1965.

Suggested research topics

• An overview of the collection's contents. What is represented here, and how does it mirror the time and context of the material? 
• Biographical research 
• Selection of images.
• Bookplates as an art form.
• Printing techniques.
• The structure and assembly of the collection. 
• Artists represented in the collection. 

Please contact us if you have any suggested research topics you would like to share!