Grolier Club

The Grolier Club is a society of bibliophiles, founded in New York City in January, 1884, the oldest such club in North America. The club is named after Jean Grolier de Servières, Viscount d'Aguisy, Treasurer General of France, whose library was famous; his motto, "Io. Grolierii et amicorum" [of or belonging to Jean Grolier and his friends] , suggested his generosity in sharing books [ [http://grolierclub.org/jean_grolier_biography.htm Jean Grolier Biography ] ] . The founders of the club were William L. Andrews, Theodore L. DeVinne, A. W. Drake, Albert Gallup, Robert Hoe, Brayton Ives, Samuel W. Martin, E. S. Mead, and Arthur B. Turnure. The Club's stated objective is "the literary study of the arts pertaining to the production of books, including the occasional publication of books designed to illustrate, promote and encourage these arts; and the acquisition, furnishing and maintenance of a suitable club building for the safekeeping of its property, wherein meetings, lectures and exhibitions shall take place from time to time...." ["The Grolier Club," Constitution, Article I, section 2. 2005 edition.] Perfection in the art of bookmaking is encouraged. E. D. French engraved the club's own bookplate as well as bookplates for many of its members.

The Grolier Club maintains a research library specializing in books, bibliography and bibliophily, printing (especially the history of printing and examples of fine printing), binding, illustration and bookselling. The Grolier Club has one of the more extensive collections of book auction and book seller catalogs in North America. [Grolier Club Library Overview http://grolierclub.org/CollectionsOverview.htm ] ["Lasting Impressions: The Grolier Club Library" (New York: Grolier Club, 2004) pp. 8-12.] [http://grolierclub.org/About.htm About The Grolier Club ] ] The Library has the archives of a number of prominent bibliophiles such as Sir Thomas Phillipps [ [http://grolierclub.org/Phillipps.htm Phillipps ] ] , and of bibliophile and print collecting groups, such as the Hroswitha Club of women book collectors [http://www.grolierclub.org/LibraryAMC.HroswithaClub.htm named after Hroswitha of Gandersheim] and the Society of Iconophiles [http://grolierclub.org/LibraryAMC.Iconophiles.htm] .

The Grolier Club also has a program of public exhibitions which "treat books and prints as objects worthy of display, on a par with painting and sculpture." [ [http://grolierclub.org/Exhibitions.htm Exhibitions] The exhibitions draw on various sources including holdings of the Club, its members, and of institutional libraries.

The Grolier Club has had three locations since being founded in 1884. The Club's first home was rented. In 1890 the Grolier Club moved into a Romanesque Revival building at 29 East 32nd Street (which still survives as a designated landmark). Its current location, 47 East 60th Street has been its home since 1917; the building was designed by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue.

The Grolier Club is a member of the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies. [ [http://www.fabsbooks.org/members.html FABS - Member Clubs ] ]

List of presidents [A list of club presidents, complete to 1982, appeared in "Members of the Grolier Club, 1884-1984" (New York: Grolier Club, 1986), pp. 149-150.]

* Robert Hoe III (1884-1888)
* William Loring Andrews (1888-1892)
* Beverly Chew (1892-1896)
* Samuel Putnam Avery (1896-1900) Porträt: Medaille 1897 by Anton Scharff (1845-1903)
* Howard Mansfield (1900-1904)
* Theodore Low De Vinne (1904-1906)
* Edwin B. Holden (1906-1906) ["sic"]
* Richard Hoe Lawrence (1906-1908)
* William F. Havemeyer (1908-1912)
* Edward G. Kennedy (1912-1916)
* Arthur H. Scribner (1916-1920)
* Henry Watson Kent (1920-1924)
* William B. Osgood Field (1924-1928)
* Lucius Wilmerding (1928-1932)
* William B. Ivins, Jr. (1932-1935)
* Frederick Coykendall (1935-1939)
* Harry T. Peters (1939-1943)
* Edwin De T. Bechtel (1943-1947)
* Frederick B. Adams, Jr. (1947-1951)
* Irving S. Olds (1951-1955)
* Arthur A. Houghton (1955-1957)
* C. Waller Barret (1957-1961)
* Donald F. Hyde (1961-1965)
* Gordon N. Ray (1965-1969)
* Alfred H. Howell (1969-1973)
* Robert H. Taylor (1973-1975)
* Herman W. Liebert (1975-1978)
* Robert D. Graff (1978-1982)
* Frank S. Streeter (1982-

References

External links

* [http://www.grolierclub.org Grolier Club]
* [http://www.gslis.utexas.edu/~landc/bookplates/20_2_Grolier.htm Journal of Library History, vol. 20 #2, Spring 1985, pp. 196-9, by Robert Nikirk] [On the Grolier Club's bookplates]
* [http://www.fabsbooks.org/ Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies]

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