Tour of the Century Association and its Library

The Century Association is a social club dedicated to the arts and letters. The Librarian will host a tour of the clubhouse and library.

The Century Association is a private members club established in 1847 for professionals and enthusiasts of the arts and letters. The librarian welcomes members of the Bibliographical Society of America and other interested parties to tour the Century Association and its collections. The membership of the club has reflected the cultural elite of the New York City artistic sectors since its founding, and its collections—library, art, and archives—reflect the legacy of those members.

This tour will take attendees through the 1891 Gilded Age landmark building designed by McKim, Mead & White. It will feature highlights from the art collection and archives of the club, but will focus on the library of almost 18,000 volumes, 43% of which are related to membership, with a selection of volumes with signatures, inscriptions, and included ephemera. The tour will end with a selection of editions from the collection that highlight the way a donation-based library creates unique bibliographical and archival traces.

The Century Association is wheelchair accessible. If accomodations are needed, please reach out to Eleanor Morgan directly so we can ensure accessibility in advance: library@thecentury.org. Feel free to reach out to any other questions.