Friday luncheon meetings, unless otherwise noted, are held on the second Friday of September through June of each year. Beginning in January 2008, location may vary. Watch this space for details. Luncheon buffet begins at 11:30 a.m.; program 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Members may make reservations by calling 312-255-3710 or by email to caxtonclub@newberry.org.

Wednesday dinner meetings and lectures are held on the third Wednesday of September through June of each year and begin with spirits, 5 p.m., dinner 6 p.m., lecture, 7 p.m. For the first six months of 2008, locations will vary. Watch this space for details. Meetings are open to Caxtonians and their guests. Members may make reservations by calling 312-255-3710 or by email to caxtonclub@newberry.org.

May Luncheon Meeting

From the moment Caxtonian Jack Weiner saw the bookplate in the Newberry's copy of Don Quixote (one of only 8 first editions, 1605 and 1615), he KNEW he had to find out about OSCAR BENJAMIN CINTAS. And so begins Jack's relentless no-stones-unturned research of a person subsequently revealed to be a brilliant multi-millionaire Cuban bibliophile and philanthropist. Oscar Cintas owned an art collection said to rival those of Morgan, Mellon, and Frick. He later created a foundation similar to the MacArthur Foundation.

Jack Weiner is the author of six books, a Scholar-in-Residence at the Newberry Library, and Professor Emeritus of Spanish Literature, Language, and Culture at Northern Illinois University. His illustrated talk will include the difficulties Mr. Cintas had in wanting to turn his Havana residence into an art museum, the whereabouts of his extensive library and the amazing results of his adoration of Abraham Lincoln. Why is this fascinating, noteworthy person so little known? Join us for lunch and a delightful presentation to find out!

The luncheon will be held at the Women's Athletic Club, 626 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL. The luncheon buffet starts at 11:30 AM and the one-hour program will begin at 12:30 PM. The cost of the luncheon is $29. Upon arrival, enter on Ontario St. and proceed to the Silver Room on the 4th floor. Reservations are encouraged by noon on Wednesday, May 7th.

Public transportation to The Woman's Athletic Club is readily available. CTA buses run along Michigan Ave. stopping at Ontario St. when traveling north and at Erie St. when traveling south. The CTA Red Line station at Grand Ave. is about 5 blocks southwest of the club and the station at Chicago Ave. is about 7 blocks northwest of the club. Although valet parking will not be available for the luncheon, several public parking facilities are located within a few blocks.

May Dinner Meeting

The Chicago Tribune wrote in 1912 “She knows more about rare books than any other American. She has spent $42,000 for a single volume and outwitted a rich duke at an auction. Her opinion on Caxton editions is sought by the greatest scholars. She is chic, vivacious, and interesting. She wears her hair long and does not use glasses, runs to Europe on secret missions, and is the terror of continental collectors’ agents. Her name is Belle Greene.”

She was also J. P. Morgan’s librarian (he called her “the cleverest girl I know”) and for twenty five years directed the library that bears his name.

Join us as Belle Greene’s biographer reviews for us the life and work of this remarkable bookwoman, who simultaneously pushed the boundaries of womanhood and race.

Dr. Ardizzone teaches American Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Copies of her new biography of Belle da Costa Grenne will be available for purchase at the meeting.