The Oriental Club

1824

Source: Wikipedia Commons

“Two clubs, The Oriental Club (1824) and the East India United Service Club (1849) were creations specifically founded to cater to the hybrid identities of the returning men of the Empire. A single man, away from his country for many years, might need help reacquainting himself with polite society. And a gentlemen’s club was just the kind of institution to cater to the particular challenges of imperial travellers coming home. The Oriental Club explicitly set out three primary goals: (1) To craft connections with English society, (2) To meet and reconnect with old friends, (3) To keep men abreast of Eastern affairs for those who needed to maintain their connections ” (Milne-Smith, 54).

Bibliography

Hatton, Joseph. Clubland London and Provincial. London: J. S. Vertie, 1890. Internet Archive version of a copy in the University of Toronto Library. Web. 29 February 2012.

Milne-Smith, Amy. “Imperial Club life in London.” The Victorian Web.

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Last modified 29 February 2012