The Grolier Club is arguably the most famous book club in our country.
Founded in 1884 by book lovers for “the literary study and promotion of the arts pertaining to the production of the book.” The club got its name from Jean Grolier de Servières, a bibliophile of the highest order who lived during the Renaissance.
The Grolier Club’s history is rich. It has always exhibited books from the finest collections and has published over 200 books and exhibition catalogs each produced by the finest bookmakers and typographers of the day. It’s renowned library contains almost 100,000 books.
The other major contribution from the club is its openness to and support of the graphic arts.
The Grolier is “one of the first organizations in America to treat books and prints as objects worthy of display, on par with painting and sculpture…from Blake to Kipling, from chess to murder mysteries, from Japanese prints to Art Noveau posters”
The Grolier Club was the first place to exhibit Japanese woodblock prints and Whistler’s engravings in this country.
The current exhibit “Hot Off the Press” features recent prints from close to 50 artists including Louise Bourgeois, Jim Dine, Chuck Close and Sean Scully.
Upcoming 2007 Exhibits are:
Illustrating the Good Life: the Pissarros’ Ergany Press, 1894-1914
Miniature Books: 4,000 Years of Tiny Treasures
Boston Collects: Celebrating the Bicentennial of the Boston Athenaeum
Benjamin Franklin and the Book
So next time your in the Big Apple try and find some time to visit this literary landmark, I doubt you will be disappointed.