About this Event
Australian writer and journalist Michael Visontay will give a talk on his new book, Noble Fragments (Scribe), which tells the story of an American book dealer who broke up a Gutenberg Bible and sold off the leaves, and the author’s hunt for those fragments scattered around the world - one of which is owned by the Grolier Club.
One hundred years ago, Gabriel Wells, a New York bookseller, committed a crime against history. He broke up the world’s greatest book, the Gutenberg Bible. Wells marketed the pages as Noble Fragments, they sold like hotcakes, and he died a rich man. Half a century later, Visontay stumbled upon a mysterious legal document that linked Wells to his own family. He became obsessed with the Gutenberg Bible's invisible imprint on his life.
Part detective story and part memoir, Noble Fragments is an expedition into the rarefied upper echelons of book collectors and their eccentric passions, and a journey of discovery about how Wells’ gamble changed a family’s destiny.
Noble Fragments will be available for sale and signing at this event.
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
USD 0.00
