Long before the days of overpriced bottles of shitty alcohol, chemical infusions of MDMA, and exclusive VIP rooms that were tucked into the obscure buildings of New York, before there was Miley Cyrus, Fatboy Slim, Madonna or Studio 54, there was another kind of club taking over the city’s social scene. That was the Gentleman’s Club. In 1836, the rich white men of NYC decided it would be best if they met somewhere to drink cocktails in privacy, and so the Union Club was formed. With members like Cornelius Vanderbilt, William Randolph Hearst, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ulysses S. Grant to say the Union Club was exclusive would be an understatement.
Unlike the 50 Cents and Kardashians of today, it took more than a top chart single or a widely distributed sex tape to make it onto this club’s VIP list. The Union Club was so selective, that even JP Morgan couldn’t get a seat at the table. This pissed him off so much that in 1891 he created his own club, called the Metropolitan, and invited all of his friends to join. Apparently, our old friend JP wasn’t the only person offended by the Union Club’s snub. City dwellers wanted to be a part of their own club so badly that many people you’ve never heard of followed in JP’s footsteps.
For the next decade or two these ‘exclusive’ groups were surfacing all over NYC’s quickly populating landscape. By the turn of the twentieth century over 80 clubs were scattered throughout Manhattan. There were clubs for artists, writers, and athletes. Lunch clubs began appearing for lawyers, doctors, and businessmen because it seemed unfair that these white-collar professionals couldn’t get a table at Delmonico’s.
Newspapers reported on these hot spots, claiming rivalries existed among them all (even though their member lists touted a lot of the same people). The two biggest rivals were the Union Club and the Manhattan Club. Both organisations insisted they were exclusive, insisted that they gave more to society, and most importantly insisted that they invented the best cocktails, hence the rumours of the Manhattan’s origins.
Despite how frivolous they may seem, these social gatherings were vital to the aristocracy. So vital members paid thousands of dollars annually to remain on their lists. What did they do in these clubs? From what I can tell, men would congregate for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner, or something after dinner. These establishments ensured wealthy socialites a seat in lavishly furnished halls. Halls where they could sit and drink expensive whiskey and fashionable cocktails while they complained about their lavishly furnished homes and discussed the city’s latest gossip.
What kind of gossip? You know, the typical kind, like who called whom a coward, and which socialites were going to meet in a field to shoot each other just to prove to the masses that they were proper gentlemen. Because that is what civilised, mature, rich men do, apparently. Did I mention that these members were considered some of the most influential people in the city?
While wading through a series of articles that chronicled the diatribes of polite violence, one particular organisation during this time period did get my attention. That was the Eclectic Club. Founded in 1896, this club touted itself for its charitable contributions to the arts, education and other areas of philanthropy. Because it didn’t have a formal headquarters of its own, the club would meet at various exclusive venues in New York including Delmonico’s and the Waldorf-Astoria. Charity aside, the club often hosted a series of talks to educate its members on important issues of the time. Most of these meetings were held behind tightly sealed doors, but occasionally some of these topics trickled out into the public. For example, the group did invite a man to speak to members on the pressing topic of how to get rid of an annoying person you may or may not have slept with.
Yes. That’s right. In 1903 The Eclectic Club summoned a specialist to instruct on effective methods of ghosting. Barring any educational lectures, the other pastime this club was famous for was its drinking ability. It seems the members of the Eclectic Club drank. A lot. So much so that some started to see this as a problem. Drinks of choice ranged from absinthe to whiskey, cocktails to sherry cobblers. These drinking habits were becoming so common that in 1912 the Eclectic Club made headlines again. This time it wasn’t because of name-calling or questionable sexual behaviour. Journalists were more preoccupied with the idea that members were often spotted attending meetings in the early hours of the morning where they were consuming a liquid breakfast, one that didn’t even include egg whites. A glimpse into the Eclectic Club before noon would reveal many of its members sitting around a table chugging multiple Manhattans before lunch. And before you jump to any conclusions about these men, there’s something you should know. The Eclectic Club of New York, a prominent organisation at the turn of the century, was an exclusive club made up entirely of women.
**What do you think? Would you want to be a member of the Eclectic Club? Are you surprised to know that women drank Manhattans in the morning? Or even drank them at all? I want to know! Share your thoughts in the comments/chat below!