Bibliographical Society
Founded in 1892, The Bibliographical Society is the senior learned society dealing with the study of the book and its history in the United Kingdom.
Largely owing to the efforts of Walter Arthur Copinger, who was supported by Richard Copley Christie, the Bibliographical Society was founded in London in 1892; he was the society's first president, and held the post for four years. His own work in the field, however, lacked accuracy.
The Society holds a monthly lecture between October and May, usually on the third Tuesday of the month at the Society of Antiquaries of London.
The first fifty years of the Bibliographical Society were documented in the book The Bibliographical Society, 1892–1942: Studies in Retrospect. The Book Encompassed, a volume of essays marking the Society's centenary was published in 1992.
Objectives
The objectives of the Society are:- to promote and encourage study and research in the fields of:
- * historical, analytical, descriptive and textual bibliography
- * the history of printing, publishing, bookselling, bookbinding and collecting
- to hold meetings at which papers are read and discussed
- to print and publish a journal and books concerned with bibliography
- to maintain a bibliographical library
- from time to time to award a medal for services to bibliography
- to support bibliographical research by awarding grants and bursaries
Library and archives
The Society's archive is housed at the Bodleian Library and may be used by scholars and members of the Society.
Publications
The Society has published a journal since 1893, originally entitled Transactions of the Bibliographical Society. In 1920 it took over publication of The Library and adopted that as the main title of the Transactions. The different series of the Transactions and The Library are:- Transactions of the Bibliographical Society, vol. 1–15
- The Library, vol. 1–10
- The Library, Second/New series, vol. 1–10
- The Library, Third series, vol. 1–10
- The Library, Fourth series, vol. 1–26
- The Library, Fifth series, vol. 1–33
- The Library, Sixth series, vol. 1–21
- The Library, Seventh series, vol. 1–
In 1937 at the start of the war, Harry Carter, Ellic Howe, Alfred F. Johnson, Stanley Morison & Graham Pollard started to produce a list of all known pre-1800 type specimens. This project was completed and published April 1940. Because of the war many libraries at the European continent were not accessible anymore.
Gold medal
The Society occasionally awards a gold medal for distinguished services to bibliography to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the development of the subject and the furtherance of the Society's aims.| Year | Recipient |
| 1929 | Eames, Wilberforce |
| 1929 | :de:Konrad Haebler|Haebler, Konrad |
| 1929 | James, Montague Rhodes |
| 1929 | McKerrow, Ronald Brunlees |
| 1929 | Pollard, Alfred W. |
| 1932 | Madan, Falconer |
| 1935 | Kenyon, Frederic G. |
| 1935 | Greg, Walter Wilson |
| 1948 | Morison, Stanley |
| 1948 | Gibson, Strickland |
| 1951 | Ferguson, Frederic Sutherland |
| 1951 | Scholderer, Victor |
| 1956 | Kronenberg, Maria Elizabeth |
| 1956 | Johnson, Alfred Forbes |
| 1957 | Wroth, Lawrence C. |
| 1960 | Lowe, Elias Avery |
| 1960 | Oldham, J. Basil |
| 1965 | Jackson, William Alexander |
| 1969 | Bowers, Fredson |
| 1969 | Pollard, Graham |
| 1975 | Carter, John |
| 1975 | Ker, Neil Ripley |
| 1978 | Nixon, Howard M. |
| 1982 | :de:Bernhard Bischoff|Bischoff, Bernhard |
| 1982 | Keynes, Geoffrey |
| 1984 | Foxon, David |
| 1986 | Kristeller, Paul Oskar |
| 1988 | Pantzer, Katharine |
| 1990 | McKenzie, Donald Francis |
| 1992 | Hobson, Anthony R. A. |
| 1994 | Martin, Henri-Jean |
| 1997 | Alston, Robin |
| 1999 | Barker, Nicolas |
| 1999 | Fabian, Bernhard |
| 2001 | Watson, Andrew G. |
| 2003 | Davison, Peter Hobley |
| 2005 | McKitterick, David |
| 2007 | Rhodes, Dennis |
| 2009 | Hellinga, Lotte |
| 2011 | Needham, Paul |
| 2013 | Foot, Mirjam |
| 2015 | Tanselle, G. Thomas |