Since 2019, The Ticknor Society has awarded an annual George and Anna Eliot Ticknor Book and Book Culture Collecting Prize to recognize and inspire personal book collecting. The award is given in the spirit of George Ticknor and his daughter, Anna Eliot Ticknor, who were scholars, teachers, and avid book collectors.

The purpose of this competition is to encourage book collectors to understand more deeply what their collection means to them, what they have collected, how it might be helpful to other collectors and researchers, and how they want their collection to develop in the future. The application process may help them develop their skill for describing their collection to others. We also hope it will provide a way for our members to interact more, either in person or on Zoom.

The Collecting Prize currently carries an award of $1,000. The winner will be invited to speak about their collection at a meeting of The Ticknor Society, on Zoom, and the winning entry will be posted on The Ticknor Society’s website to encourage and provide examples of a variety of book collecting achievements.

Honorable Mention recognition may be offered in some years. These entries will also be posted on the website.

All entrants will receive a complimentary year of membership in the Ticknor Society, beginning in November of the year of their entry and ending on December 31 of the following year.

The competition is open to anyone, of any age, primarily residing at the time of entry in any of the six New England states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont. Entries from collectors residing in these states may be on any topic.

In addition, we welcome submissions from collectors residing outside of New England whose collections focus primarily on books, manuscripts, and ephemera pertaining to New England from any period of its history and on any aspect of its culture.

Current and Past Winners of the Collecting Prize:

2025: Jessica Chapel, "Preserving Hidden Voices: A Collection of Thoroughbred Racing Culture."

See Jessica's winning entry HERE. 

2024: Douglas Scott Brown, "Fighting for The Crown Jewel: America, 1735-1775. The Pivotal and Underappreciated Period Prior to the Revolution As expressed through books and other printed (or stamped) material"

See Doug's winning entry HERE.

2023: Kent Bicknell, "An Alcott Family Collection"

See Kent's winning entry HERE.

Honorable Mentions in 2023:

Barbara A. Brannon, PhD, "The Company of Books: Highlights from the Pioneering Hampshire Bookshop of Northampton." View HERE.

Douglas Scott Brown, "Plotting the Path to Justice: The Stories Behind the Stories." View HERE.

2022: Dr. Jessica C. Linker, "Emma Hart Willard: A Life in Print"

See Jessica's winning entry HERE.

2021: Erika Knowles, "'A Pleasant Painting, Isn't It?': New Milford, Connecticut as Artist's Muse"

See Erika's winning entry HERE.

2020: Maida Tilchen, “In Celebration of New Mexico Books and Book People”

See Maida's winning entry HERE.

2019: Robert Grandchamp, “Collecting a Regiment”

See Robert's winning entry HERE.

The Ticknor Society provides support to those preparing their entries:

• Entrants can send any questions or suggestions to ticknoraward@gmail.com.
• As examples of the diversity of subject matter and style of entries, the previous entries that received the award are posted on the Ticknor Society site below.
• We will hold occasional “Collectors Happy Hour” zooms during which entrants can meet other collectors, share their plans and concerns, and encourage everyone to keep working on their collection and entry.
• We have created a resource guide that provides advice, useful links, and helpful tips to aid in developing your entry. The guide can be downloaded HERE, and a video breaking down the guide and the Prize rules can be found HERE.

To be considered for the Ticknor Collecting Prize, a collection:

• must be compiled, curated, and owned by the applicant.
• should reflect a clearly defined unifying theme or interest.
• may incorporate books, ephemera, maps, prints, or autograph material that are germane to the collection's focus.

How well a collection reflects the collector's intent is more significant than either the number of items or the monetary value of the collection. Collections will be judged on their originality and creativity, and the degree to which they may support primary research and learning in the topic they represent.

Guidelines for Submitting Entries for the Ticknor Collecting Prize:

Our guidelines and instructions are in the process of being updated in order to institute blind judging for the 2027 Collecting Prize. Please stay tuned for updates to this page!