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John M. Wing, born in Ferndale, New York, epitomized 19th-century ambition and intellectual curiosity. Leaving home as a teenager, he began as a printer’s apprentice and worked his way into journalism, ultimately settling in Chicago in 1865. Wing’s entrepreneurial spirit flourished when he founded The Land Owner, a trade periodical that capitalized on Chicago’s booming real estate market. Launched in 1869, the publication detailed developments in architecture, real estate, and urban expansion, cementing his reputation and financial success.

Wing’s fortunes enabled him to retire at the young age of 43, devoting the latter part of his life to travel and bibliophilia. An avid collector, he pursued the art of grangerizing, elaborately enhancing books with illustrations and annotations. His wide-ranging literary interests included history, biography, and the typographic arts. His passion culminated in a transformative legacy: the establishment of the John M. Wing Foundation on the History of Printing at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Wing’s bequest, which included his personal collection, provided the foundation for one of the world's foremost collections on printing history and bibliography. Wing died in 1917.

Jack Wing's unique journey—from printer’s apprentice to influential publisher and bibliophile—embodies the dynamic spirit of 19th-century Chicago.