One Hundred Books Famous in Typography

"In 1902 the Grolier Club mounted an exhibition entitled "One Hundred Books Famous in English Literature." The exhibition and its accompanying catalogue were a major success. To this day people refer to books distinguished by inclusion in that show as milestones in the history of writing in English. The show spawned a series of Grolier Hundred surveys, including books famous in early American literature, science, medicine, twentieth century fine printing, and children's literature. Each of these compilations has become a key reference in their respective fields.In May of this year the Grolier Club will host One Hundred Books Famous in Typography, a most fitting addition to the venerable list of Grolier Hundreds. The Grolier's mission is to "foster the study, collecting, and appreciation of books ... their art, history, production, and commerce." What could be more essential to the production of books than type? And therefore, what topic more suitable for a "Grolier Hundred"? On view from May 12 - July 31, 2021, the exhibition follows the format of the five previous Grolier Hundred exhibitions. Presenting pivotal books on the subject of typography, the show highlights milestones in the development and study of the art and discipline of printing, surveying five hundred years of major publications relating to this significant art form. Drawn from major institutional libraries and private collections, the one hundred books were selected by noted typographer and book designer Jerry Kelly in consultation with an international panel of experts. Typography--a term derived from a Greek phrase that means roughly "writing with figures cast in relief"-- is an essential component of book making. Encompassing the art and science of printing types, including type manufacture and type design, typography has a long and distinguished history. It begins with Gutenberg's ingenious development in the 1450s of a system for the mass-production of texts, and then moves through the centuries to spotlight new technologies such as hot-metal line casting, phototype, and the desktop computer composition of today. In addition to ground-breaking examples, the exhibition is a rich trove of volumes relating to the study of typography, showing how numerous practitioners, such as Garamond, Baskerville, Bodoni, and Zapf, raised the work of type designers and typographers to the level of a fine art."--