Gentlemen's club
A Gentlemen's club is a members' private club originally designed for male members of the English upper class. Today, however, they are generally more open about the gender and social status of their potential members. As well, many countries outside the United Kingdom have prominent gentlemen's clubs.
Why are these articles posted here?
I have for years, fantasized about BackDrop being a private club with libraries, session rooms, and even living quarters. I envision "our community building" to be something like a "Traditional Gentlemans Club" with only one major change: instead of a Male only club, we would be a BDSM afficianado only club!
Main article: A bondage community conceived
History
The original gentlemen's clubs were established in the West End of London. Even today, the area of St. James's still sometimes is referred to as 'clubland'. Clubs took over the role occupied by coffee houses in 18th century London to some degree, and reached the height of their influence in the late 19th century. Often, they were formed by groups of acquaintances who shared some interest or pursuit. Gambling, usually on cards, was central to the activities of many. Others were characterised by their members' interest in politics, literature, sport, or some other pursuit. In other cases, the connection between the members was membership of the same branch of the armed forces, or a background at the same university. Some of the older clubs were highly aristocratic, but over time, increasingly more were founded. By the late 19th century, any man with a credible claim to the status of "gentleman" was able to find a club willing to admit him, unless his character was very objectionable in some way or he was "unclubbable" (incidentally, a word first used by Samuel Johnson) This came to include professionals who had to earn their income, such as doctors and lawyers.
It should be noted that public entertainments, such as musical performances and the like, were not a feature of this sort of club. The clubs were, in effect, "second homes" where men could relax, mix with their friends, play parlour games and get a meal. They allowed upper- and upper-middle-class men with modest incomes to spend their time in grand surroundings; the richer clubs were built by the same architects as the finest country houses of the time, and had the same types of interiors. They also were a convenient retreat for men who wished to get away from their female relations. Many men spent much of their lives in their club, some of which even offered overnight accommodation.
The class requirements softened gradually throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In addition, beginning in the late 20th century, some clubs opened to women as guests and as members, partly to help keep up membership levels.
Current status
While it is true that traditional gentlemen's clubs no longer are as popular or influential as they once were, many have seen a resurgence of popularity in recent years. Some top clubs, however, still maintain distinctions which often are imperceptible and are rarely explained to those who do not satisfy their membership requirements. After reaching the top of a long waiting list, there is a real possibility of being blackballed; the proposer of such a person is expected to resign, as he failed to withdraw his undesirable candidate.
Today, gentlemen's clubs exist throughout the world, predominantly in Commonwealth countries and the United States, i.e. the Anglosphere. Many clubs offer reciprocal hospitality to other clubs' members when travelling abroad.
Different meanings of the term
In both Japan and the United States, the term "gentlemen's club" frequently is used to refer to strip clubs - a trend increasingly common in the United Kingdom, with chains such as Stringfellows and Spearmint Rhino using the term in this way.
United Kingdom
There are perhaps some 25 London gentlemen's clubs of particular note, from the Athenaeum Club to White's, see the full list of London's gentlemen's clubs. Many other estimable clubs (such as the yacht clubs) have a specific character which places them outside the mainstream, or conversely may have sacrificed their individuality for the commercial interest of attracting enough members regardless of their common interests. (See article at club for a further discussion of these distinctions.)
Discussion of trade or business usually is prohibited in London gentlemen's clubs, but increasingly more people in politics and business use clubs in the UK and around the world for debates and conferences on current affairs. For example, the Commonwealth Club in London counts former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Australian Prime Minister John Howard as influential people who have spoken there. The use of such establishments for public discussion and debate, however, is in its infancy, as many of the larger and more established clubs strictly enforce their rules on such matters.
- Main article: List of London's gentlemen's clubs
Quirks of membership
Some clubs have highly specific membership requirements. For example, the Caledonian Club in London requires "being of direct Scottish descent, that is to say, tracing descent from a Scottish father or mother, grandfather or grandmother" or "having, in the opinion of the Committee, the closest association with Scotland." The Travellers Club, from its foundation in 1819, has excluded from membership anyone "who has not traveled out of the British Isles to a distance of at least five hundred miles from London in a direct line". The Reform Club requires its potential members to attest that they would have supported the 1832 Reform Act, whilst the East India Club requires attendance at one of its subscribing public schools.
Australia
Australia has several gentlemen's clubs in Sydney and Melbourne. These include the Adelaide Club, theAustralian Club, the Melbourne Club, the Weld Club, the Athenaeum Club (named after its counterpart in London), and the Savage Club.
- Main article: List of Australian gentlemen's clubs
France
- The Jockey Club de Paris is a traditional gentlemen's club and is regarded as the most prestigious of private clubs in Paris. It is best remembered as a gathering place of the elite of nineteenth-century French society.
Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Club is one of the oldest clubs in Hong Kong
- China Club
Spain
South Africa
South Africa is home to the Rand Club in downtown Johannesburg.
United States
Most major cities in the United States have at least one traditional gentlemen's club. Gentlemen's clubs are more prevalent, however, in older cities on the east coast of the United States, such as New York City (which has the largest number of prominent clubs), Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, DC. Many American clubs have reciprocal relationships with the older clubs in London, with each other, and with other clubs around the world. Some American clubs date to the 18th and 19th centuries, like their English counterparts.
- Main article: List of American gentlemen's clubs
See also
- List of American gentlemen's clubs
- List of Australian gentlemen's clubs
- List of London's gentlemen's clubs
See also
- Gentlemen's club
- List of American gentlemen's clubs
- List of Australian gentlemen's clubs
- List of London's gentlemen's clubs
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