Description
The Gamut Club was founded in 1904 by L.E. Behymer and a group of Los Angeles musicians. The membership of this musical society
was exclusively male and its objective, as described by their librarian Ben F. Field in 1918, was “brotherhood, assistance
to the musical fraternity, and the uplifting of the art”. The collection consists of ephemera, institutional records, and
Gamut Club guest registers. Much of the collection is related to Charles Clifton Draa who served on the Gamut Club’s reception
committee and executive board from 1917-1932. Some of the materials also belonged to Lummis. There is also one folder of personal
papers belonging to Draa that are unrelated to Gamut Club activities.
Background
The Gamut Club was founded in 1904 by L.E. Behymer and a group of Los Angeles musicians. The membership of this musical society
was exclusively male and its objective, as described by their librarian Ben F. Field in 1918, was “brotherhood, assistance
to the musical fraternity, and the uplifting of the art”. Shortly afterwards, the Club broadened the scope of its activities
by including other types of artists such as writers, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, and actors. According to the 1912 Gamut
Club yearbook, the Club continued to expand its society by adding “business and professional men of artistic tastes and talents”.
The Gamet Club building was located on 1044 South Hope Street in Los Angeles and built to meet the needs of their artistic
clientele. Their building included a 668 seat theatre, music and banquet room, and artists studios. Charles Fletcher Lummis
was a member of the Gamut Club and in 1924 they held a fiesta in his honor. The Club described Lummis as “our most distinguished
member”.
Extent
25.0 folder
[3 boxes] 25 folders, 4 guest registers
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Braun Research Library at the Autry National Center. All requests for permission to
publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Library Director. Permission for publication is given
on behalf of the Braun Research Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission
of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Availability
Collection is open for research. Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit http://theautry.org/research/research-rules-and-application
or contact library staff at rroom@theautry.org. An item-level inventory is available from library staff.