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(RHODE ISLAND.) Newport in the Fifties.
(RHODE ISLAND.) Newport in the Fifties. Manuscript, 43 pages, clasped in corner with no cover, some wormholes on first page, condition otherwise strong. Np, [1908]
- Notes: A peculiar memoir of Newport's elite summer society circa 1854, written in response to comments made by Henry James in his 1907 "The American Scene." James had suggested that this summer colony was stiff and had European pretensions. The present manuscript attempts to portray the Newporters in a warmer light. Much of it is based on a record book in the author's possession kept by the Queen of Clubs, purportedly "the first (known) women's club in America." Using their 1854 membership list as a starting point, the author offers a 3-page annotated list of the colony's leading lights, peppered with anecdotes and notes on their various fates. Most of the last 30 pages consist of transcripts from the Queen of Clubs record book, particularly their humorous literary offerings such as a dialogue titled "Unprotected Female in Newport." The authorship of this manuscript is uncertain, but it was apparently written by an original participant in this social circle. The author notes that "all (but one) have now, 1908, passed away." This would make former Newport mayor Henry Bedlow (1821-1914) a likely candidate. Whoever the author, this is an important document of the early Newport scene and particularly of the Queen of Clubs.
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