XXIV.-CLUB HOUSES. PRINCIPAL CLUBS IN LONDON. Those marked with an asterisk (*) admit Strangers to dine in the Pal-mall 14, Re- 71, Pall-mall. Pall-mall. Trafalgar-square. Pall-mall. Pall-mall. 37 and 38, St. James's-street. 37. Arundel-street Strand. 11, St. James's-sq. Parliament-street, Westminster. From the preceding table it will be seen that the twenty-six large clubs are nearly in one locality; nine being in Pallmall, and four in St. James's-street, a district hence called Club-Land. † Exclusive of Peers and Members of House of Commons. Exclusive of Honorary, Supernumerary, and Life Members. UNITED SERVICE CLUB, at the corner of PALL MALL and the opening into St. JAMES'S PARK, erected 1826, by John Nash, architect. This is considered to be one of the most commodious, economical, and best managed of all the London Club-houses. The pictures, though numerous, are chiefly copies. JUNIOR UNITED SERVICE CLUB, N. corner of CHARLES STREET and E. side of REGENT STREET, rebuilt and enlarged 1857, from the designs of Messrs. Nelson and Innes. The ARMY AND NAVY CLUB, in PALL MALL, corner of GEORGE STREET, St. JAMES'S SQUARE, was built 1847-50, from the designs of Messrs. Parnell and Smith. The carcase or shell of the building cost 18,500l.; the interior 16,500l.in all 35,000l., exclusive of fittings. The comparatively small plot of land on which it stands has cost the Club 52,500l., and the total expenditure may be called in round numbers 100,000l. The largest apartment is the "Morningroom." The "Library" is larger than the Drawing-room. The enrichments of the ceilings throughout are in cartonpierre and papier-mâché. The principal furniture is of walnut-wood. The Kitchen is one of the successful novelties of the building, and will repay a visit. There is even a separate cook for chops, steaks, and kidneys, who dedicates his whole time and skill to bringing these favourite articles of consumption to the perfection they deserve. The Smoking-room, with its balcony commanding a noble prospect of cats and chimneys, is the best Club Smoking-room in London, the rooms at the Union and Garrick, perhaps, excepted. The GUARDS' CLUB, PALL MALL, built 1848-50 (H. Harrison, archt.). The Club is restricted to the Officers of the Household Troops, as contra distinguished from the Line. The Household Troops are considered to be attendant on the sovereign, and are seldom sent abroad but on urgent service. WHITE'S. A Tory Club-house, Nos. 37 and 38, ST. JAMES'S STREET; originally White's Chocolate-house, under which name it was established circ. 1698. As a Club it dates, I believe, from 1736, when the house ceased to be an open chocolate-house, that any one might enter who was prepared to pay for what he had. It was then made a private house, for the convenience of the chief frequenters of the place, whose annual subscriptions towards its support were paid to the proprietor, by whom the Club was farmed. With reference to the great spirit of gaming which prevailed at White's, the arms of the Club were designed by Horace Walpole and George Selwyn. The blazon is vert (for a card-table), three parolis proper; on a chevron sable (for a hazard-table), two rouleaus in saltier, between two dice proper; on a canton sable, a white ball (for election), argent. The supporters are an old and young knave of clubs; the crest, an arm out of an earl's coronet shaking a dice-box; and the motto, "Cogit Amor Nummi." Round the arms is a claret bottle ticket by way of order. A book for entering bets is still laid on the table. The Club, on June 20th, 1814, gave a ball at Burlington House to the Emperor of Russia, the King of Prussia, and the allied Sovereigns then in England, which cost 98497. 2s. 6d. Covers were laid for 2400 people. Three weeks after, the Club gave a dinner to the Duke of Wellington, which cost 2480l. 10s. 9d. BROOKS'S CLUB, 60, ST. JAMES'S STREET. A Whig Club-house, founded in Pall-mall, 1764, by 27 noblemen and gentlemen, including the Duke of Roxburgh, the Duke of Portland, the Earl of Strathmore, Mr. Crewe, afterwards Lord Crewe, and Mr. C. J. Fox. It was originally a gaming Club, and was farmed at first by Almack, but afterwards by Brooks, a wine merchant and money-lender, who retired from the Club soon after it was built, and died poor about 1782. The present house was built, at Brooks's expense (from the designs of Henry Holland, architect), and opened in 1778. Sheridan was black-balled at Brooks's three times by George Selwyn, because his father had been upon the stage; and he only got in at last through a ruse of George IV. (then Prince of Wales), who detained his adversary in conversation in the hall whilst the ballot was going on. Club is restricted to 575 members. Entrance, 9 guineas; annual subscription, 11 guineas; two black balls exclude. The Club (like White's) is still managed on the farming principle. The CARLTON CLUB, PALL MALL (S. side). A Tory and Conservative Club-house, originally built by Sir Robert Smirke, but since rebuilt, 1850-6, and in every sense improved, by his brother, Mr. Sydney Smirke. It presents a noble and striking façade conspicuous for its polished granite pillars. It contains on the ground floor a coffee-room, 92 feet by 37 feet, and 214 feet high, and 28 feet high in the centre, where there is a glazed dome. On the first floor are a drawing-room, billiard-room, and a private, or house, dinner-room. Above are smoking-rooms and dormitories for servants. The exterior is built of Caen stone, except the shafts of the columns and pilasters, which are of polished Peterhead granite. The façade is of Italian architecture, of two orders: Doric and Ionic; and each inter-columniation is occupied by an arched window, the keystones of which project so as to contribute towards the support of the entablature over them. The design is founded on the E. front of the Library of St. Mark's, at Venice, by Sansovino and Scamozzi. The introduction of polished granite in the exterior architecture is due to the machinery for cutting and polishing granite at Aberdeen, without the aid of which the expense would have utterly precluded the use of polished granite. The chief object of the architect in introducing here a coloured material was to compensate, in some measure, for the loss of strong light and shadow in an elevation facing the N. CONSERVATIVE CLUB HOUSE, on the W. side of ST. JAMES'S STREET. Founded, 1840, as a Club of ease to the Carlton. Built from the designs of the late George Bassevi and Sydney Smirke, 1843-45, on the site of the Thatched House Tavern, and opened Feb. 19th, 1845. The total cost of building and furnishing was 73,2117. 4s. 3d., the architects' commission being 34587. 68. The encaustic paintings of the interior are by Mr. Sang, and were executed at an expense of 26977. 158. There are 6 public rooms, viz., a morning and evening-room, library, coffee-room, dining-room, and cardroom, In addition to these there are committee-rooms, billiard-rooms, &c. The most striking feature of the house is the Hall, coved so as to allow a gallery to run round it, and the staircase, both richly ornamented in colour. The most stately room is that for evening occupation, extending from N. to S. of the building, on the first floor. It is nearly 100 feet in length, 26 in breadth, and 25 in height, with coved ceiling, supported by 18 noble Scagliola Corinthian columns. The library occupies nearly the whole of the upper part of the N. of the building. The coffee-room, in the lower division of the northern portion of the building, is of the same proportions as the library. The Club is worked by a staff of 50 servants, male and female. The election of members is made by the committee, 5 being a quorum, and two black balls excluding. REFORM CLUB, on the S. side of PALL MALL, between the Travellers' Club and the Carlton Club, was founded by the Liberal members of the two Houses of Parliament, about the time the Reform Bill was canvassed and carried, 1830-32. The Club consists of 1000 members, exclusive of members of either House of Parliament. Entrance fee, 25 guineas; annual subscription for the first five years of election, 10%. 10s., subsequently, 81. 88. The house was built from the designs of Sir Charles Barry, R.A. The exterior is greatly admired. The interior, especially the large square hall covered with glass, occupying the centre of the building, is in excellent taste. The water supply is from an Artesian well, 360 feet deep, sunk at the expense of the Club. The cooking establishment, when under the late M. Soyer, was excellent, and is now very good. ATHENÆUM CLUB, PALL MALL. Instituted in 1823, by the late Right Hon. J. W. Croker, Sir T. Lawrence, Sir F. Chantrey, Mr. Jekyll, &c., "for the Association of individuals known for their literary or scientific attainments, artists of eminence in any class of the Fine Arts, and noblemen and gentlemen distinguished as liberal patrons of Science, Literature, and the Arts." The members are chosen by ballot, except that the committee have the power of electing yearly, from the list of candidates for admission, a limited number of persons "who shall have attained to distinguished eminence in Science, Literature, and the Arts, or for Public Services;" the number so elected not to exceed nine in each year. The number of ordinary members is fixed at 1200; entrance fee, 25 guineas; yearly subscription, 6 guineas. One black ball in ten excludes. The present Club-house (Decimus Burton, architect) was built 1829, and opened 8th February, 1830. "The only Club I belong to is the Athenæum, which consists of twelve hundred members, amongst whom are to be reckoned a large proportion of the most eminent persons in the land, in every line-civil, military, and ecclesiastical, peers spiritual and temporal (ninety-five noblemen and twelve bishops), commoners, men of the learned professions, those connected with Science, the Arts, and Commerce in all its principal branches, as well as the distinguished who do not belong to any particular class. Many of these are to be met with every day, living with the same freedom as in their own houses. For six guineas a-year every member has the command of an excellent library, with maps, of the daily papers, English and foreign, the principal periodicals, and every material for writing, with attendance for whatever is wanted. building is a sort of palace, and is kept with the same exactness and comfort as a private dwelling. Every member is a master without any of the trouble of a master. He can come when he pleases, and stay away as long as he pleases, without anything going wrong. He has the command of regular servants without having to pay or to manage them. He can have whatever meal or refreshment he wants, at all hours, and served up with the cleanliness and comfort of his own house. He orders just what he pleases, having no interest to think of but his own. short, it is impossible to suppose a greater degree of liberty in living." -Walker's Original. The In The Library is the best Club Library in London. There is no Smoking-room (1856), a club-rarity in London. |