Married Woman's Card Club
 Granite Hall, one of the club's venues | |
| Formation | 1893 |
|---|---|
| Location | |
Membership | 16 |
The Married Woman's Card Club is an exclusive all-women society in Savannah, Georgia, established in 1893.[1][2] It meets once a month,[2] on Tuesdays at 4:00 PM.
The society is featured in John Berendt's novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Clint Eastwood's 1997 movie adaptation of the book.[3][4] Members (described as "gossipy socialites")[5][6] take turns hosting the events,[7] although the venue used in both the book and the movie was Granite Hall, near Savannah's Forsyth Park. Only married women are permitted in the club; should they become divorced, they must resign.[8]
It was founded by sixteen ladies in search of amusement during the day while their husbands were at work. There were always sixteen members – no more, no less. Once a month, always on a Tuesday, they would gather at one of the members' homes for two hours of card playing, cocktails, and a light supper.
— John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1994), p. 153
As John Berendt explained, 32 guests are invited, so that the number of attendees always totals 48. They sit around twelve card tables. A strict schedule of events begins with the serving of a glass of water:[9]
- 4:15 PM: water
- 4:30 PM: remove water
- 4:40 PM: empty ashtrays
- 4:45 PM: pass napkins
- 5:00 PM: cocktails
- 5:15 PM: second cocktails
- 5:30 PM: third cocktails
- 5:35 PM: last hand, pass linen
- 5:40 PM: serve dinner plates
- 5:45 PM: high score and cut for aces
- 6:00 PM: prizes, ladies leave promptly
The prompt departures at 6:00 PM was to allow the women to get home in time to greet their husbands as they returned home.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ Carvajal, Doreen (1997-05-21). "Stoking the Star Maker Machinery". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
- ^ a b III, Harvey H. Jackson (2014-02-01). The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Volume 16: Sports and Recreation. UNC Press Books. ISBN 978-1-4696-1676-6.
- ^ "BUCOLIC SAVANNAH HAS ITS DIRTY LINEN AIRED". Chicago Tribune. 1994-03-29. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
- ^ Archives, L. A. Times (1997-12-18). "A 'Garden' Party by the Book". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
- ^ Domet, Sarah (2019-09-13). "25 Years After Midnight". Savannah Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
- ^ "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt". www.publishersweekly.com.
- ^ "Sultry Savannah's a Secret No More". Voice of America. 2010-05-23. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
- ^ Berendt, John (2010-05-12). Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-53837-6.
- ^ a b Berendt, John (2010-05-12). Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-53837-6.