Grolier Club

Grolier Club. The Grolier Club is a private club and Society of Bibliophiles in New York City, founded in 1884 by a group of Book Collectors, including William Loring Andrews, Philip Lee Warner, and Arthur Amory Houghton Jr.. The club is named after Jean Grolier, a French Collector and Bibliophile who was known for his exquisite taste in Bookbinding and Illuminated Manuscripts. The club's founders were inspired by the Bibliophile Society of France and the Roxburghe Club of London, and they sought to create a similar organization in the United States that would promote the love of Books and Learning among its members, including Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and Edith Wharton.

● History

The Grolier Club was established in 1884, and its early members included prominent Book Collectors and Bibliophiles such as Henry Clay Folger, J. Pierpont Morgan, and John Jacob Astor IV. The club's first meeting was held at the Union League Club in New York City, and its early activities included Lectures by notable Scholars and Authors, such as Henry James, Edith Wharton, and Theodore Dreiser. The club also sponsored Exhibitions of rare Books and Manuscripts, including works by William Shakespeare, John Milton, and Jane Austen. In the early 20th century, the club moved to its current location in New York City, where it has continued to promote the love of Books and Learning among its members, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and T.S. Eliot.

● Membership

Membership in the Grolier Club is by invitation only, and its members include prominent Book Collectors, Bibliophiles, and Scholars from around the world, such as Harvard University, Yale University, and University of Oxford. The club's members have included notable figures such as Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, as well as prominent Authors and Poets, including Robert Frost, Ezra Pound, and Langston Hughes. The club's members are united by their love of Books and Learning, and they participate in a variety of activities, including Lectures, Exhibitions, and Book Collecting events, often in collaboration with institutions like the Library of Congress, British Library, and Bibliothèque nationale de France.

● Library

The Grolier Club's Library is one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Book Collecting and Bibliography in the world, with over 100,000 volumes, including works by Aldus Manutius, William Caxton, and Johannes Gutenberg. The library includes rare Books and Manuscripts from around the world, including Incunabula, Illuminated Manuscripts, and Fine Bindings, as well as extensive collections of Bookplates, Bookmarks, and other Book Collecting ephemera. The library is a valuable resource for Scholars and Researchers, and it is also used by the club's members for Research and Study, often in conjunction with institutions like the Morgan Library & Museum, New York Public Library, and Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

● Exhibitions

The Grolier Club sponsors a variety of Exhibitions throughout the year, showcasing rare and historic Books and Manuscripts from its own collection and from other institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, and Victoria and Albert Museum. The club's Exhibitions have included works by famous Authors and Artists, such as William Shakespeare, John Milton, and Pablo Picasso, as well as Rare Books and Manuscripts from around the world, including The Gutenberg Bible, The Bay Psalm Book, and The Lindisfarne Gospels. The club's Exhibitions are often accompanied by Lectures and other events, and they are open to the public, attracting visitors from institutions like University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

● Publications

The Grolier Club publishes a variety of materials, including Catalogs of its Exhibitions, Monographs on Book Collecting and Bibliography, and Journals on Book History and Book Culture, often in collaboration with publishers like Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and University of Chicago Press. The club's publications are highly regarded by Scholars and Book Collectors, and they are often sought after by institutions and individuals around the world, including British Museum, National Library of Australia, and Bibliothèque nationale de Russie. The club's publications include works by notable Authors and Scholars, such as D.F. McKenzie, G. Thomas Tanselle, and Roger Chartier, and they cover a wide range of topics related to Book Collecting and Bibliography, including Bookbinding, Illuminated Manuscripts, and Fine Press Printing.

● Building

The Grolier Club is housed in a historic building in New York City, which was designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and completed in 1917. The building is a notable example of Neoclassical Architecture and features a grand Reading Room, a Library, and Exhibition Galleries, as well as other facilities for the club's members, including a Dining Room and a Bar. The building has been designated as a New York City Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it is also a member of the Historic Houses Trust and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The club's building is a popular destination for Book Collectors and Bibliophiles from around the world, and it is often visited by Scholars and Researchers from institutions like Columbia University, New York University, and City University of New York.