Upcoming Events

2013 marks the 200^th anniversary of the appearance of the Columbian iron hand press. Invented by George Clymer of Philadelphia, it was the first all-iron hand press created in America.

To celebrate, the Club invites you to print your own commemorative broadside, designed by Fred & Barbara Voltmer of Havilah Press and Alan Dye of Noble Impressions, on the Club’s Columbian.

With a talk by Jeffrey D. Groves, Professor of Literature and Dean of Faculty at Harvey Mudd College, and founder of the First-Floor Press, Claremont Colleges Library, which uses a Columbian and three other cast-iron presses to teach students the basics of hand press printing.

With an illustrated talk by Exhibition Curator and BCC Member Malcolm Whyte.

Click here for more information about the exhibition.

Children’s picture books do not typically generate controversy, but when they portray families with gay or lesbian parents, or other “non-traditional” family structures, the reactions from adults can be quite striking. Club member Randy Tarpey-Schwed has researched the evolution of this category of children’s literature and has in the process acquired a virtually complete collection of every example of the genre from the first twenty-five years of its existence. In a well-illustrated talk, Randy will describe the genesis of these books, starting with the very first example issued by a small feminist publishing cooperative in 1979. As Randy places these books into their important historical context you will hear tales of book theft and censorship, political intrigue, and the courage of a few groundbreaking publishers, and you will have the opportunity to see many examples of these books and to learn what they are really about.

In addition to his interest in children’s books, Randy is an expert on the life and works of M.F.K. Fisher. He curated the Club’s 2008 Fisher exhibition, A Delicious Obsession, and is the editor of M.F.K. Fisher: An Annotated Bibliography.

This program is presented in conjunction with the Club’s fall exhibition, Draw Me A Story: A Century of Children’s Book Illustrations.

Randy’s exhibition, From Heather’s Mommies to Tango’s Daddies: The Evolution of Family Affirming Children’s Literature, will be on view at the Gay and Lesbian Center Exhibit Space at the San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street, third floor, through August 1st.

An illustrated talk by Jeremy Norman. More information coming soon!