Brooks's Club
Brooks's is a London gentlemen’s club .
It was founded in 1764 by 27 gentlemen, including four dukes. Early on, it was considered an informal association of Whigs leaders . The club was originally located in Almack's Coffee House on Pall Mall , but since 1778 it has resided in a neo-classical building on St. James's Street designed by Henry Holland . Exactly opposite is the White's Club, which formerly represented the Tory camp . In 1970, the notoriously financially weak, also liberal St James's Club was integrated .
The most famous members of the club included Charles James Fox , William Pitt , Joshua Reynolds , David Garrick , Edward Gibbon , Horace Walpole , William Wilberforce , Palmerston and David Hume .
Brooks's used to be known for its gaming rooms. At various tables the members often bet large sums of money all night long, including whist and hazard . The club is also considered the birthplace of the Black Velvet drink : on the occasion of the death of Prince Albert in 1861, it was believed that even the champagne should be mourned - and unceremoniously mixed it 1: 1 with Guinness beer . The cuisine offered in the club enjoyed a less good reputation, which led to the founding of the Watier's Club in 1806 .
A special attraction at Brooks's is the betting book , in which the well-known Girl in the balloon bet between Lord Cholmondeley ( George James Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley , 1749–1827) and Lord Derby ( Edward Smith Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby , 1752–1834) from the year 1785 is recorded:
- Ld. Cholmondeley has given two guineas to Ld. Derby, to receive 500 Gs. Whenever his lordship fucks a woman in a balloon one thousend yards from the earth.
proof
- ^ LG Mitchell: Charles James Fox. Oxford University Press, 1992, p. 96.
Web links
- Official Brooks's homepage
- Information on victorianlondon.org
Coordinates: 51 ° 30 ′ 24 " N , 0 ° 8 ′ 23" W.