The Alibi Club

The Alibi Club is a private, traditional gentlemen's club in Washington, D.C. Its members comprise the Washington elite, including presidents,... more

by Walter Neal

Title

The Alibi Club

Artist

Walter Neal

Medium

Photograph

Description

The Alibi Club is a private, traditional gentlemen's club in Washington, D.C. Its members comprise the Washington elite, including presidents, senators, and diplomats, among other prominent figures.
In 1884, seven Washingtonians founded the Alibi Club, a private social club consisting of prominent political and social figures. Its name derived from the club practice of providing an alibi when the whereabouts of a member was questioned by the member's family. The club's founding purpose was to foster "mutual improvement, education, and enlightenment" among members of Washington society. Membership also extended to out of town figures from New York, Boston and Philadelphia, most likely to share information between communities and help in the development of strategies to address civic issues. Throughout its history, it has hosted numerous world leaders, including King Leopold of Belgium, Prince Albert of Belgium, Prince Henry of Prussia, and Viceroy Li Hung Chang
The first clubhouse was situated at 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Since 1886, the club has occupied a three story, brick townhouse blocks away from the White House. The clubhouse is furnished with donated memorabilia and artifacts that cover nearly every available section of wall on the first two floors. The clubhouse is also notable as a well preserved example of residential architecture in a commercial district, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 21, 1994.

Uploaded

May 3rd, 2009