A Bas Bleu Look at the Grolier Club

Submitted by Susan Teltser-Schwarz

The Grolier Club of New York is a quintessential haven for book lovers. Founded in 1884, it is America’s oldest and largest society for bibliophiles and those deeply involved in the graphic arts. It’s responsible for many noteworthy publications, and it maintains a world-class library that handles the physical production, distribution, and collecting of books, prints, drawings, and photographs. Although it mounts numerous exhibitions and presents lectures on relevant topics for the public, it functions beyond the standards of a normal library or museum: It’s also a private club with a welcoming atmosphere. This makes it a great place to eavesdrop. If you visit, you’ll hear people debating about type fonts, text content, exhibition layouts, and more. One feels privileged to gain these special insights. 

Some of the diverse topics for exhibitions have included medical quackery, King Henry VIII, Sherlock Holmes, English grammar, and Christmas. Many of the exhibition catalogues can be used as reliable references for research, such as those for its series titled “One Hundred Books Famous in English Literature,” “. . . in Medicine,”  “. . . in Typography,”  and  “. . . in Children’s Literature.”

Catalogs of recent exhibitions are on display and available for purchase in the Club’s lobby.

To visit the Grolier Club library or see an exhibition, call (212) 838-6690 or go to www.grolierclub.org to reserve an appointment.

About the Author

Susan Teltser-Schwarz is married to an avid book collector who focuses on London and English history; they became Anglophiles together. She learned through osmosis and numerous visits to the Grolier Club the literal and figurative value of books. The couple also has an Edward Gorey collection that tickles their fancy and their pocketbook. As a freelance writer and lecturer on creativity and communication, primarily in New York City, Susan conducted her lecture “New York Behind the Scenes” for NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies for about thirty years.

Two special books that remain in her consciousness are Virginibus Puerisque by Robert Louis Stevenson (from her youth) and, more currently, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Stout.