Historical Sketch

The Ticknor Society, founded in 2002, is an organization of book collectors, booksellers, librarians, historians, archivists, conservators, printers, publishers, writers, and all lovers and readers of books. The society is dedicated to the enjoyment, promotion, and support of books and book culture.

The society is named for George Ticknor (1791-1871) and his daughter Anna Eliot Ticknor (1823-1896). George Ticknor was a prominent Boston collector, scholar, and library supporter. His collection of Spanish literature is at the Boston Public Library. Anna Eliot Ticknor was an early member of the Massachusetts Library Commission (founded in 1890, the first state library commission in the United States) and an active promoter of literacy for all. Both father and daughter were instrumental in making books widely accessible in Massachusetts.

Members of the Ticknor Society gather approximately six to eight times a year to socialize with friends and colleagues, listen to and present papers, share information and research, take workshops, and spread good cheer. Programs include lectures, collectors' roundtables, visits to exhibitions and private collections, behind-the-scenes tours of area libraries, and workshops. There is an annual meeting with a featured speaker.

Membership in the Ticknor Society is open to anyone who loves and appreciates books. The society is a member of the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies (FABS), an organization of similar book-loving societies throughout the United States. Membership in the Ticknor Society includes FABS privileges, such as the FABS newsletter, published twice a year, and invitations to the annual Bibliophilic Tour and Symposium and other FABS events.