Lecture | A Black Bibliophile Tradition in Philadelphia

Jordan Ross, a Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania, will explore the collecting habits of African American bibliophiles in Philadelphia during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Bibliophiles and organizations examined will include William Still, Robert Purvis, Robert Adger, William Bolivar, and the American Negro Historical Society of Philadelphia.

Jordan D. Ross is a joint Ph.D. student in education and history at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on the history of African American bibliophiles, collectors, and antiquarians during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is a grand prizewinner of the 2024 David Ruggles Prize and a 2024 junior fellow with the Library of Congress.

Registration

If you are a Grolier Club member, please register yourself and your guests via the Club website. Do not register via Eventbrite.

Support

We appreciate your interest in the Grolier Club’s programming on the art and history of the book. For over 130 years we have offered our exhibitions and lectures to the public, free of charge. If you have enjoyed these offerings, and would like to support that tradition, and help ensure that it continues, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Grolier Club.

Accessibility

An ADA-compliant lift from street level to the lobby is available to anyone with mobility issues. All desk staff should be ready and able to assist you in operating the lift, with or without advance notice.

A “T-Coil” assisted listening system is available to anyone attending a lecture in the Exhibition Hall. Visitors with hearing aids should turn their devices to the “T” setting in order to access the system; visitors without hearing aids may request a “loop receiver” with earphones.

Environment

The temperature and humidity in the exhibition hall are tightly controlled for the sake of the valuable items on display, and this may cause the room to feel chilly, particularly in warmer weather, to those coming in from outside. Members and visitors are advised to bring a light wrap when visiting an exhibition, or attending an event in the hall.

Host or Publisher The Grolier Club