Caxton Club upcoming events

Zoom – The Burton Emmett Collection: Collecting Art, Literature, and Graphic Design in the Early-20th Century (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.

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.

$60 fee covers sandwiches with vegetarian options, coffee, tea, and non-alcoholic beverages, a cookie, tax, and service.

Parking: The WAC is accessible via public transportation. Valet parking is available at 116 E. Ontario, next to the entrance to the WAC. Payment is cash only, $15 for 1–3 hours and $20 for 4–7 hours, plus tip. You may also reserve and pay for a guaranteed parking spot through the Spot Hero app or website (spothero.com)

Zoom – Jack Lynch on The First English Dictionary? (10/09/2026)

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

October Midday Program

Here’s a little quiz:

Who was the second person to walk on the moon?

What is Milorad Čavić’s distinction?

Are you ready to Buzz in and name Buzz Aldrin as the second human being to step down onto the lunar surface?

Or did you think of the one one-hundredth of a second that was the difference between Čavić’s Olympic silver medal in the 100 meter butterfly and Michael Phelps’s seventh gold?

We tend to think of firsts first. When it comes to dictionaries, Samuel Johnson — a towering and highly quotable figure — is often thought to have broken the tape. But did he? Or is his remarkable contribution to the history of lexicography much more than just being first to the printer?

Join us as Jack Lynch explores the history of the books that often have a home right on our desks … or linger in the background on our computers, regularly interrupting to auto-correct even when it makes us scream, “No! Don’t do that. I meant that!”

Jack is a distinguished professor of English at Rutgers University-Newark and a noted Johnson scholar. Much published, he is the author of The Age of Elizabeth in the Age of Johnson (Cambridge University Press) and has written and edited a host of other academic and trade works about Samuel Johnson.

Here’s your chance to be first! Touch the wall, break the tape, raise dust on the moon, and register now for this entertaining and generously illustrated program!

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

Meet and Mingle among Books (10/21/2026)

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Meet and mingle with fellow Caxton Club members in the Library Lounge at D4 Irish Pub & Cafe. This is an opportunity to socialize with old friends and meet new members, too.

The Evening Program and Membership committees have reserved the Library Lounge from 5:30 until 7:30 pm. There will be a buffet of select appetizers. Full beverage service available at additional cost. Happy hour drink specials including draft beer, house wines, and Stoli cocktails available from 5:30 to 6:00.

D4, named after Dublin’s tony zip code, Dublin 4, brings a taste of Dublin to Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood.

Remember to bring your Caxton badge. Register today.

Parking Spot Hero is an independent parking option, generally offering spots at the The Streeter Parking Garage directly above the restaurant with entrance on Ohio St. or Grand Ave. There are other garages nearby. You may reserve and pay for a guaranteed parking spot through the Spot Hero app or website (spothero.com).

On the Move | Newberry Library 2026 Rare Map and Book Fair (10/30/2026)

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 22:30:00 GMT

On the Move

Join us for the opening reception for the Rare Map and Book Fair at the Newberry Library followed by dinner at Somerset, where you will order the meal and drink of your own choosing and your own cost. You’ll enjoy camaraderie and share Rare Map and Book Fair finds.

The Newberry Library is hosting this rare map and book fair in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of the Chicago Map Society. You’ll have time to mingle, and shop leading map and book dealers from across the country.

Somerset brings the bold, vibrant spirit of the Mediterranean to the heart of the Gold Coast at Viceroy Chicago.

5:30 – 7:00 PM: Rare Map and Book Fair Opening Reception, Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., Chicago.

7:15 pm: Dinner seating at Somerset, 1112 N. State St. Order the meal and drink of your own choosing and your own cost.

$40 for opening reception at Newberry. Tickets will be held for attendees at the Newberry.

Reception and dinner limited to ten attendees.