latest publications of the leading book clubs of this country, and to
compare them with some of the first issues of these same clubs. The
improvement in the later productions over the earlier ones astonished
me. There were as good artists, editors, binders, type, paper, ink,
and other accessories twenty years ago as we have now, and indeed it
is doubtful if our modern printing presses show much improvement in
the quality of work during that time; but it would seem that
persistent effort along the lines of experimental work has been
generously rewarded by a steady improvement in the general results now
attained. Nor is the situation injured by a slight tinge of friendly
rivalry among clubs, to lend an additional zest to their labors, and
to whet the praiseworthy ambition of each to make every succeeding
issue a little better than the last. There are many zealous
bibliophiles who belong to two or three book clubs at once, finding it
interesting to collect and compare the works produced by the several
clubs.
Many of our great scholars as well as leading publishers are members
of these book clubs, and serve on the councils and various committees;
so it must not be supposed by skeptics that their publications are in
the slightest degree amateurish. They employ the best talent and
materials; the councils and publication committees, as well, being
composed of persons of unquestioned integrity, who possess an
intelligent understanding of bookmaking.
Some of these clubs (particularly those whose membership is largely
local) have commodious quarters where the members may meet at all
times, whether to discuss matters of common business interest, to
exchange their latest jokes, or to generally discuss book-lore and
other congenial topics. The social features of some of the book clubs
are, however, reduced to the occasions of the annual meetings and
dinners. The "Club-Room Question," in one of these organizations
having a membership of five hundred, distributed in one hundred and
sixty-seven cities and towns in this country and abroad, was recently
reported upon by the Council as follows:--
The question of providing and maintaining club rooms and
establishing a suitable library for the Society has been more
or less discussed since its incorporation. The Council has not
found that spacious and luxuriously furnished rooms are an
important requisite in accomplishing the expressed purpose and
limitations of the Society. These, according to Article I. of
the Constitution and By-laws, are to be "the study and
promotion of the arts pertaining to fine bookmaking and
illustrating, and the occasional publication of specially
designed and illustrated books, for distribution among its
members at a minimum cost of production."
Then, too, while our membership is entirely homogeneous in
bibliomaniacal spirit, it is so scattered over such a vast
expanse of territory that only a small percentage of the
members would be able to enjoy club-room privileges; even
those within easy reach of such rooms would probably not
frequent them enough to justify any considerable expense in
maintenance. It would be necessary, also, to change the
present constitution (and to assess the members for annual
dues in order to meet current expenses), should the club-room
idea be carried out. This would be objectionable on various
grounds, and amongst these, because a non-resident member
might thus be paying an annual fee without receiving any
corresponding benefit in return; a condition in such case
which would be tantamount to his meeting an increased charge
each year for the privilege of subscribing and paying for the
Society's publications. Hence, the Council do not see their
way to entertaining or recommending the club-room feature. But
it is not supposed that the spirit of fellowship among our
bibliophiles--naturally related as they are by a kindred
interest--will in any degree suffer because of the lack of
such facilities. A personal contact, however agreeable, does
not seem essential. Certainly the many charming letters
received from members whom we have never seen, go far to
relieve the present lack in this regard, so far as the
officers are concerned.
As matters now stand, the Society has sufficiently comfortable
quarters in one of the offices of the Treasurer, where the
Council holds its meetings. These are found by experience to
be quite ample for all practical purposes and present needs.
Collectors of manuscripts and of unique copies often furnish the book
clubs with valuable and otherwise unprocurable material to be printed
for the members. Last year one collector alone furnished gratuitously
to a society of which he is a member, many thousands of dollars' worth
of unpublished manuscripts of interesting historical matter to be
printed exclusively for its members. In this way much valuable
material is preserved in print, when it would otherwise remain forever
unpublished and unobtainable.
During the past few years it has been my pleasant privilege to spend
many hours of each week in concurrent labor with the Council in the
preparation of the publications of The Bibliophile Society, in which
Council I have had the honor to serve continuously since its
organization.
There is no pleasure more delectable, no joy more inspiring than that
of devising books which prove a delight to the eye and a satisfaction
to the artistic tastes of those who are competent to appreciate the
qualities that should characterize a perfectly made book.
I now realize as never before why it is that our busiest men of
affairs, and scholars of renown, are actuated to serve so assiduously
in this labor of love; for surely no amount of effort, however
laborious, can be regarded as having been in any sense misguided or
wasted when it elicits such approbation as expressed in the following
letter from Charles A. Decker, Esq., a fellow member, of New York
City:--
March 15th, 1904.
MR. H. H. HARPER, Treasurer,
The Bibliophile Society,
Colonial Building, Boston, Mass.
DEAR MR. HARPER:--
My stock of superlatives is insufficient to adequately express
my appreciation of "André's Journal." Keats must have had a
psychic sense which enabled him to see the latest issue by our
Society, and he had this in view when he wrote the opening
line of _Endymion_. (Is n't "A thing of beauty," &c., the
opening line?) Such books as the Council has planned are an
education to bibliophiles; the work is progressive, for each
issue is finer than the one which preceded it. Can any book be
finer than "André's Journal"? If so, I can't conceive it. Such
noble types, the pages so perfectly balanced; the margins so
broad; the paper of such beautiful texture; the ink so
brilliantly black; the maps so marvelously reproduced; the
etchings so artistically conceived and executed and the title
page so beautifully engraved; then the binding--real
vellum--so rich, simple, and in such perfect taste; even the
box-cover is fitting in every sense. A perfect book, it seems
to me. If there are any shortcomings, and you know them, don't
tell me of them, that in my ignorance I may be content.
Please thank all the members of the Council for me. Somebody
must have spent many, many hours in arriving at a final
judgment upon all the parts which make up such a beautiful
whole.
I have yet to enjoy the pleasure of _reading_ the "Journal,"
then I will be thankful to Mr. Bixby and to Senator Lodge.
Yours sincerely,
(Signed) CHARLES A. DECKER.
Mr. Decker is one of the many pleasant and appreciative members of
The Bibliophile Society whose personal acquaintance it has not been my
good fortune to make, but from whom the Society has received many
delightful and inspiring letters. The numerous communications thus
received from all quarters have been placed before the Council, with
the result that the individual interest of every worker has been
greatly augmented in the Society's welfare. Indeed, I attribute no
small measure of the success and the good name of the Society to the
indirect influence of such words of encouragement and expressions of
appreciation as have come from the members.
I sincerely wish for health and continued success to our worthy Book
Clubs, and regret that there are not more of them.
Sit bona librorum . . . copia.
HENRY H. HARPER.