Delphian Club
American literary club 1816–1825 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the literary club founded 1816. For the educational organization founded 1910, see Delphian Society. For the Harvard social group founded 1846, see Delphic Club.
The Delphian Club was an early American literary club active between 1816 and 1825. The focal point of Baltimore's literary community, Delphians like John Neal were prodigious authors and editors. The group of mostly lawyers and doctors gathered weekly to share refreshments and facetious stories, with many of their works being published in The Portico magazine. The club's structure and terminology were inspired by classical antiquity and comical verbosity. Sixteen men claimed membership over the club's nine-year run, with no more than nine serving at a time. Edgar Allan Poe satirized the group in his unpublished Tales of the Folio Club in the 1830s.
Quick Facts Named after, Formation ...
Named after | Oracle of Delphi |
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Formation | August 31, 1816; 207 years ago (1816-08-31) |
Founders | John Neal, Tobias Watkins, John Pierpont, Horace H. Hayden, William Sinclair, John Didier Readel, James H. McCulloch |
Founded at | Baltimore, Maryland, US |
Dissolved | 1825; 199 years ago (1825) |
Type | Literary club |
President | William Sinclair (1816) Tobias Watkins (1816–1823) William H. Winder (1823–1824) William Gwynn (1824–1825) |
Main organ | The Portico |
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