The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-01-21
TRADE FREEZES OUT
ART; VILLAGE is SAD
Liberal Club Closes, Many
Blaming Noted Clash of
Blonde and Brunette.
DEFICIT AFTER BLAZE
Greenwich's Celebrities Are
Left Out in Cold by Loss
Of Their Joint Home.

They were carrying piles of planks
and dozens of table legs into the quar-
ters of the Liberal Club, at 1877 Mac
dougai street. a short stones throw
from Washington square. yesterday
afternoon and dumping them on the
floor, made smooth, by the artistic feet
of Greenwich Villages two hundred
For commerce has invaded arts last
sanctuary in the village and the Lib.
eral Club is no more.
Greenwich Village never has had q
dearth OF organizations, formal and
otherwise, of its artistic. pseudoartistic
and merely temperamental folk. but
the Liberal Club for the last eight years
has been probably the principal gather
ing place for the celebrities of the vii
lage. The membership included several
men and girls who really made some
impression on art and an even greater
number who were good dancers and
bright conversationalists.
When an organization passes away
in Greenwich Village 1t does not die
and go where 1t belongs. 1t becomes a
tea shop, which is precisely what was
happening TO the Liberal Club yester-
day afternoon. The art chairs yawned
for occupants, posters of pagan routs
and frolics shot forth their eye scoring
colors .harmlessly from the walls, the
pianola sulked In a dark corner and
the fireplace functioned as scrap
basket.
Many Reasons for Demise.
There are apparently precisely az
many real reasons for the passing OF the
club as there are surviving members,
which Is as II should be In Greenwich
Village. But in one way or another
most Of the members incline to the
belief that II was one Of the following
1t got dressy; 1t became radical instead
of liberal; 1t became conservative in
stead Of liberal; the landlord wanted
the rent the brunette and the blonde
divided the members into hostile camps
after their scrap; nobody wanted to do
any real work toward maintaining the
club; 1t few apart: it's mission was &C
complished and 1t died; there wasn't a
head for business in the club. and the
Blaze" the last big affair Of the club,
cleaned 1t out entirely.
An unprejudiced observer penetrating
the Village gathered that probably all
these things had something to do with
1t, but the fact that the club had only
$12.36 in the bank, some furniture and
dues due. but not present, to cover lia-
bilities totalling somewhat more than
$4,000. appears to an inartistic mind TO
have some bearing on the disintegration
Of tho club. The brunette-blonde con-
troversy also was enough to split any
club. And the Blaze" was huge social
success, but there was no insurance.
Glenn o. Coleman. an artist, one OF
the clubs prominent members. wandered
into the empty club rooms yesterday
afternoon in time to pronounce the
eulogy of the club.
ut lasted eight years. which is a
record for an organization in the Viii
lage," he said. During that time it
gave encouragement and aid to many OF
the Villages groups and individuals.
The Washington Square Players first
played here. The Provincetown Play
ers also got their start here. Many art
exhibitions were held in these rooms.
Poets like Harry Kemp and Sadiketchi
Hartmann, artists like Norman jacob
son and Renee La Coste and playwrights
like Eugene O'Neill--all were members
here. Each little group. as its members
found one another and got together.
drifted off by itself, leaving the club
smaller, until finally the whole MEM
bership disintegrated."