Guide to the Grolier Club Records of the Curator, 1887-1960
Title:
Grolier Club Institutional Records, Record Group 1, Series V: Records of the Curator, 1887-1960
OCLC/RLIN No. (Unique ID):
OCLC 79458521 / NYGG05-A10007
Dates:
1887-1960
Extent:
10 boxes; 4.2 linear feet
Abstract:
Correspondence, order receipts, menus, and notes relating to the activities of the Grolier Club Curator and the daily operation of the Grolier Club.
Access Restrictions:
Collection is open for research use. Copyright restrictions may apply; please contact repository for requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce the materials.
Preferred Citation:
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Grolier Club Records of the Curator, 1887-1960, The Grolier Club of New York.
About the Finding Aid:
This finding aid was prepared by Sophia Dahab in Microsoft Word at the Grolier Club, January 2017, with additions by Allison Hughes in May 2017.
Provenance:
Items in this collection were created by members or staff of the Grolier Club in the course of regular Club house activities.
Access Points:
Names
Alliot, Hector.
Billings, William R.
Grolier Club.
Manning, Henry.
McKay, George L. (George Leslie), 1895-1976.
Morton, Joseph L.
Subjects
Dinners. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Printing. Societies, etc. New York (State). New York.
Book clubs. New York (State). New York.
Genres
Bills.
Correspondence.
Menus.
Biographical/Historical Note:
Beginning in 1884, the Grolier Club Curator was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the club, including overseeing purchases, deliveries, maintenance and catering. The curator also carried out work and correspondence on behalf of the officers, particularly for the secretary and treasurer. With the appointment in 1924 of George Leslie McKay, who was a professionally trained librarian, the curator’s role evolved to include assisting the librarian with inquiries and exhibitions. With the retirement of the long-serving librarian Ruth S. Granniss in 1944, McKay was appointed to the combined position of curator and librarian and served in this capacity until his retirement at the end of 1958. The position remained vacant until 1963, when the Club hired Gabriel Austin, who two years later went on to become Librarian. The position entered another period of vacancy, and though the title was resumed in 2000, the duties attached to it were changed markedly and was bestowed upon those who had successfully passed a probationary period as Cataloguer. In 2004, with the decision to change the title of the traditional Grolier Club COO post from Librarian to Director, the title of the assistant position was changed from Curator to Librarian, a more accurate description of the post and its duties.
Grolier Club Curators:
1884-1890 Hector Alliot
1890-1893 Henry C. Manning
1893-1917 Joseph L. Morton
1917-1918 Arthur K. Jolliffe
1918-1924 William R. Billings
1924-1959 George Leslie McKay
1963-1965 Gabriel Austin
2000 Michael North
2002-2004 Jose Fernando Peña
Scope and Content Note:
This series consists of correspondence, notes, receipts, orders, menus, and other documents related to daily operations of the Club. These records document the tenure of Grolier Club Curators beginning with Hector Alliot and ending with George McKay. Note that, given the overlap of the Curator and Librarian roles, a significant amount of related material not present here is located in the Records of the Librarian/Executive Director series, including: correspondence of George McKay post-1944; Gabriel Austin’s correspondence as Curator; and all records of Curators from 2000-2004.
Related Materials Note:
Related materials may be found in the following collections in this repository:
RG 1, Series III: Records of the Librarian/Executive Director
RG 1. Series VI: Records of the Secretary
RG 5, Series II: Records of the House Committee
RG 8. Series I: Records of the Membership Committee
Arrangement Note:
Items in this collection are arranged by Curator, chronologically. Series 6, George McKay is organized into two subseries: chronological correspondence and alphabetical subject files.
Container List:
Series 1: Hector Alliot
|
Box
|
Folder
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
1
|
1
|
Alliott Correspondence and Receipts
|
1887-1889
|
|
1
|
2
|
Subscription orders and receipts
|
1887
|
Series 2: Joseph L. Morton
|
Box
|
Folder
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
1
|
3
|
Morton’s annotated copy of 1893 Yearbook
|
1893
|
|
1
|
4
|
1893 Yearbook
|
1893
|
|
1
|
5
|
Record of food/menus served at Club functions
|
ca. 1901-1911?
|
|
1
|
6
|
Correspondence and receipts (also re. Bordoni painting)
|
1894-1909
|
|
1
|
7
|
Correspondence and receipts
|
1910
|
|
1
|
8
|
Correspondence and receipts
|
1911
|
|
1
|
9
|
Correspondence and related
|
1912
|
|
1
|
10
|
Correspondence
|
1913-1916
|
Series 3: Arthur K. Jolliffe
|
Box
|
Folder
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
2
|
1
|
Correspondence and related materials
|
1916
|
|
2
|
2
|
Correspondence, etc.
|
1917-1918
|
Series 4: H. B. Chilson
|
Box
|
Folder
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
2
|
3
|
Correspondence, etc.
|
1917
|
|
2
|
4
|
Correspondence, etc.
|
1918
|
Series 5: William R. Billings
|
Box
|
Folder
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
2
|
5
|
Correspondence
|
1918
|
|
2
|
6
|
Correspondence
|
1919
|
|
2
|
7
|
Correspondence (1 of 2)
|
1920
|
|
2
|
8
|
Correspondence (2 of 2)
|
1920
|
|
2
|
9
|
Correspondence (1 of 2)
|
1921
|
|
3
|
1
|
Correspondence (2 of 2)
|
1921
|
|
3
|
2
|
Correspondence
|
1922
|
|
3
|
3
|
Correspondence re resignation
|
1923
|
Series 6: George L. McKay
Subseries 1: Correspondence
Scope and Content Note:
These files run from 1923-1944, with some gaps. From April 1944 until the end of 1958 McKay held a joint appointment as Librarian and Curator. He did not maintain separate files for each activity. His combined files are part of the Librarian/Executive Director record series.
|
Box
|
Folder
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
3
|
4
|
Correspondence, Club Of Odd Volumes
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
5
|
Correspondence, K
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
6
|
Correspondence, L
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
7
|
Correspondence, M
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
8
|
Correspondence, N
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
9
|
Correspondence, O-P
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
10
|
Correspondence, R
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
11
|
Correspondence, S
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
12
|
Correspondence, T
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
13
|
Correspondence, Treasurer (Jaffray)
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
14
|
Correspondence, Treasurer (Jaffray) Disbursements and Reimbursements
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
15
|
Correspondence, U
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
16
|
Correspondence, W
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
17
|
Correspondence, Z
|
1923-1924
|
|
3
|
18
|
Correspondence
|
1924-1926
|
|
4
|
1
|
Correspondence, A-B
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
2
|
Correspondence, C
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
3
|
Correspondence, Caxton Club
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
4
|
Correspondence, Central Union Trust Co.
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
5
|
Correspondence, Chase National Bank
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
6
|
Correspondence, Christmas Fund
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
7
|
Correspondence, Council of the Grolier Club
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
8
|
Correspondence, Committees of the Grolier Club
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
9
|
Correspondence, D
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
10
|
Correspondence, Dinner
|
1927
|
|
4
|
11
|
Correspondence, Dinner
|
1928
|
|
4
|
12
|
Correspondence, Dues
|
1928
|
|
4
|
13
|
Correspondence, E
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
14
|
Correspondence, F
|
1927-1929
|
|
4
|
15
|
Correspondence, Franklin Passports
|
1926
|
|
4
|
16
|
Correspondence, G
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
1
|
Correspondence, H
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
2
|
Correspondence, I
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
3
|
Correspondence, J
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
4
|
Correspondence, K
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
5
|
Correspondence, L
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
6
|
Correspondence, M
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
7
|
Correspondence, Mc
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
8
|
Correspondence, Membership
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
9
|
Correspondence, N
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
10
|
Correspondence, Otis Elevator Co.
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
11
|
Correspondence, Orders
|
1928-1929
|
|
5
|
12
|
Correspondence, P
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
13
|
Correspondence, R
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
14
|
Correspondence, S
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
15
|
Correspondence, T
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
16
|
Correspondence, Thackeray item
|
1929
|
|
5
|
17
|
Correspondence, Treasurer
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
18
|
Correspondence, U
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
19
|
Correspondence, V
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
20
|
Correspondence, W
|
1927-1929
|
|
5
|
21
|
Correspondence, XYZ
|
1927-1929
|
|
6
|
1
|
Correspondence
|
January-July 1930
|
|
6
|
2
|
Correspondence, Frederick Pottle
|
1930-1931
|
|
6
|
3
|
Correspondence
|
1932-1934
|
|
6
|
3a
|
Correspondence re: Omman Estate, DeVinne statue
|
1933-1935
|
|
6
|
4
|
Correspondence
|
1938-1939
|
|
6
|
5
|
Correspondence, Bills for Library Committee
|
1939-1940
|
|
6
|
6
|
Correspondence, Bills for Library Committee
|
1940-1941
|
|
6
|
7
|
Correspondence
|
1940-1942
|
|
6
|
8
|
Correspondence
|
1942-1943
|
|
6
|
9
|
Correspondence, Library Orders
|
1943
|
|
7
|
1
|
Correspondence (1 of 2)
|
1943-1944
|
|
7
|
2
|
Correspondence (2 of 2)
|
1943-1944
|
Subseries 2: Subject Files
Scope and Content Note:
These files primarily represent the work of George L. McKay but some material from the time of earlier curators and from various officers of the club are also represented.
Arrangement Note:
Files arranged alphabetically.
|
Box
|
Folder
|
Title
|
Date
|
|
7
|
3
|
American Institute of Graphic Arts
|
1927-1950
|
|
7
|
4
|
American Institute of Graphic Arts
|
1947-1959
|
|
7
|
5
|
Auction Meetings
|
1926
|
|
7
|
6
|
Bibliographical Society of America
|
1943-1960
|
|
7
|
7
|
Bibliophile Societies (1 of 2)
|
1924-1953
|
|
8
|
1
|
Bibliophile Societies (2 of 2)
|
1924-1953
|
|
8
|
2
|
Blank Forms and Stationery
|
1920s
|
|
8
|
3
|
Bookseller Catalogs, Announcements, Correspondence
|
1945-1946
|
|
8
|
4
|
Christmas Fund
|
1919-1955
|
|
8
|
5
|
Clubs (Other)
|
1917-1957
|
|
8
|
6
|
Clubs and the National Recovery Act
|
1933
|
|
8
|
7
|
Copyright
|
1932
|
|
8
|
8
|
Dinners: Annual General Meetings
|
1939-1957
|
|
8
|
9
|
Dinners: Bills
|
1949-1950
|
|
8
|
10
|
Dinners: Bills
|
1950-1951
|
|
8
|
11
|
Dinners: Bills
|
1951-1952
|
|
9
|
1
|
Dinners: Bills
|
1952-1953
|
|
9
|
2
|
Dinners: Bills
|
1954-1955
|
|
9
|
3
|
Dinners: Bills
|
1955-1956
|
|
9
|
4
|
Dinners: Fiftieth Anniversary
|
1934
|
|
9
|
5
|
Dinners: Seventy-Fifth Anniversary
|
1959
|
|
9
|
6
|
Dinners: Howard Mansfield (1 of 2)
|
1928
|
|
9
|
7
|
Dinners: Howard Mansfield (2 of 2)
|
1928
|
|
10
|
1
|
Dinners: Rowfant Club
|
1952
|
|
10
|
2
|
Dinners: Paul Bennett
|
1953
|
|
10
|
3
|
Founders Fund First Annual Report
|
undated
|
|
10
|
4
|
Hroswitha Club
|
1948
|
|
10
|
5
|
Imprint Society
|
1945-1949
|
|
10
|
6
|
Insurance
|
1915
|
|
10
|
7
|
Insurance
|
1916
|
|
10
|
8
|
Insurance
|
1917
|
|
10
|
9
|
Insurance
|
1923
|
|
10
|
10
|
Insurance Expiration Register
|
1908-1927
|
|
10
|
11
|
Insurance and Workmen’s Comp.
|
1924
|
|
10
|
12
|
Personnel, Miscellaneous Correspondence
|
1923-1960
|
|
10
|
13
|
Postage
|
1961
|
|
10
|
14
|
Printing, Stationery
|
1941-1952
|
|
10
|
15
|
Printing, Yearbook
|
1925-1949
|
|
10
|
16
|
Saturday Afternoon Teas
|
1944-1958
|