The Windle / Loker Lecture Series

The Book Club of California is delighted to present a new evening lecture series on a highly engaging subject: the history of the illustrated book.

Once a year for five years (2018 through 2022), a Monday night presentation will be offered to Club members on topics that explore the beauty, scholarship, and stunning craftsmanship of illustrated books, ranging from medieval times to today. The final lecture will furnish intriguing insights on the possible future of the illustrated book.

Topics will include:

Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Illustration
(14^th through 16^th centuries)

Early Woodcut Illustration in Printed Books
(16^th through 18^th centuries)

Pre-Raphaelite / Art Nouveau Book Illustration
(19^th century)

Artist Book Illustration
(20^th and 21^st centuries)

The Future of the Illustrated Book
(21^st century and beyond)

For this lecture series, a distinguished group of speakers — national and international experts in their respective fields — will travel to the Book Club from across the US and the UK. They will present us with tales of alluring books, and offer us full-color images of the best the illustrated book has offered over the centuries. Our speakers include: Dan De Simone (Woodcut Illustration) and Mark Samuels Lasner & Margaret D. Stetz (Pre-Raphaelite / Art Nouveau Book Illustration).

The lecture series is sponsored by Club members John Windle and Chris Loker. Their hope is that these five lectures, over the course of five years, will remind us all of the joy of the illustrated book, and encourage Club members to delve further into this fascinating aspect of the world of books. Please revisit this webpage in the coming months for further information!

Click on the links below to learn more about each lecture.