Church Alley, Liverpool L1
Picture by Jonathan P. Neill
| The original
Athenaeum Newsroom opened on 1st January 1799, two years after the
founders had issued their prospectus to potential members. Its library
followed in May of 1799 that year. The prospectus seeking investors
described the News Room as procuring a 'regular supply of newspapers,
both town and country, all the periodical publications of any value, and
all the pamphlets that have reference to subjects of local or general
polity or commerce'. The Athenaeum was also to provide 'books for the
acquisition of general knowledge and for entertainment'. It was believed
by the proposers that the existing Liverpool Library, founded in 1758,
was failing in this respect. The heart of the Athenaeum is its library.
Washington Irvine wrote in his 1848 sketchbook, 'One of the first places
to which a stranger is taken in Liverpool is the Athenaeum; it contains
a good library and a spacious reading room and is the great literary
resource of the place.' One of the most important parts of the library
is the Roscoe Collection. William Roscoe was one of the founding
proprietors. After his bankruptcy in 1815 and the forced sale of his
library, his friends purchased certain volumes and presented them to the
Athenaeum thereby ensuring that Roscoe had continued use of these books.
This concept of the Gentlemen's Club as a News and Library resource
pre-dates the establishment of such clubs in London, clubs there were
still based on political party lines or were homes for organised
gambling. The London Athenaeum and The Garrick Club, of similar worthy
intent were not established for some years, previous clubs having
existed with political purpose or as homes for gambling and
entertainment only. The
present building occupies the three floors above shops at the western
corner of School Lane and Church Alley, on your left as you leave the
gated Bluecoat Chambers. It was designed by Harold Dod in 1924 and
occupied four years later. The interior has a grand elliptical staircase
and a spectacular library. The entrance keystone of a carved Athena's
Head is attributed to Herbert Tyson Smith. The Athenaeum Club occupies
three floors above the ground floor shops. It is the only private club
and subscription library and news room to survive into the 21st century.
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