2007-2008

Star Wars: The Golden Age of the Celestial Atlas
Co-sponsored by the History of the Book Seminar of the Humanities Center at Harvard University
Monday, April 7, 2008

Internationally known British bookseller Roger Gaskell discussed aspects of the history of star atlases from 1482 to 1851 and various controversies over the naming of constellations and how the skies should be mapped through an illustrated lecture. Star atlases capture the sweeping grandeur of the heavens and are among the most beautiful scientific books ever made. They were works of science, first and foremost, but these atlases nevertheless have a universal appeal. The blending of star maps with constellation figures in a grand and monumental format is hard for anyone to resist.

Tour of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, MA
Saturday, March 22, 2008

The American Antiquarian Society in Worcester opened its doors for a special Ticknor Society event. Director Ellen Dunlap and other staff welcomed us with a variety of presentations and tours celebrating the founder of the AAS, the "Patriot-printer" Isaiah Thomas.  The Society's rich heritage and collections as they relate to the history of the American book was the primary focus with further discussion of forthcoming outreach programs, such as cataloging initiatives, academic seminars, and their new K-12 programs. As an additional treat, the Society's previous director, Marcus McCorison, discussed his forthcoming work on Isaiah Thomas's original collection gift.

Tour of Brandeis University's Special Collections
Tuesday, February 5, 2008

 Karen Adler Abramson, Director of Archives and  Special Collections, gave a brief lecture providing an introduction to the University's special and rare collections and Jim Rosenbloom, the resident Judaica librarian and expert, discussed the University's rich collections in that area.

A Ticknor Society Member Collects …
December 2007

In December, member Chris Morgan invited fellow members for a glimpse at his personal collections which vary from a Lewis Carroll collection to a copy of The Maltese Falcon signed by Dashiel Hammett to comic books.

Collectors’ Roundtable at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair
Saturday, November 17, 2007 • Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA

The Ticknor Society’s annual tradition at the book fair continued with the very popular Collectors’ Roundtable. Three collectors shared their experiences collecting books on garden history, carriages, and telegraphy.

Field Trip to Dartmouth College - the Guild of Book Workers and George Ticknor
Saturday, October 27, 2007

The Guild of Book Workers promotes all the book arts to broaden public awareness of the hand book arts, to stimulate commissions of fine bindings, and to stress the need for sound book conservation and restoration. The Guild is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a touring anniversary exhibition. The Ticknor Society arranged for a special event in conjunction with the exhibition which featured both a Retrospective section and a section of Current Members' works, The day included a panel discussion by Guild members, time for independent viewing, and a reception. An added bonus was the guided tour of some of the George Ticknor collections held by Dartmouth (Ticknor was an 1811 graduate of Dartmouth and bequeathed a large part of his estate to his alma mater) by Special Collections Librarian, Jay Satterfield.

Decorated Papers from the Collection of Rosamond B. Loring
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 • Houghton Library, Edison & Newman Room, Harvard University

Ticknor Society members attended the opening of Decorated Papers from the Collection of Rosamond B. Loring, an exhibition presenting examples from the extensive collection of decorated papers formed by Rosamond B. Loring (1889-1950) and bequeathed to Houghton Library, including historical examples of marbled, paste, Dutch gilt, and printed papers, as well as papers made by Loring herself. The evening featured Ticknor Society member Charles A. Rheault, who presented an engaging talk entitled, “A Pretty Mysterious Business – Ox Gall and Gum Dragon: The Arts of Marbling Paper and Books.”

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2006-2007

Ticknor Society Annual Meeting
Thursday, 14 June 2007 • Casperson Room, Langdell Hall-Harvard Law School Library

Our program began with a reception followed by a short business meeting and lecture by Daniel R. Coquillette, J. Donald Monan S.J. University Professor at Boston College Law School, on “Man of Mystery: Collecting Francis Bacon”.

Celebrating the Longfellow Bicentennial
Saturday, April 14, 2007

A special day celebrating the bicentennial of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's birth began at the Houghton Library at Harvard University with a curator's tour of the library's exhibition "Public Poet, Private Man: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow at 200."  The exhibition featured manuscripts, drawings, and photographs from Longfellow's papers at Houghton Library and the Longfellow National Historic site.  We assembled at the Longfellow House after for an in-depth guided tour of the house.

Paste Paper Workshop
Saturday, March 17, 2007 • Simmons College

Back by popular demand, Sid Berger offered a hands-on workshop on the art and craft of paste paper decoration. Born in the seventeenth century, carried out in religious communities and in the secular world with tremendous artistry and precision, the technique produces papers of an endless variety of design, color, and imagination. They are easy to produce and more fun than you can imagine, using simple materials and tools.

The Private Collection of David Godine
Saturday, February 3, 2007 • Godine home, Milton, MA

David R. Godine, one of the premiere publishers in the United States and a distinguished collector of rare books, graciously welcomed a select number of Ticknor Society members to his home for a private tour of his treasures as well as dinner and drinks. 

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John Adams Unbound: A Talk and Guided Tour of a Major Exhibition of the Library of President John Adams
Saturday, December 9, 2006 • Boston Public Library, Copley Square

Ticknor Board Member and Acting Keeper of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the Boston Public Library, Earle Havens, presented a talk and guided tour of the first major public exhibition of the contents of John Adams’ personal library, a collection that has resided at the BPL for over a century. For more information, see the project website.

Collectors' Roundtable at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair
Saturday, November 18, 2006 • Hynes Convention Center

The Ticknor Society's annual tradition at the book fair continued with the very popular Collectors' Roundtable, featuring several young collectors who shared their experiences in the process, as well as the passion, of collecting.  The Ticknor Society information booth on Cultural Row allowed members to chat in person and newcomers to become members.

Benjamin Franklin: Printed Corrections and Erasable Writing
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 • Houghton Library, Harvard University

The evening included a lecture by Peter Stallybrass, Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania, followed by a reception. The Houghton Library exhibition, "Benjamin Franklin: A How-To Guide," was on view before and after the program.

2005-2006

A Literary Tour of Mount Auburn Cemetery
Saturday, May 6, 2006

We paid a special visit to the final resting place of George Ticknor's cousin, the publisher William Davis Ticknor, and several of our namesake's friends and colleagues, including William Hickling, Prescott, Lowell, Longfellow, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, among others. We also watched for some of the many interesting birds following the spring migratory route that runs through the area.

Inside Baker Library at Harvard Business School
Wednesday, April 12, 2006

From its humble beginnings in 1908 as a small collection housed in an alcove of Gore Hall (the predecessor to Widener Library), Baker Library has emerged as the cornerstone of the Harvard Business School campus. The library underwent major renovation and expansion from 2003 to 2005.  Staff members offered a behind-the-scenes tour of the new building with a focus on the state-of-the-art special collections areas.

The evening began with a reception and an opportunity to spend some time viewing the exhibitions in the library, including "Coin and Conscience: Popular Views of Money, Credit and Speculation," on display in the historic lobby. From Rembrandt to Gillray, there was something to interest academic and art-lover alike.

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Medieval Manuscripts and Rare Books Adventures at Boston College - a Tale of Two Curators
Thursday, March 2, 2006 • McMullen Museum of Art and the Burns Library, Boston College

Earle Havens, Curator of Manuscripts at the Boston Public Library, offered an after-hours behind-the-scenes tour of a major exhibition of the BPL's medieval and Renaissance manuscripts collections at Boston College. The group then crossed the mall to the Burns Library for an informal tour and talk on the Burns Library and its collections by Robert O'Neill, Director of the Burns Library. Mr. O'Neill regaled the group with bibliophilic tales.

Papers You Wish You'd Heard
Tuesday, December 6, 2005 • Houghton Library, Harvard University

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Collectors' Roundtable
Saturday, October 29, 2005 • Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, Hynes Convention Center, Boston

Two annual traditions were brought together this year by hosting our annual Collectors' Roundtable at the fair as well as staffing an information booth. Several local collectors described their collections and showed some favorite books.

Anti-Slavery Collections of the Boston Public Library - a Curator's Tour
Tuesday, October 11, 2005 • Boston Public Library

Marion Kilson gave an informal talk about the leading Boston abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, and the history of his Boston newspaper, The Liberator. Kilson also provided a curator's tour of the exhibition commemorating the 200th anniversary of Garrison's birth, "Words of Thunder: The Life and Times of William Lloyd Garrison", on display at the Boston Public Library. The exhibition draws from the BPL's unrivaled collection of anti-slavery and abolitionist rare books, manuscripts, prints and related materials. A series of exhibits and events relating to Garrison will be offered by the BPL and the Museum of Afro-American History.

2004-2005

Annual Meeting
Tuesday, May 3, 2005 • St. Botolph Club, Boston

The year wrapped up with a special evening at the St. Botolph Club in Boston including a talk by Bernard Margolis, president of the Boston Public Library, and a brief business meeting and reception open to all. Members afterward dined with fellow Ticknorites.

Curator's Tour with Ken Rendell
Sunday, April 17, 2005 • National Heritage Museum, Lexington, MA

Curator and collector Ken Rendell conducted a guided tour of his exhibition The Western Pursuit of the American Dream. Nearly 200 spectacular objects from Rendell's collection were exhibited, chronicling the West through the words and artifacts of explorers, travelers, warriors, gold seekers, merchants, and outlaws who shaped the American frontier.

Field Trip to Providence
Tuesday, April 5, 2005 • Private Collection, Providence

The Honorable Frank J. Williams, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and the owner of one of the largest private collection of books, manuscripts, and artifacts relating to Abraham Lincoln, spoke on Collecting Lincoln. The evening included a tour of Judge Williams' chambers and some of his collection housed therein.

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Paste Paper Workshop
Saturday, March 5, 2005 • Simmons College, Boston

The art and craft of paste paper decoration was born in the seventeenth century, carried out in religious communities and in the secular world with tremendous artistry and precision. The technique produces papers of an endless variety of design, color, and imagination. They are easy to produce and more fun than you can imagine. Using simple materials and tools (and some lovely papers), participants created paste papers in this workshop conducted by Sidney Berger who has given such workshops on two continents.

Tour of Widener Library with Matthew Battles
Tuesday, March 1, 2005 • Widener Library, Harvard University

Matthew Battles, the author of the popular Library: An Unquiet History and Widener: ABiography of a Library, led a guided tour of Widener Library followed by a reception.

Theda Skocpol on Fraternal Literature
Tuesday, January 11, 2005 • Barker Center for the Humanities, Harvard University

Co-sponsored with the History of the Book Seminar, Barker Center for the Humanities. Theda Skocpol, Ph.D., Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology, and Director of the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University, spoke on her use of publications of fraternal organizations in her research on the rise and development of voluntary organizations in the United States from the 1790s to the present.

Collectors' Roundtable
Thursday, December 2, 2004 • Boston Public Library

The theme of this year's collectors' roundtable was collecting popular medicine. The panelists were Charles E. Rosenberg, Ph.D., William H. Helfand, and Lawrence M. Vincent, M.D. The roundtable was moderated by Thomas Horrocks, Vice President of The Ticknor Society.

Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair
Friday, November 19 - Sunday, November 21, 2004 • Hynes Convention Center, Boston

The Ticknor Society staffed an information booth and sponsored talks by members at the fair.

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Field Trip to the Beinecke Library and the Elizabethan Club, Yale University
Saturday, November 13, 2004

Members of The Ticknor Society enjoyed a day-long visit to New Haven, beginning at the Yale Center for British Art, where a William Morris exhibition was on display. After viewing the exhibition, the group headed to the Beinecke Library for a tour, punctuated by a complimentary catered luncheon on the Beinecke mezzanine. After a break, the group convened down the street at the Elizabethan Club for a tour of the clubhouse, grounds and "vault."

John O'Mara: "A bookseller who collects...a bartender who drinks?"
Thursday, October 21, 2004 • Signet Society, Harvard Square

John O'Mara, of John O'Mara Fine & Rare Books, entertained us with the story of his own personal collecting of annotated sixteenth-century books (with examples on exhibition) and how it relates to the current state of the book trade and book collecting.

2003-2004

Annual Meeting and Visit to the Museum of Printing
Sunday, June 6, 2004 • Museum of Printing, North Andover, MA

The museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the graphic arts, printing equipment, and printing craftsmanship. In addition to many special collections and small exhibits, the museum contains hundreds of antique printing, typesetting and bindery machines, as well as a library of books and printing-related documents. For more information about the museum and for directions, visit their website at www.museumofprinting.org.

The afternoon began with a short business meeting, followed by a talk about the Mergenthaler Library by Larry Oppenberg, President of Galapagos Design. There were tours of the museum, including hands-on demonstrations.

American Book Collectors of Children's Literature
Saturday, April 24, 2004 • Boston Athenaeum

Founded in 1986, the American Book Collectors of Children's Literature (ABCs) Connecticut Chapter is open to authors and illustrators, book dealers, collectors, faculty members, librarians, and others who have an interest in collecting, preserving, reading, and studying children's books no matter where they live.

The ABCs Connecticut Chapter invited Ticknor members and friends to join them at the Boston Athenaeum for a guided tour of the Athenaeum's recently renovated children's room and some older children's books from their collections. After lunch, the group met at the West Newton studio of Nancy Schon, the sculptor who created the Make Way for Ducklings statues in the Boston Common, the Tortoise and the Hare at Copley Square, and similar works.

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Sir Hans Sloane and His Printed Ephemera Collections
Friday, March 19, 2004 • Houghton Library, Harvard University

Giles Mandelbrote, Curator of British Collections 1501-1800 at the British Library, spoke about the printed ephemera collections of Sir Hans Sloane. Mr. Mandelbrote is a frequent contributor to scholarship about the history of the book trade and of book ownership, particularly in the seventeenth century. He is also one of the editors of the Cambridge History of Libraries in Britain and Ireland.

A Curator's Tour by Roger Stoddard
Tuesday, February 24, 2004 • Houghton Library, Harvard University

Roger Stoddard, Curator of Rare Books in the Harvard College Library, led visitors on a tour of his exhibition Res Gestae: Libri Manent; a Curator's Choice, a celebration of Stoddard's career, highlighting 89 of his favorite acquisitions purchased for the Houghton Library from 1965 to 2003. The exhibition, mounted on the occasion of Stoddard's retirement, was on view at the Houghton Library through March 31, 2004.

A Passion for Paper: The Decorated Paper Collections of Michèle Cloonan and Sidney Berger
Wednesday, February 4, 2004 • Cloonan/Berger Home

Members Michèle Cloonan and Sidney Berger hosted Ticknor Society members and friends for a visit to their home in Newton to see their remarkable collection of decorated papers, both historical and modern. A special highlight of the evening was the opportunity to print a keepsake on one of their Har-Ma hand presses.

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Collectors' Roundtable
Tuesday, December 2, 2003 • Boston Public Library

Following up on its previous collectors' roundtable, the Ticknor Society decided to make this an annual event.  Fellow booklovers joined members Kent Bicknell, Victor Gulotta, John Hench, and Charles Rheault in discussing their rationales and passions for collecting western writers on eastern thought; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; American World War II books, magazines, and newspapers; and private press books. Member Anne Bromer moderated the program.

An Evening with Joanne Dobson
Wednesday, November 19, 2003 • Harvard Faculty Club

This dinner and talk by author Joanne Dobson was cohosted with the Speckled Band of Boston, a Sherlock Holmes society. Professor Dobson teaches English at Fordham University and is the author of the Karen Pelletier mysteries. Her first in this series, Quieter than Sleep (1997), was an Agatha nominee. It was followed by The Northbury Papers (1998), The Raven and the Nightingale (1999), Cold and Pure and Very Dead (2000), and The Maltese Manuscript (2003). In her scholarly work, Professor Dobson has concentrated on the recovery of the neglected literature of nineteenth-century American women writers. She is a founding editor of Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers and a general editor of the Rutgers American Women Writers reprint series.

There was a short talk and reading by Professor Dobson followed by a book signing and a chance to talk with the author. After dinner Professor Dobson spoke on biblio-mysteries.

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Four Contributions to the Cultural History of Libraries
Saturday, October 4, 2003 • Barker Center for the Humanities, Harvard University

Cosponsored with the History of the Book Seminar at the Barker Center for the Humanities, the program included four papers:

• "The Librarian in loco parentis" by Matthew Battles, Coordinating Editor of the Harvard Library Bulletin and author of Library: An Unquiet History
• "'A beginning is made': Women and Harvard's nineteenth-century card catalogue" by Barbara A. Mitchell, Head of Public Services, Frances Loeb Library, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
• "'Variously employed': Sir Sidney Cockerell and the Boston Public Library" by William P. Stoneman, Florence Fearrington Librarian of Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
• "Building 'wisdom and stability': Mary Lowell Putnam's library and women's book culture in nineteenth-century Boston" by Helena Toth, Graduate Student in Modern European History, Harvard University

2002-2003

The Meaning of Everything: An Evening with Simon Winchester
April 15, 2003 • Boston Public Library

The popular and highly regarded author of The Professor and the Madman, The Map That Changed the World, Krakatoa and The Meaning of Everything: the Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, took us on a tour of his books, how places he has been have influenced his work, and his experiences writing his books.

Professors Joel Myerson and Ron Bosco on Emerson and His Books
March 27, 2003 • Houghton Library, Harvard University

Professors Myerson and Bosco, both noted authors, collectors, and leading authorities on Emerson, Thoreau, and the Transcendentalists, were co-curators of a Houghton exhibit mounted to commemorate the bicentennial of Emerson's birth. They spoke about Emerson's library and his thoughts on books.

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First and Most Recent - But Never Last!
February 4, 2003 • Boston Public Library

Ticknor Society members discussed their rationales and passions for collecting, member Nick Basbanes moderating. Robin Bledsoe let us in on just what started her collecting horse books; Leonard Scinto admitted to a particular enthusiasm for commedia dell’arte, and Joan Nordell shared her fervor for one-of-a-kind artists’ books. Dan Posnansky opened the door to let us have a peek at his amazing collection of Shelockiana.

A Visit to Kenneth Rendell's World War II Museum
December 3, 2002 • Natick, MA

Noted autograph and manuscript dealer and author Kenneth W. Rendell invited us for an unforgettable evening at his vast Museum of World War II. This museum can ONLY be visited by invitation. For an introduction to the collections, visit www.museumofworldwarii.com. We had free range of the collections while enjoying cocktails; Ken spoke on philosophies of collecting and how they have changed over the centuries.  A full dinner on the premises followed.

Book Fair Secrets: a Roundtable Discussion
October 17, 2002 • Boston Public Library

This roundtable discussion was hosted by the New England Chapter of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America, its chair, Peter Stern, presiding over a panel of Boston-area booksellers. Greg Gibson of Ten Pound Island Books (Gloucester, MA), Greg Powers of Powers Rare Books (Manchester, NH), Priscilla Juvelis of Priscilla Juvelis, Inc. (Cambridge, MA), Michael Ginsberg of Michael Ginsberg Books (Sharon, MA), and Mike McIntyre of McIntyre and Moore Booksellers (Somerville, MA) discussed their experiences at book fairs; dealers and collectors shared first-hand experiences.

2001-2002

An Evening Celebrating the Ticknors
June 26, 2002 • Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston

The second meeting of the Ticknor Society celebrated the Ticknors - George Ticknor and his daughter, Anna Ticknor - for whom the club was named. The meeting featured speakers Professor Sally Schwager of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Peter Accardo of the Houghton Library, and Ken Carpenter, retired from the Harvard University Library.  Hosts Peter Drummey and Bill Fowler of the Massachusetts Historical Society provided a wondrous array of edible delights and liquid refreshment which, when balanced with talk of book collectors and the comradeship of like-minded book lovers, made for a great event.

Nicholas Basbanes on "A Fellowship of Books"
May 22, 2002 • Harvard Law School

The inaugural meeting of the Ticknor Society was hosted by David Ferris, David Warrington, and the Harvard Law School which generously provided a lovely space for our first meeting  as well as appropriate and ample refreshments. The meeting was a great success, attracting over 80 bibliophiles.

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Last modified: Monday, 14-Apr-2008 10:16:20 EDT