The Caxton Club of Chicago was founded in 1895 by fifteen Chicago bibliophiles for the purpose of the literary study and promotion of the arts pertaining to the production of books. They named their organization the "Caxton Club" in honor of the first English printer, William Caxton. The founders were collectors, publishers, designers, and librarians. Their primary objective in forming the Caxton
Club was to publish books of quality, both in content and design, primarily for their own personal libraries. Dinner meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month and luncheon meetings are held on the second Friday of each month, both at the Union League Club. There are no meetings in July and August. Throughout its history, the Caxton Club has remained dedicated to its primary objective of publishing books. More than sixty books bear the Caxton Club device. They include numerous titles on such subjects as Americana, printing history, literature, bibliomania, and bookbinding. Many are of exceptional design and have become scarce in the antiquarian book market. Originally, the Caxton Club was exclusively a men’s club. The first women members were elected in 1976. Currently comprising over twenty percent of the membership, women have assumed many leadership roles in the Club, including the Presidency in 1985, 1997, and 2013. The number of African-Americans in the Club is growing; in 1995 Gwendolyn Brooks, the Illinois Poet Laureate, was the first African American to be elected to Honorary Membership. The total membership, which now exceeds three hundred resident and non-resident members, represents a diverse group of authors, binders, collectors, conservators, dealers, designers, editors, librarians, publishers, and scholars. The Caxton Club brings together a community of individuals who share a love of books and provides a forum in which to share the history, production, and preservation of books and to heighten the appreciation of outstanding content, design, and production. Those interested in learning more about the history of the Caxton Club are referred to The Caxton Club 1895–1995—Celebrating A Century of the Book in Chicago by Frank J. Piehl (Chicago: The Caxton Club, 1995) available through Oak Knoll Books or The Caxton Club.
