Save the Date: Zoom – Tim Gress on Collector Burton Emmett and American Book Design (09/11/2026)

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

September Midday Program

During the First World War the American Red Cross mobilized fundraising with the slogan “All you need is a heart and a dollar.” It was so successful that it was quickly displayed all over the country on billboards, posters, in newspapers, and more.

That catchphrase was the inspiration of Burton Emmett — a former book agent, newspaper editor, reporter, and theatrical press agent who had become an advertising executive.

But his heart lay in collecting. Art and books. Preferably beautifully designed books.

Some of the Emmett collection will be on display as part of an exhibition called The Touch of Art: American Book Design 1880–1930 at the University of North Carolina’s Wilson Library, but you won’t need to book a trip to Chapel Hill to catch a look at it. Instead, you’ll enjoy a guided tour, with special background about Emmett. All from Tim Gress, who is curating the exhibition.

Gress is a PhD student and Graduate Teaching Fellow whose research focuses in part on the history of the book. He also serves as a graduate assistant in the Rare Book Collection at the Wilson.

If you like stories of collecting, great book design, and hearing the inside scoop about a carefully curated exhibition, then you’ll want to register. No dollar required. It’s free!

Please forward this notice to anyone who may find it of interest.

Even if you can’t attend at the scheduled time, if you’re interested, please register. After the program, we’ll send an email to all registrants, asking if you’d like a link to the complete recording. That way you can see the program even if you couldn’t attend live, ran into technical issues, or simply wanted to watch it again.

Save the Date: September 24, 2026 Neil Harris on Some Women Binders in Paris: The Deco Years (09/24/2026)

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

September Program

During the 1920s a remarkable group of women binders, many with modernist aspirations, emerged in Paris. One or two are well known; others remain obscure. This talk will focus upon several of the most talented and productive among them, relying on images to document their achievements.

Neil Harris taught at the University of Chicago from 1969 to 2008, retiring as Preston and Sterling Morton Professor Emeritus in History and Art History. In addition to more than 100 published essays and articles his books include The Artist in American Society; Humbug: The Art of P. T. Barnum; Cultural Excursions; The Chicagoan: A Lost Magazine of the Jazz Age; and Capital Culture: J. Carter Brown, The National Gallery of Art, and the Reinvention of the Museum Experience. His research interests focus on the history of museums and collecting, the built landscape, international expositions, and the decorative arts. Harris has served as a member and chair of the Smithsonian Council, a trustee of the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, the Newberry Library, the Terra Foundation on the Arts, the National Museum of American History, and co-chaired the Visiting Committee to the J. Paul Getty Museum. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and recipient of the Joseph Henry Medal from the Smithsonian Institution.

Caxton Club upcoming events

Save the Date: Zoom – Tim Gress on Collector Burton Emmett and American Book Design (09/11/2026)

Save the Date: September 24, 2026 Neil Harris on Some Women Binders in Paris: The Deco Years (09/24/2026)