Twilight Club

Last updated

The Twilight Club was a dinner club in New York City that operated from 1883 until 1904. It was founded by Charles F. Wingate "to cultivate good fellowship and enjoy rational recreation." [1]

Contents

Formation

On January 4, 1883, the Twilight Club was founded by Charles Frederick Wingate [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] during "a gathering at Mouquin's restaurant of a number of congenial friends..." [6] Meetings consisted of dinner [7] or discussions both humorous and serious on disputable topics of the day. Some recorded topics were fishing, rearing of children, and the value of a college education. Sometimes the questions would be hypotheticals such as, "what would you do if you were King of Manhattan Island?", or "who is the most remarkable man on earth?" [1] [8] [9]

The inspiration for the club came from a dinner at Delmonico's held to honor sociologist Herbert Spencer on November 9, 1882, [10] [11] [12] [13] prior to his departure from the United States. [14] Herbert Spencer made a speech on this occasion in which he said, "We have had somewhat too much of the Gospel of Work; it is time to preach the Gospel of Relaxation." [13] This motto engendered the formation of the Twilight Club. [10] [13] Herbert Spencer did not participate in the club. However, Charles Wingate offered him an honorary membership, which, upon acceptance, he offered this advice to the club, "I would, however, remark that the reports of your proceedings seem to imply rather more gravity of speech in your conversations than is altogether consistent with the 'expectation of relaxation.'" [15] The official motto of the club was, "To cultivate good fellowship and enjoy rational recreation." [1]

Membership, principles, and officers

By 1884, the Twilight Club was heralded as a hot spot for the “who’s who” of Manhattan. “Among all the clubs in New York, of which prominent men are members, few are better known than the Twilight club, and, at the same time, few are more worthy of note…" trumpeted a local publication. [16]

Rather than formal “Rules,” the Twilight Club had a list of “Principles”:

Principles

Additions and amendments were accepted, but they were required to be submitted in writing, along with a deposit of $17.34 (as a guarantee of good faith) two years before being voted on. [1] [16] [17]

There was an executive committee. However, the only officer was Charles F. Wingate, who acted as "secretary, treasurer, committee of admission, and head and doer of what ever was to be done." Wingate kept a complete list of members, which was published in a contemporaneous biography of the club and corroborated in multiple newspaper articles at the time. [1] [6] [10] [17] [18]

While the Club defined its members as "club-able fellows with $1,” specific evenings were designated as "ladies' nights,” where women were invited to attend the dinners and to actively engage in the discussions. [1] [6] [13]

In January 1887, after three years in operation, the Club raised its annual membership dues from $1 to $2 per year [19] and later to $3 per year. [6]

While “full dress was absolutely prohibited,” some guests would nonetheless dress to impress, arriving in full dinner dress.

Dinners

Dinner began promptly at 6 and ran until 8 followed by two and a half hours of intellectual discussion. Speeches were limited to 5 minutes [20] "with the express understanding that each orator will speak his inmost thoughts without hesitation or reserve, and with the perfect assurance of the esteem and good-will of all his listeners." [17] During its most active period, the club met every two weeks, [13] [21] eight months of the year. It was called the Twilight Club because the meetings happened much earlier than other clubs in the city. Meetings could be over before other similar clubs had begun dinner. The low cost, sometimes just the cost of dinner, the early hours and the casual nature of the discussions were unique factors that led to the club's popularity among its members. [1] [10] [17] [22]

The St. Denis Hotel (also referred to as the Hotel St. Denis) became the most common location for gatherings. [1] [17] [22] There was no permanent master of ceremonies. For each dinner, the secretary Charles F. Wingate would appoint one member to be the president for the night. Wingate would inform the temporary president of the program for the evening and coach him in conducting the discussion. The dining party consisted of a mixture of paid members, their guests, and invited experts who were brought in to give their testimony and opinions in reference to the topic of discussion for that evening. [1] [22]

The following is a catalogue of noted gatherings (dates, location, topics, attendees and guest speakers):

Demise

Club meetings ended in the early 1900s with the last reported meeting in 1904. [40] In 1910, Joel Benton [3] recounts that, "The Club has held no gatherings of late years, on account of its founder's now fatally terminated illness" and "The Club, beginning in 1883, suspended 5 or 6 years ago." [1] Waters said, "But alas! Wingate is absent, and there is no one to replace him." [22] When Charles Wingate Died in 1909, he was noted as the founder of the Twilight Club, and its factotum. [2] The club lasted over twenty years and hosted hundreds of dinners with guests numbering from dozens to several hundred. The last public meeting of the Twilight Club was May 19, 1918. By a unanimous vote at the annual meeting in September, the Twilight Club officially became the Society of Arts and Sciences. [41]

Manhattan Athletic Club

In 1893, the Manhattan Athletic Club went into receivership. Charles Wingate and a consortium of Twilight Club Members raised $500,000 to purchase the building as a permanent home for the club. They also intended to rent the club to other similar social clubs that could benefit from such a meeting place. While dues had been raised from $1 to $2, at the time of the athletic club purchase, Wingate mentions the initiation fee of $100 and dues of $15, which is contrasted with the dues of $30 for a similar club in London. At the time the club reported 800 members, although attendance at dinners was reported as between 50 and 200, depending on the event. The Twilight Club hoped to increase membership to 1,500 with this purchase. [42] [43] However, no record of a purchase or such club operations was recorded. The only noted use in this time period was for conducting boxing matches. [44] [45] [46] The Twilight Club continued to have dinners mainly at the St. Denis Hotel following discussions of this purchase.

Twilight Park

Twilight Park in the Catskill region of New York state was founded by Charles F. Wingate. Besides the name and a handful of Twilight Club members purchasing property there, it had no connection to the Twilight Club and its operations. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chauncey Depew</span> American politician (1834–1928)

Chauncey Mitchell Depew was an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician. He is best remembered for his two terms as United States Senator from New York and for his work for Cornelius Vanderbilt, as an attorney and as president of the New York Central Railroad System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Janeway Hardenbergh</span> American architect (1847–1918)

Henry Janeway Hardenbergh was an American architect, best known for his hotels and apartment buildings, and as a "master of a new building form — the skyscraper." He worked three times with Edward Clark, the wealthy owner of the Singer Sewing Machine Company and real estate developer: The Singer company's first tower in New York City, the Dakota Apartments, and its precursor, the Van Corlear. He is best known for building apartment dwellings and luxury hotels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kendrick Bangs</span> American author, editor and satirist

John Kendrick Bangs was an American writer, humorist, editor and satirist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University Club of New York</span> Private social club in Manhattan, New York

The University Club of New York is a private social club at 1 West 54th Street and Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Founded to celebrate the union of social duty and intellectual life, the club was chartered in 1865 for the "promotion of literature and art". The club is not affiliated with any other University Club or college alumni clubs. The club is considered one of the most prestigious in New York City.

The Lambs, Inc. is a social club in New York City for actors, songwriters, and others involved in the theatre. It is America's oldest theatrical organization. "The Lambs" is a registered trademark of The Lambs, Inc.; and the club has been commonly referred to as The Lambs Club and The Lambs Theater since 1874.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles P. Rogers</span>

Charles (Chas) Platt Rogers was an early American industrialist, New York City socialite and charter member and director of the Fourteenth Street Bank of New York. His longest lasting achievement was the founding the eponymous company Charles P Rogers & Co. established in 1855. It is the longest continuously operating bedding manufacturing and retail company in the United States. The company continues operations to this day and provided more beds and bedding to the finest hotels and clubs than any other company during its first hundred years. Charles was a pioneer in both the manufacturing processes and importation of brass and iron bedstead and a beloved member of the business community of New York; after his death he was referred to as the "dean of the bedding manufacturers of New York City…" in The Furniture Manufacturer and Artisan Periodical, volume 15, 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Club (New York City)</span> Social club in New York City

The Metropolitan Club is a private social club on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It was founded as a gentlemen's club in March 1891 by a group of wealthy New Yorkers led by the financier John Pierpont Morgan. The clubhouse at Fifth Avenue and 60th Street was designed by McKim, Mead & White and is a New York City designated landmark. The club is controlled by a 25-member board of governors. Initially, only men could become members, though women were given membership privileges in the mid-20th century. Like other Gilded Age social clubs, the Metropolitan Club functioned largely as a meeting place for the wealthy, hosting events such as luncheons, dinners, debutante balls, and business meetings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Yardley Turner</span> American artist (1850–1919)

Charles Yardley "C. Y." Turner was an American painter, illustrator, muralist and teacher. His genre scenes and American historical paintings were popularized through engravings and book illustrations.

The Economic Club of New York is a U.S. nonprofit and non-partisan membership organization dedicated to promoting the study and discussion of social, economic and political questions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Star and Garter Hotel, Richmond</span> Former hotel in Richmond, London

The Star and Garter Hotel in Richmond was a hotel located in the London countryside on Richmond Hill overlooking the Thames Valley, on the site later occupied by the Royal Star and Garter Home, Richmond. The first establishment on the site, an inn built in 1738, was relatively small. This was followed by several other buildings of increasing size and varied design as the site changed from family ownership to being run by a limited company. Some of the rebuilding or extension work took place following fires that by 1888 had destroyed most of the original buildings. At various times architects were commissioned to build grand new buildings or extensions to take advantage of the famed view over the river and valley below, with the largest being the 1860s chateau block by E. M. Barry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornell Club of New York</span> Social club in New York City

The Cornell Club of New York, usually referred to as The Cornell Club, is a private club in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Its membership is restricted to alumni and faculty of Cornell University, family of Cornellians, business associates of Members, and graduates of The Club's affiliate schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young's Hotel (Boston)</span>

Young's Hotel (1860–1927) in Boston, Massachusetts, was located on Court Street in the Financial District, in a building designed by William Washburn. George Young established the business, later taken over by Joseph Reed Whipple and George G. Hall. Guests at Young's included Mark Twain, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, William Lloyd Garrison, Charles Sumner, Rutherford B. Hayes, and numerous others.

The Twilight Club of Pasadena (California) is a private social group that was founded in 1895 as an organization where prominent men could assemble on a regular basis and be stimulated by lectures from notables of the day and entertained by individuals and groups of distinguished talent. From its earliest days its membership size was fixed and a waiting list kept. Its sole function was to serve as a convocation of interested and interesting people who gathered to hear speakers on issues of the day. The group met eight evenings a year. The group is much the same today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Alling Gifford</span> American architect

Charles Alling Gifford was an American architect and a partner in the New York City firm of Gifford & Bates. He is best remembered for his resort hotels, but also designed houses, churches, and five armories for the New Jersey National Guard.

The Church Club of New York is an Episcopal private member's club in New York City with 285 members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waldorf-Astoria (1893–1929)</span> Former hotel in Manhattan, New York

The Waldorf-Astoria originated as two hotels, built side by side by feuding relatives, on Fifth Avenue in New York, New York, United States. Built in 1893 and expanded in 1897, the hotels were razed in 1929 to make way for construction of the Empire State Building. Their successor, the current Waldorf Astoria New York, was built on Park Avenue in 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Francis Rice</span>

Charles Francis Rice was a prominent minister and author. He was a member of the New England Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 50 years, serving as a District Superintendent for five years and as president of the Massachusetts Federation of Churches for 10 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvan Debating Club</span>

The Sylvan Debating Club is a free speech society in which topical issues are discussed. Founded in London in 1868, it meets monthly and employs a traditional motion-based debating format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn Club of New York</span> Social club in Manhattan, New York

The Penn Club of New York is an American 501(c)7 not-for-profit, private social club located on Clubhouse Row in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The club's 14-story building, which is a designated landmark, is located at 30 West 44th Street and initially was occupied by The Yale Club of New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Yacht Club Building</span> Clubhouse in Manhattan, New York

The New York Yacht Club Building is a seven-story Beaux-Arts clubhouse at 37 West 44th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Opened in 1901, the building was designed by architect Whitney Warren of Warren and Wetmore as the sixth clubhouse of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC). The clubhouse is part of Clubhouse Row, a concentration of clubhouses on 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The building is a New York City designated landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ This principle was not noted in Joel Benton's 1910 biography of the Club [1]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Joel Benton (1910). Memories of the Twilight Club. Broadway publishing Company.
  2. 1 2 "Charles Wingate Obituary". The New York Times. September 2, 1909. p. 9.
  3. 1 2 "Memories of the Twilight Club". The New York Times. December 5, 1909. p. 113.
  4. ↑ "Tales Told in the Twilight". Boston Evening Transcript. March 9, 1912. p. 35.
  5. ↑ Cohen, Julius Henry (1946). They Builded Better than They Knew. New York: J.Messner, Inc. p.  43. ISBN   9780836923506.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Club Men of New York: Their Occupations, and Business and Home Addresses: Sketches of Each of the Organizations: College Alumni Associations. Republic Press. 1893. p. 42.
  7. 1 2 /ref> "and Discussion of the Slums". The New York Times. December 2, 1892. p. 2.
  8. 1 2 "If They Were Only Kings". The New York Times. January 6, 1888. p. 3.
  9. 1 2 "Is Brennan as Great as This?". The World. (New York, New York). May 5, 1893. p. 1.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Gilder, Jeannette Leonard and, Gilder, Joseph Benson (1886). The Critic, Volumes 5 and 8, p. 129. Good Literature Publishing Company, New York.
  11. ↑ "Twilight's Spotlight is Turned on Sir Herbert". The Sun. (New York, New York). March 27, 1916. p. 4.
  12. ↑ "General News". Chronicle-Express. Penn Yan New Yorg. November 16, 1882. p. 2.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Critic, Volume 4. The Critic Printing and Publishing Company, New York. 1884. p. 115.
  14. ↑ "New York Times". November 12, 1882. p. 9.
  15. ↑ Duncan, David (1908). Life and Letters of Herbert Spencer, p. 230. Methuan & Company, London.
  16. 1 2 "Page 2". Dunkirk Evening Observer. (Dunkirk, New York). April 21, 1884. p. 2.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 Moss, Frank (1897). The American metropolis from Knickerbocker days to the present time; New York city life, p. 143. P. F. Collier, New York.
  18. 1 2 "Eating Fish on the Ninth Floor". The New York Times. April 11, 1884. p. 8.
  19. 1 2 "Membership of the Clubs". The New York Times. January 17, 1887. p. 2.
  20. ↑ Currey, Josiah Seymour (1918). Chicago: Its History and Its Builders, p. 182. S.J. Clarke Publishing Company.
  21. ↑ "The Thirteen Club". The Atlanta Constitution. (Atlanta, Georgia). August 9, 1886. p. 1.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 Waters, Robert (1908). Culture by Conversation, p. 156. Dodd, Mead & Company, New York.
  23. ↑ "How Girls Should Be Trained". The New York Times. March 6, 1885. p. 8.
  24. ↑ "Ignorance and Presumption". The New York Times. March 7, 1885. p. 4.
  25. ↑ "The Twilight Club Dines". The New York Times. June 6, 1890. p. 5.
  26. ↑ "Twilight Club Symposium". The World. (New York, New York). January 13, 1893. p. 12.
  27. ↑ New York Times, May 15, 1894,p.3.
  28. ↑ "Twilight Club and the Stage". The New York Times. December 7, 1894. p. 3.
  29. ↑ "City and Vicinity". The New York Times. December 31, 1894. p. 8.
  30. ↑ "The Church and The People". The New York Times. January 4, 1895. p. 8.
  31. ↑ "Twilight Club Discusses Cuba". The New York Times. April 10, 1896. p. 5.
  32. ↑ "Bargain Counter Ethics". The New York Times. December 18, 1896. p. 2.
  33. ↑ "Meeting of the Twilight Club". The New York Times. January 22, 1897. p. 7.
  34. ↑ "Coming Events". The New York Times. February 3, 1897. p. 7.
  35. ↑ "News Condensed". The New York Times. February 5, 1897. p. 1.
  36. ↑ "Twilight Club Men For Low". The New York Times. October 29, 1897. p. 5.
  37. ↑ "Twilight Club's Anniversary". The New York Times. January 2, 1901. p. 8.
  38. ↑ "Tenement House Laws". The New York Times. May 10, 1901. p. 5.
  39. ↑ "Twilight Club Hints for Mayor-Elect Low". The New York Times. November 15, 1901. p. 3.
  40. 1 2 "Bigelow Talks for Japan". The New York Times. March 25, 1904. p. 2.
  41. ↑ Letter from Secretary Richmond J. Reese to members of the Society of Arts and Sciences, December 15, 1918. Thomas J. Watson, Sr. Papers, Associations and Clubs, Society of Arts and Sciences, Box 98. IBM Corporate Archives.
  42. ↑ "A Club-House for Clubs". The World. (New York, New York). November 23, 1893. p. 10.
  43. ↑ "Twilight Club's New Scheme". The New York Times. November 26, 1893. p. 17.
  44. ↑ "The Day - Google News Archive Search". The Day. January 9, 1889. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  45. ↑ "The Day - Google News Archive Search". The Day. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  46. ↑ "DILLON OUTPOINTS FLYNN. - Has Better of Hotly Contested Bout at Manhattan A.C." Select.nytimes.com. March 11, 1916. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.