Upcoming

  • Ground Floor Gallery

    • "Hardly Harmless Drudgery: Landmarks in English Lexicography"
      May 2 – July 27, 2024

      Samuel Johnson, creator of the first great English dictionary, wickedly mocked his own trade when he defined lexicographer as “A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words.” But dictionaries are serious business, and the people who drudge away at them are anything but harmless. Co-curated by Grolier Club members Bryan A. Garner (Distinguished Research Professor of Law at Southern Methodist University) and Jack Lynch (Distinguished Professor of English at Rutgers University), Hardly Harmless Drudgery traces the history of English-language lexicography from its origins to its digital present in some 100 objects, from early printed books to CD-ROMs. Highlights include important dictionaries and manuscripts—mostly from Garner’s collection—including items from Johnson, Noah Webster, and the Oxford English Dictionary, as well as portraits, advertisements, lexicographic ephemera, and letters. An accompanying monograph from Godine will be published in March 2024.

      *Photo from Hardly Harmless Drudgery: A sample of 18th century and 19th century dictionaries. Photo by Bryan A. Garner.
  • Second Floor Gallery
    • "New Members Collect 2024"
      May 30 - July 27, 2024

      Our final exhibition of the season will be New Members Collect, open May 30-July 27, and featuring contributions from the collections of our newly admitted members.

For more details regarding upcoming exhibitions, including related publications, special tours, and public events, contact:

Amanda Domizio

Public Relations Consultant     

[email protected]

Shira Buchsbaum
Exhibitions Manager
212-838-6690 x 4
[email protected]

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