the club is both a place and an idea. to quote it's manifesto,
penned by founder robert hoe (NYC-printing-press-manufacturer-and-bibliophile):
"the club exists to foster the study, collecting, and appreciation of books and works on paper, their art, history, production, and commerce. it shall pursue this mission through the maintenance of a library devoted to all aspects of the book and graphic arts and especially bibliography; through the occasional publication of books designed to illustrate, promote and encourage the book and graphic arts; through exhibitions and educational programs for its members and the general public."
it has emassed roughly 800 members, and is named after jean grolier, renowned 16th-century french high official and book collector, known for commissioning exquisite bindings. many of the modern exhibitions are drawn from members’ own collections, which include incunabula (books from the first half-century after the introduction of movable type in europe around 1455) and fine bindings, but also science fiction, zines, punk rock ephemera, bookmarks, valentines, and paper coffee sleeves.
printed matter, inc. is the world’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination, understanding and appreciation of artists’ books and related publications. they are one of few organizations like this now– but at the time of their inception in 1976, they were one of one; singlehandedly embracing early art-book-makers and making space for their works to be displayed.
in the face of the information age/rise of digital media, there has been an astounding resurgence over the past several years in both artists’ publishing and public interest. in response to this, printed matter, inc founded the NYC and LA art fairs (in 2004 and 2013 respectively), which have become the world’s largest venues for the distribution, investigation and celebration of artists books and art publishing. their mission remains more relevant than ever.
in all transparency, i stumbled across special characters on a whim; scrolling through my social media feed, i was struck by a page with a comically-joyous-little-caterpillar for a profile picture, and it was these two.
special characters is a small press based out of halifax, NS; comprised of two gents printing and selling in small batches. they may not be as prolific as the grolier club or pm-inc, but i believe they capture the spirit of print media more ardently than their counterparts, in many ways. it is one thing to engage with an established group, and quite another to establish one's own group.
they are currently producing faithful re-prints of poems penned by nova-scotian children: down to irregular margins and spelling errors. their commitment to these words is a powerful extension of their commitment to their craft.