The Mayme and Thomas Wong bookplate (1954)

Illustration by Kay Nielsen

This bookplate has significant personal associations with Kay Nielsen, having been prepared in 1954 for

Mayme and Thomas Wong - the couple responsible for dedicating the Wong Chapel at the First Congregational

Church of Los Angeles.

The Wong Chapel was dedicated in the memory of Mayme and Thomas Wong's first child, Ernest, who died in

infancy and was the site of the final mural commission completed by Nielsen in Los Angeles, an installation

depicting the Twenty-third Psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;

He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul;

He guideth me in straight paths for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me;

Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The selection of the Twenty-third Psalm (a passage traditionally presented at funerals to offer comfort and hope)

is particularly fitting given the purpose of the Wong's dedication, as is Nielsen's painting - showing a shepherd

climbing a jagged rock with a lamb in his arms.

The bookplate shows a depiction of Hans Andersen and carries the inscription "KN" (the signature used by

Nielsen typically on his monotone work) and the date "1954".

The bookplate

Complete bookplate	Single Greeting Card (with matching Envelope) Code: KN MTWB1 SGC Price: US$5.00
	Reproduction on 12x18" sheet Code: KN MTWB1 12x18 Price: US$60.00
	Reproduction on 20x30" sheet Code: KN MTWB1 20x30 Price: US$200.00

Single Greeting Card (with matching Envelope) Code: KN MTWB2 SGC Price: US$5.00	Detail
Reproduction on 12x18" sheet Code: KN MTWB2 12x18 Price: US$60.00
Reproduction on 20x30" sheet Code: KN MTWB2 20x30 Price: US$200.00

Our Greeting Cards

When presented on Greeting Cards, these images are prepared as tipped-on plates - in hommage to the hand-crafted

approach typical of prestige illustrated publications produced in the early decades of the 20th Century. Each card is

hand-finished, with the image presented on White card stock with an accompanying envelope. On the rear of each

card we also present some information about Kay Nielsen and this wonderful illustration. We have left the interior

of the cards blank so that you may write your own personal message.

Our large format reproductions

Each of our large format reproductions are prepared with archival quality materials and processes to ensure many years

of enjoyment. In addition, our reproductions are accompanied by explanatory material relating to Kay Nielsen and this

wonderful illustration.

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