WAUKoenigJohnFranklinEmbellishedBindings6082.xmlGuide to the John Franklin Koenig Embellished Book Bindings 1838-1982Koenig (John Franklin) Embellished Book BindingsSpecial Collections, University of Washington Libraries© 2017 (Last modified: 5/2/2017)
Seattle, WA 98195
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections6082 (Accession No. 6082-001)Koenig, John Franklin, 1924-2008John Franklin Koenig embellished book bindings1838-198254 volumesMost books are in French. A few items are in English. A personal collection of books owned by John Franklin Koenig which he embellished with his unique, artistic bindings.

John Franklin Koenig was born October 24, 1924 in Seattle, Washington. Koenig served in WWII in the 11th Armored Division, 22nd Battalion in France. Following the war, Koenig returned to Seattle. While in Seattle, he became familiar with the Northwest School of Art, particularly the work of Morris Graves and Mark Tobey. Koenig also earned his Bachelor of Arts in Romance Languages with a minor in Art from the University of Washington in 1948. He returned to France in 1948 and lived the majority of his life there, though he returned to live in Seattle in 2004. While in France he studied at La Sorbonne in Paris. In 1952, Koenig co-founded the international art magazine Cimaise with Jean-Robert Arnaud. Koenig had his first solo art exhibition in 1952 at Galerie Arnaud. Koenig's work has been featured in hundreds of exhibits throughout Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. In 1985, Koenig was named Officier de l'Ordre des Arts and Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, an award rarely given to a person who is not of French origin. Koenig died on January 22, 2008.

The books are in order by the number assigned by Koenig.

A personal collection of books owned by John Franklin Koenig which he embellished with his unique, artistic bindings. The books, mostly paperback with some hardbound, were published between 1838 and 1982 in Europe, England and the United States. The majority are in French. His cover embellishments included painting and collage with paper and appropriated images. Some volumes are housed in Koenig's embellished slipcases. Each volume has the artist's assigned number.

Collection requires appointment with Book Arts and Rare Books Curator for viewing.

Request at UW

Creator's literary rights retained. Contact Special Collections for details. Rights to artworks, including photographs taken by Koenig, are retained by the donors. After the donors' deaths, rights revert to the University of Washington Libraries.

Clair A. and John C. Koenig, 2011-06-30

Material Described Separately:

John Franklin Koenig Papers (Manuscript Collection 2734)

Koenig, John CKoenig, Clair ABookbinding--Painted bindings--SpecimensCollages (visual works)Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)Fine Arts

 

Koenig 4036J F Koenig by Pierre Restany1960

Language: French

Koenig 4040Un Barrage Contre Le Pacifique by Marguerite Duras1950

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4042Le Theatre des Annees Folles by Pierre Brisson1943

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and on first page

Koenig 4044Le Paradis Perdu by John Milton1838

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4045L'atelier D'alberto Giacometti by Jean Genetundated; printed after 1958

Language: French

Koenig 4046L'espoir by Andre Malraux1937

Language: French; Inscription on first page

Koenig 4047Onanisme Et Homosexualite by Wilhem Stekel1951

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4048L'anglais Decrit dans le Chateau Ferme by Pierre Morion1953

Language: French ; Inscription on spine of box

Koenig 4050Les Journaux Intimes de Baudelaire by not listed1944

Language: French ; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4051Les Chants de Maldoror by Armand Hoog 1947

Language: French ; Inscription on handmade spine

Koenig 4053Journal D'Andre Gide 1889-1939 by Andre Gide1948

Language: French

Koenig 4057The Works of William Shakespeare Volume IV by William Shakespeareundated

Language: English

Koenig 4058Les Liasons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos De Laclos 1954

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4062The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer 1948

Language: English; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4063Le Balcon by Jean Genetundated

Language: French ; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4064Le Jardin Parfume by Cheikh Nefzaoui 1953

Language: French ; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4066Adolphe by Benjamin Constant undated

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4069Eurpidide Theatre by not listedundated

Language: French ; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4070Winter's Tales by Isak Dinesen1942

Language: English; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4071Diderot Ouveres by Diderot1951

Language: French; Inscription on first page

Koenig 4072La Nausee by Jean-Paul Sartre 1938

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4073Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana 1948

Language: English; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4074Moderato Cantabile by Marguerite Duras1958

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4075Eschyle Theatre by Eschyle1946

Language: French

Koenig 4076La Chasse A Courre by Maurice Sachs1949

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4079L'Abbesse De Castro by None listedundated

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4078Isak Dinesen Life of a Storyteller by Judith Thurman1982

Language: English; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4084"Mon Faust" by Paul Valery1946

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4085Dix Heures et Demie du Soir en Ete by Marguerite Duras1960

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4086Degas Danse Dessin by Paul Valery1946

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4087Lettres Persanes by Montesquieuundated

Language: French; Inscription on spine and cover of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4089Nature, Man, and Woman by Alan W. Watts1958

Language: English; Inscription on spine and cover of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4093Poesies Completes by Alfred De Vigny 1928

Language: French; Inscription on spine and cover of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4094Calligrammes by Guillaume Apollinaire 1925

Language: French

Koenig 4095Monsieur Teste by Paul Valery1946

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4096L'Immoraliste by Andre Gide1948

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4097What Happened in History by Gordon Childe1942

Language: English; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4098Paludes by Andre Gide1926

Language: French; Inscription on spine and cover of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4100Antoine et Cleopatre by Shakespeare 1926

Language: French; Inscription on spine and cover of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4101Only Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen1931

Language: English; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4103Armance by Stendhalundated

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4104Venise, Guide Pratique Illustre by not listed1952

Language: French; Inscription on first page and last page

Koenig 4109Memoires d"Hadrien by Marguerite Yourcenar1961

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4114Oscar Wilde by Andre Gide1946

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4115Pensees et Opuscules by not listedundated

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4116Les Amities Particulieres by Roger Peyrefitte1945

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4120George Villiers Duc deBuckingham by Phillippe Erlanger1951

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket`

Koenig 4122U.S.A by John Dos Passos1950

Language: English; Inscription on first page

Koenig 4127Comparative Religion by A.C Bouquet1942

Language: English; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4138Les Nourritures Terrestres by Andre Gide1935

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4141Bourlinguer by Blaise Cendrars1948

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4144Le Square by Marguerite Duras1955

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket

Koenig 4145Les Caves du Vatican by Andre Gide1922

Language: French; Inscription on spine and cover of handmade dust jacket and first page

Koenig 4147Le Sabbat by Maurice Sachs1946

Language: French; Inscription on spine of handmade dust jacket and first page