About this Event
Presented in conjunction with Graphic Devotions: Late Medieval European Blockbooks on view at the Morgan Library & Museum through May 16, 2027
Due to their rarity, blockbooks are among the least familiar of 15th-century European books, typically outshone by their more common and historically impactful manuscript and incunable siblings. They are rarely exhibited by museums and libraries, thus relatively under the radar, understudied in the broader history of European printing, and little mentioned in scholarly publications. John T. McQuillen, Ph.D., Associate Curator of Printed Books & Bindings at the Morgan Library & Museum, will explain how he set out simply to re-catalogue the Morgan's blockbooks, which grew to encompass the examination of other copies and then developed into the first catalogue of all known blockbooks in North American collections. An exhibition that he curated, Graphic Devotions: Late Medieval European Blockbooks, is on view until May 16, 2027. This talk will focus on the heretofore unrecognized details that impact the traditional distinctions between editions, as well as the printing place and dating of individual copies.
Registration
If you are a Grolier Club member, please register yourself and your guests via the Club website. Do not register via Eventbrite.
Support
We appreciate your interest in the Grolier Club’s programming on the art and history of the book. For over 130 years we have offered our exhibitions and lectures to the public, free of charge. If you have enjoyed these offerings, and would like to support that tradition, and help ensure that it continues, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Grolier Club.
Accessibility
An ADA-compliant lift from street level to the lobby is available to anyone with mobility issues. All desk staff should be ready and able to assist you in operating the lift, with or without advance notice.
A “T-Coil” assisted listening system is available to anyone attending a lecture in the Exhibition Hall. Visitors with hearing aids should turn their devices to the “T” setting in order to access the system; visitors without hearing aids may request a “loop receiver” with earphones.
Environment
The temperature and humidity in the exhibition hall are tightly controlled for the sake of the valuable items on display, and this may cause the room to feel chilly, particularly in warmer weather, to those coming in from outside. Members and visitors are advised to bring a light wrap when visiting an exhibition, or attending an event in the hall.
Event venue & nearby stays
The Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, United States
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