Then & Now: Pittsburgh's Duquesne Club

The Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been a gathering place for many of the city's prominent business people for more than a century (it finally allowed female members in 1980). As stated in a 2011 article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "Surrounded by works of art that were donated by members, they could smoke cigars, meet friends, play billiards, enjoy fine food and Monongahela rye whiskey without rubbing shoulders with ordinary mortals."

Below are two views of the club; one from 1898 with horses and carriages, as well as a contemporary image.

Duquesne Club, from Pittsburgh and Its Exposition, 1898

Duquesne Club, from Wikipedia, dated 2010

I've been lucky to see the inside of this impressive club. I attended several wedding receptions here and even was invited to breakfast by a member to discuss my salary after a job offer in the 1990s. There is definitely a sense of history in this place. If walls could talk...