‘In The Coffee Room’
Have you ever wondered what a visit to the Athenaeum would have been like in 1800? The Minute Book gives us many clues and allows for a comprehensive description to be created. The Subscriber – the title Proprietor was introduced in the Victorian period – would have entered through the doorway or “portal” located in the centre of the facade and approached up a flight of three steps, fenced by iron railings.
The three panelled door opened directly into the coffee room, a large chamber over forty feet in width and divided in the centre by two Doric pillars, The walls were painted in a stone colour and were surmounted by a plaster frieze in the Doric style. The ceiling was whitewashed but from the three moulded, plaster decorations hung three sixteen light chandeliers in brass and with chains of the same metal; these had been purchased for £40. Daylight was admitted by seven round headed, sash windows, four on the front elevation and three to the rear. Green silk curtains hung from brass rails at each window, and sofas were placed before them. The room had a fireplace at either end and there were 36 inch circular looking glasses hung over both. A timepiece was provided and also a wind dial – an object of interest to merchants with maritime interests – these instruments cost a modest £22 10s 0d and were locally made.
Beyond the colonnade the room narrowed, to the left a short wall pierced by a door led to the library stair which ascended in a horseshoe shape, illuminated by a bay window in the wall at the rear of the building. On the right was a bar, behind which stairs led to the cellars and the accommodation of the Master of the Room.
The floor of the Coffee Room was bare boards and it was not until the 1840’s that a carpet was obtained. Probably the floor was sprinkled with sand, especially necessary as members were allowed to bring in their dogs.
The room was furnished with seven good plain mahogany tables, nine feet in length and two foot three inches wide. Doubtless these housed the newspapers and journals that were the principal objects in the room. They were supplemented by six large square mahogany card tables. The Committee had also ordered sixty “neat light stained chairs” which were bought for seven shillings and six pence each.
Our visitor might feel in need of refreshment and here the picture becomes less distinct. In November 1798 the provision of “tea and coffee” had been allotted to the duties of the Librarian, who was to be paid a salary on £50. No alcoholic drinks were available and it was only when the Institution moved to its new premises in 1928 that a bar serving alcoholic drinks was installed. Shortly afterwards the provision of drinks became the responsibility of the Master of the Room. It seems to have been on a franchise basis. The Minutes state that at the end of the year [he] “shall state the amount of perquisites received and all, profits arising shall be the property of the Institution”. The Committee were to guarantee him a profit of fifty guineas. The prices charged were to be decided by the Committee and in 1804 they were fixed at 1/4d {8p] for breakfast and 1/2d [6p] for tea. Refreshments would have been served using the 24 large table spoons, presumably for soup, four dozen tea spoons and the dozen tongs all in the best quality plate, and the cups and plates of porcelain, probably made at the Herculaneum works, and bought from Mr. Wolfe whose shop was in Castle Street.
The demand for refreshments seems to have been limited and the optimistic forecast of a £50 income at the end of the year proved absurdly optimistic, they had only taken £5 3s 11d and the Master had to be paid £21 11s 1 to compensate him. So disappointing were the sales that in 1807 their supply was discontinued and the equipment sold.
Something of mystery hangs over the provision of beverages. No kitchen facilities were provided so the drinks must have been prepared in the Master’s subterranean dwelling and brought up the stairs to the bar. he accounts do not show any item for the purchase of tea or coffee which presumably must have been supplied by the Master, hardly a satisfactory arrangement.
