The Arts Club, Dover Street

The Arts Club, founded in 1863 by Charles Dickens, (1812-1870), Anthony Trollope, (1815-1882) and Lord Leighton,(1830-1896). It was originally in Hanover Square but in 1893 it relocated to 40, Dover Street off Piccadilly where it has remained ever since. The street, notable for its Georgian architecture as well as the location of historic London clubs and hotels, has been frequented by historic figures associated with the arts and it was in the Club that Whistler made his decision to sue John Ruskin. It was badly bombed in World War II and extensively rebuilt and in 2011 it underwent a major refurbishment. Membership includes royal academicians, architects, musicians, actors and writers, HRH Prince Philip is the Patron and Sir Peter Blake is President of the Club. Current members include Grayson Perry, the photographer Tom Hunter, the actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Cattrall and also Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood. Well-known 'non-artist' members include Richard Attenborough, David Frost, Matthew Parris, and Henry Blofeld. The club has reciprocal arrangements with a number of clubs of similar character and prestige around the world including the Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh, the Glasgow Art Club, the Algonquin Club, Boston, the Arts Club of Chicago, the Arts Club of Washington DC and the Salmagundi Club in New York. In 1976 the Arts Club joined forces with the Authors' Club to share the same building.