The Book Club of California is a non-profit membership organization of bibliophiles based in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, operating continuously since 1912. Its mission is to support the history and art of the book, including fine printing related to the history and literature of California and the western states of America through research, publishing, public programs, and exhibitions. It is one of the two largest book collectors' clubs in the United States, with more than 800 members nationwide.

Early history

The genesis of the organization was an idea for including an exhibit of rare books and fine printing in the

Panama Pacific International Exposition Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cost ...

to take place in San Francisco in 1915.

Edward Robeson Taylor Edward Robeson Taylor (September 24, 1838 – July 5, 1923) was the 28th Mayor of San Francisco, serving from July 16, 1907, to January 7, 1910. Early life Edward Robeson Taylor was born on September 24, 1838, in Springfield, Illinois, the onl ...

, John Henry Nash, W. R. K. Young and James D. Blake approached Charles Moore, the president of the exposition, with the idea in 1912, to create an organization, which gathered 58 charter members by December 1912. The original purpose of the Book Club of California was "the study of letters and the promotion of the arts pertaining to the production of books." For unknown reasons, the proposed exhibition did not take place, but the club did succeed in launching a publication program under the leadership of Albert M. Bender. Its first book publication was an ambitious one: Robert A. Cowan's ''Bibliography of the History of California and the American West'', which appeared in 1914 as a 350-page book, printed on handmade paper by Taylor, Nash and Taylor in an edition of 250. Among its earliest activities, in October 1917, was "A loan exhibition of incunabula held by the Book Club of California in the galleries of Hill Tolerton." It was accompanied by a descriptive catalogue printed by John Henry Nash. The sixty-six books printed before 1501 came from the collection of Charles W. Clark of San Mateo, California.

Publications

The club continues to publish limited edition books, using

letterpress printing Letterpress printing is a technique of relief printing. Using a printing press, the process allows many copies to be produced by repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against sheets or a continuous roll of paper. A worker com ...

and emphasizing design and craftsmanship. The club is the only association in America that has continually published fine press books since 1914. The subject matter relates to the history and culture of California and sometimes other Western areas. The book authors, often club members, include historians, scholars, professional writers, and poets. In most cases, this represents the first and only appearance of their texts in printed form. Since 1933 the club has also published a quarterly newsletter and annual keepsakes.

Library, exhibits, and programs

The club's Albert Sperisen Library holds approximately 8,300 volumes, searchable via an online catalog, and is open to the public. The club presents three themed exhibitions per year and numerous author talks, book signings and other events. A centennial symposium, "Way Out West: Fine Printing and the Cultural History of the Book in California" was held in October 2012. Another symposium, "A Feast for the Eyes: Gastronomy and Fine Print," was held in October 2014.

The Oscar Lewis Awards

Two Oscar Lewis Awards have been presented by the club annually since 1994 in honor of Oscar Lewis (1893-1992), San Francisco author, historian, and club secretary from 1921-1946. One award is for excellence in western history and one for the book arts. In 2016 these were presented to author James Karman and artist Richard Wagener respectively.

Prominent members

Well-known members of the club have included Ansel Adams, Merle Armitage,

Faith Baldwin Faith Baldwin (October 1, 1893 – March 18, 1978) was an American writer of romance novels and other forms of fiction,

Witter Bynner Harold Witter Bynner (August 10, 1881 – June 1, 1968), also known by the pen name Emanuel Morgan, was an American poet and translator. He was known for his long residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and association with other literary figures the ...

Francis P. Farquhar Francis Peloubet Farquhar (December 31, 1887 – November 21, 1974) was an American mountaineering, mountaineer, environmentalism, environmentalist and author. In his professional life, he was a Certified Public Accountant. Early life Farquha ...

Phoebe Apperson Hearst Phoebe Elizabeth Apperson Hearst (December 3, 1842 – April 13, 1919) was an American philanthropist, feminist and suffragist. Hearst was the founder of the University of California Museum of Anthropology, now called the Phoebe A. Hearst M ...

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...

, Florence Lundborg, Stanley Marcus, Franklin D. Murphy,

A. Edward Newton Alfred Edward Newton (1864–1940) was an American industrialist better known as an author and avid book collector. He is best known for his book ''Amenities of Book Collecting'' (1918) which sold over 25,000 copies. At the time of his death, ...

Lawrence Clark Powell Lawrence Clark Powell (September 3, 1906–March 14, 2001) was a librarian, literary critic, bibliographer and author of more than 100 books. Powell "made a significant contribution to the literature of the library profession, but he also writ ...

, Aurelia Henry Reinhardt,

Ward Ritchie Harry "Ward" Ritchie (Los Angeles, California June 15, 1905Laguna Beach, California January 24, 1996) was an American printer, book designer, book collector and writer of around 100 books. He was part of the "Golden Age" of fine printing that took ...

Norton Simon Norton Winfred Simon (February 5, 1907 – June 2, 1993) was an American industrialist and philanthropist. He was at one time one of the wealthiest men in America. At the time of his death, he had amassed a net worth of nearly US$10 billion. ...

, and

Kevin Starr Kevin Owen Starr (September 3, 1940 – January 14, 2017) was an American historian and California's state librarian, best known for his multi-volume series on the history of California, collectively called "Americans and the California Dream." ...

Awards received

* 1996: American Printing History Association institutional award for contributions to the understanding of printing history * 2001: Commonwealth Club of California silver medal for Notable Contribution to Publishing for ''Splendide Californie! Impressions of The Golden State By French Artists, 1786–1900.''

References

External links

*
Book Club of California
at Atlas Obscura https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t6057kr0q&view=1up&seq=8&skin=2021 {{Authority control Clubs and societies in California Culture of San Francisco Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco 1912 establishments in California San Francisco Bay Area literature