The Lansdowne Club is a private members' club in London, England occupying a large building, which is notable in its own right. It was established in 1935 and occupies most of 9 Fitzmaurice Place, which connects Berkeley Square to Curzon Street in Mayfair.
History
The club formed later than many London clubs, and it permitted women from its inception. It has always had a relatively young membership, with an active social scene. The building's main Adam and otherwise 1930s Art Deco interiors, with some authentic frontages, mean it has been Grade II* listed since its first assessment in 1970. This is the mid-category of listed building, a statutory scheme of protection which has a pyramidal hierarchy.
In 1930, Westminster City Council decided to improve access to Berkeley Square by creating an extra road into the square. This was accomplished by demolishing half of the main range of Lansdowne House, which stood since the 1760s. What remained was given a new frontage and a newly renovated interior, and became the Lansdowne Club. The 'First Drawing Room' was thus taken to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the 'Dining Room' exists in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
The venue was founded as a 'social, residential and athletic Club for members of social standing' and their families, and, unlike many of its rivals, had no vocational, artistic, or political requirements. Its facilities include a ballroom, a terrace, a fencing Salle and a basement gym with Art Deco swimming pool.
Internally, the architecture is extremely unusual: some was modern for its type, and significantly Art Deco as opposed to Georgian/Victorian/Edwardian styles. The Adam Room and other parts of the club on the ground-floor are Georgian in style.
The building underwent extensive renovation and further modernisation in 2000.
Members past and present
Richard DimblebyThe House in Berkeley Square: A History of the Lansdowne Club; Perry, Maria; (2003) Lansdowne Club, London Beryl Cook John Bly Luke Fildes (fencer) Ian Campbell-Gray Loyd Grossman James Mason Charles Arnold-Baker Terry Beddard Mary Glen-Haig Desmond Flower, 10th Viscount Ashbrook Archibald Craig Bill Hoskyns Baroness Butler-Sloss Peter Alliss John Emrys Lloyd Tony Calvert, founder of the Terrence Higgins Trust Nick Halsted Catherine Herridge Paul Smith (fashion designer) Elizabeth Blackadder Allan Jay Merlin Hanbury-Tracy, 7th Baron Sudeley Joachim von Ribbentrop (before the outbreak of World War II) Tim Richardson (writer) Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and Grace Kelly were honorary members, whose son Albert II, Prince of Monaco took fencing lessons there The House in Berkeley Square: A History of the Lansdowne Club; Perry, Maria; (2003) Lansdowne Club, London
Chairmen
1935–40 F. Howard Humphies Esq 1940–54 Sir Frederick Arnold-Baker 1954–57 Clarence Napier Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare 1957 (interim) Morys Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare 1957–63 P. D. Krolik Esq 1963–67 J. Fletcher Esq 1967–88 C. G. Findlay Esq 1988–97 J. R. M. Keatley Esq 1998–2006 J. Moore Esq. 2006–10 D. Whitehouse Esq 2010–14 C. Powell Esq 2014–15 D. Prince Esq 2015–18 D. Whitehouse Esq 2018–19 J. North Esq 2019–20 M. Dixon Esq 2020–21 K. Hollender Esq 2021-22 K. O'Flynn 2022-25 J. Dobson Esq 2025-present N. Skinner Esq
Past fencing masters Fencing was established as part of the Lansdowne Club in November 1935 by a group of fencers who moved there from the Royal Automobile ClubThe House in Berkeley Square: A History of the Lansdowne Club; Perry, Maria; (2003) Lansdowne Club, London and the Club boasts a historic salle d'armes that was featured in Darling (1965 film). Over the years the fencing masters have included:
Monsieur Vollands Professor Foucheyrand with assistant coach Mr Richards Alfred Parkins John Parkins Jeremy Parkins Ziemowit Wojciechowski Steven Paul (fencer) Pierre Harper
See also List of London's gentlemen's clubs
Further reading
References
External links