Stanley D. Scott Gift

Intro Panel

Highlights from the Stanley D. Scott Gift

The Grolier Club Library has launched an online exhibition celebrating the recent gift of approximately 100 rare books and prints donated to the Club by longstanding member, Stanley D. Scott. With this gift, the Grolier Club joins such prestigious institutions as the American Numismatic Society and Mount Vernon as the recipients of Mr. Scott’s generous benefaction. A corresponding physical exhibition will be mounted in the second floor gallery in October 2020.

The collection, formed by Mr. Scott over three decades, represents the collector's wide and evolving range of interests. This eclecticism is revealed in the great variety of subjects presented in the exhibition. From classic travel literature like the first edition of Captain Bligh's account of the Mutiny on the Bounty; to a rare state of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol; to esteemed botanical books like Robert John Thornton’s Temple of Flora (London, 1812), many visitors will find items that appeal to their tastes.

A particular highlight is a copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle with a royal provenance, elegant penwork initials, and some original hand-coloring. Thanks to Mr. Scott’s generosity, the Grolier Club now has a splendid copy of this iconic work, which will be used for teaching, exhibition, and enjoyment by visitors to the Library. In addition, the Grolier Club will add six other works from the Scott gift to its permanent collection, including a fine impression of Albrecht Dürer’s Joachim and the Angel (1511 Latin edition), a stunning binding designed by Alice C. Morse for Washington Irving's The Alhambra, and the first book from the Golden Cockerel Press ‘Sea Log’ series.

We invite you to explore this rich and multi-faceted collection, presented in honor of Mr. Scott and his generous support of the Grolier Club Library.

Curated by Meghan R. Constantinou, Grolier Club Librarian
Photographs Courtesy of Thomas Lecky, Appraiser