Exhibition Tour | The Second Printing Revolution: Invention of Mas

On View January 14, 2026 – April 11, 2026

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution had been underway in England for nearly a century, yet book production had hardly changed since Gutenberg’s invention of printing by movable type in the mid-15th century. This exhibition tells the story of the second printing revolution that took place during the 19th century: the transition from book production as exclusively handcraft to the mechanized production of papermaking, printing, illustration, typesetting, and bookbinding.

Curated by Jeremy Norman from his collection, the exhibition features 150 books, prints, and artifacts from 1800-1904, including the first book entirely printed by machinery rather than a hand press, the first illustrated book printed on a printing machine, the first book with gold stamping directly into cloth, and many other rarities from England, France, Germany, and the United States. An accompanying catalogue will be available in January 2025.

Registration

Please RSVP to garantee our attendance. Grolier Club members should RSVP via the Grolier Club website.

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.