Clubs, especially women's clubs, e.g. the Lyceum
Sources edit
Women, Clubs and Associations in Britain by Doughan & Gordon, 2006 ch 4 Women's clubs in their heyday in the late 1890s reasons: *not* for avoiding men entirely - most welcomed men as guests (not true vv) Punch said, to talk scandal and smoke - many provided smoking rooms also, shopping - a resting place (reading, writing, tea) - Worcester, 1861 (cf restroom??)
"the splendid LyCl"
"the provision of safe, clean lavatories almost certainly increased the desirability of club membership" (p45) late C19 "public lavatories for women were highly controversial at this time" (p45)
But even when shops and concert halls began to provide "accommodation for ladies" (ie toilets) "this was the beginning of their full flowering"
Dec 1901, The Lady mag: "A club is now as necessary to the life of the modern gentlewoman as it has been for generations past to the man."' Reasons: relaxing, debate, social. Some luxurious, some simple.
e.g. one for minor actresses and dancers between performances - bring own food and have it cooked
1899 Dora Jones : professsional women live in rooms in suburbs (ie alone), need somewhere central to drop in - meantial health
intellectual and political clubs aid self-improvemtn, like US women's clubs - philanthropy, altruism, democrary, impact on society - not so similar to UK men's clubs - but many UK women's clubs were echoes
"The Ladies' Institute, originally a women's reading room and luncheon room established in 1860 by Bessie Rayner Parkes and Barbara Bodichon, was probably the first women's club to be set up in London, and its successor, the Berners Club, started in 1869, was originally called the Working Women's Club." p49
"the equally [to New Victorian Club] intellectual, albeit plusher and more sybaritic, LyCl also held debates, of a more formal "oxford Union" type" p51 weekly dances at LyCl