The tradition of the college Literary Societies is much older than one might guess. Although the tradition of the literary society, or Salons, as they were then known, began in the 16th century in Italy, Americans received their introduction to the literary gatherings in France.
The French Salons were, at first, private gatherings, and it would be some time before academic institutions adopted and modified the tradition. Indeed, the term salon, which first appeared in 1664, was derived from the large reception halls typical of Italian mansions of the period. Prior to the 17th century, French literary gatherings were referred to by the room they were held in. And, it was not unusual during the period for gatherings to be held in such private rooms as the cabinet, a room located next to the kitchen or dining area, or the ruelle, the space between a bed and the wall in a bedroom. Moreover, the bedroom was often that of the patroness of the salon , who would recline on her bed during the discussion.
Women were frequently the centre of salons. In addition to selecting the intellectuals and literati that formed the circle of a salon and providing the location, they also established rules of etiquette and moderated the discussion of the gatherings. By the time the salons became an institutionalized feature of French public life in the the mid-18th century, the influential patronesses of the 17th century had virtually codified the rules and topics of the nascent literary society.
It is in the etiquette and mission of the early salons that we can see the first links to contemporary college literary societies. The patronesses of the 17th century often employed codes of Italian chivalry when establishing the order of speakers, the topics, and other structural and organizational components of the salon. The purpose of the salons was to refine taste and share knowledge of anything from recent news to philosophical ideas. And, just like literary societies today, the inspiration came from Horace’s ideas on poetry. Specifically, the early French literary circles took up Horace’s view, from line 333 of the Ars Poetica, that poetry should “please and educate”. Indeed, Horace’s poetic ambitions are evident in the constitutions of both the Philomathean and Philomelean Societies of Erskine College.
By the end of the 18th century the United States and France would undergo a massive political and cultural shift that would shake the establishment of the old. Yet, from even the very early conceptual stages of the democratic revolutions, political philosophers from both the U.S. and France worked out their theories at Salons.
Of course, the Salons changed with the times. The tradition was soon transformed from its early aristocratic roots taking on a more public form. While the salons of the 17th century and the early 18th century openly accommodated new ideas, they were largely court affairs. In the late 18th century, the gatherings moved into public spaces such as cafes, coffee houses and public squares. As such, the new formulation of the tradition was able to anticipate the rapid growth of liberty and democracy that was washing over Europe and America. And, by the end of the 18th century Salons were a cultural feature of most European and South American countries.
Yet, some of the traditions remained intact and indeed influenced the emerging democratic traditions. Salons were among the first social gatherings that allowed men and women to interact directly and freely. Moreover, the egalitarianism that formed the heart of the Salon and provided for its organization under a hostess was directly ingrained in the new national motto of the French democracy as égalité.
American’s were common features at the French gatherings. At the outset of the War of Independence, Benjamin Franklin sailed to France. He soon became a regular at Parisian courts and social events. Although his earlier discoveries had already made him well-known in France, his diplomatic work earned him a level of respect unparalleled by other Americans. In the end, he managed to secure from the French the financial, military, and material support required by the young American nation to fight for independence. And, American intellectuals would soon repay the gesture. During the writing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, French thinkers consulted Jefferson, who was then serving as a diplomat in France. Indeed, Jefferson’s involvement and endorsement of the French Revolution was so strong that he remained a supporter of the emergent Republic even after the Reign of Terror. According to Jefferson, “To back away from France would be to undermine the cause of republicanism in America.”
Even though the tradition of the Salon went through a significant change in the 19th century, as it was adapted outside of France as Literary Societies, the tradition continued until the 20th century. Indeed, one could look at American expats dwelling in Paris who made up the Lost Generation as the last famous Salon. After all, their organization under Gertrude Stein’s leadership and patronage bears a very close resemblance to the patronesses and their ruelles in the 17th century. By the time most of the American expats arrived in Paris, shortly after WWI, Stein had established a regular Saturday Salon at her house on 27 Rue de Fleurus. Steins’ Salons, like their early predecessors, offered visitors a chance to view and discuss her art collection and mingle with some of the most renowned artists of the day, such as Matisse and Picasso.