The Players' Club-house
The Players is a social club founded in New York City by the famed 19th century Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth who purchased a magnificent mansion located at 16 Gramercy Park. In 1865, Edwin's younger brother John Wilkes, a popular actor, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, after which the life of his family, and all actors, changed. Understandably, they found themselves despised by the society of the time, so Booth established a social club which would bring actors into contact with men of different professions such as industrialists, writers and other creative artists.
The newspaper article below was written when the Players “club-house” first opened in 1889. E.J. Meeker created the illustrations for the January 19th, 1889 issue of Harper’s Weekly. The text is extracted from a New York Times article from that same week:
The Players Club-house opened on New Year’s Eve with great festivity.
The new Club-house of the Players was thrown open last night and warmed in an approved manner. The housewarming over, the new club will settle itself down to the pleasing monotony of every-day club existence. The Players will never have infantile struggles to look back upon. It has a good roof over its head at the very beginning, and hard wood floors, highly polished, to walk upon; plenty of chairs, carved and cushioned, antique to sit upon; and silver dishes to eat from.
The home of the club, the wide and roomy house at 16 Gramercy Park, bought by Edwin Booth, the first President of the Players, and fitted up at his expense, was formally turned over to the corporation by him last night.
“For many years I have cherished a hope that I might be able to do something more for my profession. Not until after many conversations with friends of the theater did I resolve to act.”
“The world being but a stage where every man must play his part. Mine, just now, is a very happy one since it permits me to present to you the title to this property. From this cup, let us drink to the Players perpetual prosperity.”
Mr. Booth spoke these words in front of the big fireplace in the main hall. A portrait of the elder Booth hangs on the wall over the fireplace.
The doors of the dining room were thrown open, disclosing the mahogany tables heaped with good things to eat and drink, and the players relaxed and were merry. The beautiful dining room has a heavy raftered ceiling and high wainscoting. A curious and handsome chandelier, constructed of deer’s antlers hangs in the centre. The tables are polished mahogany. The walls are covered with pictures, mostly likenesses of actors.
The library occupies nearly all of the second floor. It has pictures enough to cover every available inch of wall room. It has books to read that will keep its members well informed (if they use the library) and will make them “letter perfect” in the history of the stage. Most of the pictures are oil portraits of famous men and women of the stage. The low bookshelves that line the room are already filling up. Low tables and comfortable chairs abound.
A wide staircase of oak leads to the first floor.