Thirteen Club ephemera, 1882-1891

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
13 Club (New York, N.Y.)
Abstract:
Ephemera of The Thirteen Club, an anti-superstition dining and drinking association based in New York, New York.
Extent:
2.4 Linear Feet (1 pamphlet box, 1 oversize flat box)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Thirteen Club ephemera, ARC Mss 101. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains ephemera produced by The Thirteen Club, a 19th century anti-superstition dining and drinking association based in New York, New York.

Items include:

  • The Constitution and By-Laws of The Thirteen Club;
  • Annual Reports from 1883 until 1891;
  • a Thirteen Club Wine List, with printed on the reverse a cartoon of the club's popular dinner party atmosphere with a Grim Reaper in the doorway;
  • a menu for the Thursday, Oct. 13th, 1887 Festival of the Vine Morituri te Salutamus;
  • and a blank contribution form, printed on 13 Club imprinted letterhead, for their Publication Fund.

Adapted from the seller's description.

Biographical / historical:

The Thirteen Club was a New York, New York based social club focused combating common superstitions, such as the fear of and belief that the number 13 caused bad luck. Founded in 1882 by William Fowler, he held the first dinner meeting of thirteen attendees on Friday, January 13th. "...Members came dressed in black suits, neckties, and top hats; before sitting down, they made a point of walking under a ladder, brought indoors for the occasion." the New York Times wrote of April 1882's meeting, which featured a cake with a black cat on it and table decorated with 13 candles. Other meetings included mirror smashing, salt spilling, and mock trials for members who had purportedly acted superstitiously. As their popularity grew throughout the 1880s, the club added to their ranks several high-profile honorary members, including five U.S. Presidents: Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

The Thirteen Club "...stands bold, defiant, and aggressive against the vulgar belief in folk-lore, and popular superstitions alone....We propose to organize against popular superstitions and knock them out by defiance. That is all....We have a burning desire to upset the salt, to walk under ladders, and to keep horseshoes out of the house..."

Adopted from the seller's description.

Acquisition information:
Library purchase, 2023.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the collection and physical objects belong to the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at the UCSB Library. All applicable literary rights, including copyright to the collection and physical objects, are protected under Chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code and are retained by the creator and the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns.

All requests to reproduce, quote from, or otherwise reuse collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB at special@ucsb.edu. Consent is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or their assigns for permission to publish where the UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Thirteen Club ephemera, ARC Mss 101. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Location of this collection:
UC Santa Barbara Library
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US
Contact:
(805) 893-3062
special@library.ucsb.edu
Website