The Lambs

The Lambs on June 27, 1915 at 130 West 44th Street

The Lambs, Inc. (aka The Lambs Club) is a social club in New York City for actors, songwriters, and others involved in the theater. It is America's oldest theatrical organization. "The Lambs" is a registered trademark of The Lambs, Inc.; and the club has been commonly referred to as The Lambs Club and The Lambs Theater since 1874.^[1]

History

In 1868, The Lambs was founded in London by actors, led by John Hare, the first Shepherd, looking to socialize with like-minded people. Several of those, most notably Henry James Montague, the 3rd Shepherd, came to the United States and formed The Lambs of New York during Christmas week of 1874. It was incorporated in 1877 in New York City. Shortly afterward, the London Lambs closed.

The club's name honors the essayist Charles Lamb and his sister Mary, who during the early 19th century played host to actors and literati at their famed salon in London.^[2]

In 1924 they celebrated their golden jubilee at the Earl Carroll Theatre.^[3]

The Lambs, the New York Friars' Club, and The Players in New York are often confused. In 1964, the long-time syndicated columnist Earl Wilson put it this way: "Long ago a New Yorker asked the difference between the Lambs, Friars, and Players, since the membership was, at the time, predominantly from Broadway." It was left to "a wit believed to have been George S. Kaufman" to draw the distinction: "The Players are gentlemen trying to be actors, the Lambs are actors trying to be gentlemen, and the Friars are neither trying to be both."^[4]

Presidents

The president of The Lambs is called "The Shepherd".^[5] The Club displays the portraits of all its presidents, painted by artists such as James Montgomery Flagg and Everett Raymond Kinstler.

1. Henry James Montague (1874–1878)
2. John Lester Wallack (1878–1879, 1880–1882, 1884–1888)
3. Harry Beckett (actor) (1879–1880)
4. William J. Florence (1882–1884)
5. John Riker Brady (1888–1890)
6. Edmund Milton Holland (1890–1891)
7. Clay Meredith Greene (1891–1898, 1902–1906)
8. Thomas Benedict Clarke (1898–1900)
9. DeWolf Hopper (1900–1902)
10. Wilton Lackaye (1906–1907)
11. Augustus Thomas (1907–1910)
12. Joseph Rhode Grismer (1911–1913, 1917–1918)
13. William Courtleigh, Jr. (1913–1917)
14. Robert Hubber Thorne Burnside (1918–1921)
15. Albert Oldfield Brown (1921–1924, 1930–1932)
16. Thomas Meighan (1924–1926)
17. Thomas Alfred Wise (1926–1928)
18. Fritz Williams (1928–1930)
19. Frank Crumit (1932–1936)
20. Fred Waring (1939–1942)
21. John L. Golden (1942–1945)
22. Raymond Wilson Peck (1945–1947)
23. Bert Lytell (1947–1952)
24. Walter Noel Greaza (1953–1956)
25. William Gaxton (1936–1939, 1952–1953, 1957–1959, 1960–1961)
26. Frank Marion Thomas (1962–1963)
27. Martin Begley (1964–1965)
28. Harry Hershfeld (1966–1969)
29. Jack Waldron (actor) (1969)
30. Tom Dillon (actor) (1969–1986)
31. Richard L. Charles (1986–1997)
32. A. J. Pocock (1998–2001)
33. Bruce Brown (2002–2008)
34. Randy Phillips (2008–2013)
35. Marc Baron (2013– )

Clubhouses

1. 1874: Founded and first dinner at Delmonico's Restaurant (NE Corner of 5th Ave & 14th St.)
2. 1875: Morton House (Manhattan) (Union Square)
3. 1875: Union Square Hotel
4. 1876: Wallack's Theater 848 Broadway (nicknamed "The Matchbox")
5. 1877–78: 6 Union Square
6. 1878: 19 East 16th Street
7. 1880–1892: 34 West 26th St
8. 1891: Gilsey House, 1200 Broadway
9. 1892: 8 West 29th St
10. 1893–1896: 26 West 31st St
11. 1897–1905: 70 West 36th St (formerly and thereafter known as Keens Chophouse)
12. 1905–1975: 130 West 44th Street (expanded in 1907)
13. 1975: Guest in Lotos Club, 5 East 66th St
14. 1976: Current: 3 West Club, 3 West 51st Street, 5th Floor

128 West 44th Street

Lamb's Club
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	128 W. 44th St., New York, New York
Coordinates	40°45′23″N 73°59′7″W / 40.75639°N 73.98528°W / 40.75639; -73.98528Coordinates: 40°45′23″N 73°59′7″W / 40.75639°N 73.98528°W / 40.75639; -73.98528
Area	less than one acre
Built	1904
Architect	Stanford White, George Freeman
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP Reference #	82003382[6]
Added to NRHP	June 3, 1982

The Lambs has had many Manhattan homes since 1874, beginning with Delmonico's Restaurant in Union Square, then in 1875 they met at the Maison Doree on the south side of 14th Street opposite Union Square; 1876–77 next to Wallack's theater at 848 Broadway; 1877–1878 at the Union Square Hotel, 6 Union Square; 1879 within a brownstone at 19 East 16th St.; 1880–1891 at a Brownstone at 34 West 26th St.; 1891 at the Gilsey House, 1200 Broadway; 1892 at 8 West 29th St.; 1893–1896 at 26 West 31st St.; 1897–1905 at 70 West 36th, what was formerly and thereafter Keen's Chophouse remodeled by Stanford White to be a clubhouse. In 1905 at 128–130 West 44th Street, in a house designed by Stanford White, then doubled in size in 1915.^[7]

Until 1974 the Club remained at the building at 128 West 44th Street. The building was designed by architect Stanford White, and was erected in 1904–1905, the expanded in 1915 to include 132 West 44th Street. When the club relocated to its current nine-story quarters at 3 West 51st Street adjacent to Rockefeller Center, it sold its own quarters to the Church of the Nazarene which intended to use the old building as a mission in Time Square.^[8] The church leased part of the building for what would become the Off Broadway Lamb's Theatre which is not related to the Club except for the name of the building.

The building was designated a New York City Landmark^[9] in September 1974; and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1982.

In 2006 the Church of the Nazarene sold the building and theatre, which has been renovated by the Chatwal Hotel. They operate a restaurant in the hotel and named it The Lambs Club although there is no relation between the hotel and The Lambs other than what was left of the building.^[10]

Current activity

The Lambs, Inc. is still active in its nine-story quarters at 3 West 51st Street adjacent to Rockefeller Center. Its members have been instrumental in the formation of ASCAP, Actors' Equity and The Actors' Fund of America and Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Of the first 21 Council members of Actor's Equity, 20 were members of The Lambs. Historically, The Lambs has been the spawning ground of plays, friendships and partnerships. Mark Twain Tonight (with Hal Holbrook) and Stalag 17 were first performed at The Lambs prior to their national successes.

Alan J. Lerner and Frederick Loewe first met at The Lambs, often trying works-in-progress on their fellow Lambs. Loewe left a percentage of his share of Brigadoon royalties to The Lambs' Foundation. Since its founding, there have been more than 6,000 Lambs including Spencer Tracy,^[11] Fred Astaire, Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan, W.C. Fields, Will Rogers, John Philip Sousa, Fred Waring and Albert Hague, and Cliff Robertson. Current luminaries include the Academy Award winning actor James Karen, Abe Vigoda, Joyce Randolph, and the award-winning conductor/arranger, Donald Pippin (b. 1930). The Lambs' web site contains a listing of its past members.

References

External links

• The Lambs, Inc. website
• "The Lambs Club"—the NYC Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
• Lambs Club records, 1880–1973, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
• The Lambs Foundation Inc web site

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